It's a rocky world out there for the arts. Government grant programs have shrunk. Businesses are finding it harder to spare money for sponsorship. People are choosing to stay home instead of go out and spend on "frills" like theatre.
So what's a local theatre company to do? Ride it out and hope for the best? Shut their doors? Or find new ways to thrive?
Knowing what a challenging market it has been for theatre groups for the past several years, reporter Julie MacLellan thought she'd find out what things are like in Burnaby. She sat down to talk to folks from two different local theatre groups - the established Footlight Theatre Company, which has been operating in Burnaby under various names since 1965, and the newcomer Align Entertainment, which staged its first production, Shrek the Musical, at Michael J. Fox Theatre just this month.
In some ways, the groups couldn't be more different. Footlight has struggled to attract the kind of audiences it wants to its annual fall productions at the Michael J. Fox Theatre. In fact, in 2013, its board opted to cancel the major musical in favour of a benefit fundraiser, with an eye to coming back strong in 2014.
Align, meanwhile, was over the moon about the positive response to its first-ever production - and already looking forward to its next one, The Addams Family, in 2015.
In other ways, however, the two are much the same. Both have their sights set on offering high-quality, lavish productions that appeal to families. And both are realizing that, looking forward, theatre isn't just an art form anymore - it's a business, and anyone who doesn't treat it as one probably won't make it.
See the first of our two-part special report under the Entertainment tab, or follow the Related Story link below. Watch for part 2 with the next edition of the Burnaby NOW.
