Student fees to support productions

[Richard Plant]

Hello Jim:

Thanks for the details. I've a couple of queries, which are serious, so
don't misread my choice of titles?

Does the university let you keep all the box office money? That is, if you
were to make a pot full staging, say, "Anne of Brandon's Green Gables" or
"Phantom of Brandon's Grand Opera" would those revenues remain in your
operating fund?

Are you charged by, say, physical plant for your square footage or space?

Richard Plant
Dept of Drama, Queen's University
and
Graduate Centre for Study of Drama,
University of Toronto

On Fri, 20 Nov 1998, James Forsythe wrote:

> Richard:  I appreciate your point of view.  However, please be aware that
> these days it is not just theatre that can make such a claim on student fees
> or administration funding.  Here at Brandon University the production
> budgets of my shows are 100% funded from the box office.  But then I have to
> remember that the basketball team is constantly doing things to raise money,
> that the already cash strappped students pay extra for both lab courses in
> science and studio courses in the school of music.  I could apply to the
> student union for $500.00 if I ran my program like a Drama Club which isn't
> really practical.
>
> Working this way demands that my cast and crew are fully aware of the sense
> that we are a creative community taking a risk and are not safe in some
> ivory tower cocoon.  We as a Theatre Program are not getting any special
> favors.  But we do have a space to rehearse and perform.  And perhaps most
> important in a small school that has had its share of cutbacks we are still
> here.  And I for one am glad of that. We choose our own plays and musicals.
> We answer to no one but our audience.
>
> Threats and stunts won't work here.  I can't afford to piss anybody off
> because we need there ten bucks for a ticket in February.
>
> Yours, Jim Forsythe
>