Potentially Opening my own Puppet Theater

[crazy chris]

i read in an article somewhere that there are less than 50 puppet theatres in the US... is that true? seems crazy to me...

i made some calls to some rentable spots at a local plaza that has various antique stores / candle stores / mom and pop places and is in a wonderful little pedestrian plaza

i was suprised at how excited they were to hear my plans...and how reasonable the rent was.... one guy even offered me a free months rent... he was over the moon about the idea of a puppet theatre in his building...

im truly thinking seriously about it... right now my show is mobile... and this building would house my equipment...and allow me to promote monthly specialty shows and private party packages.... along with the ability to sell concessions and puppet oriented merchandise

does anyone have any experience with this type of thing? any tips on liability insurance prices... things i should know... etc?

cc

 

[Buck-Beaver]

This will probably be much harder to do than you think. Sometimes it's not that hard to start, but can be very difficult to maintain. Like starting any business, there are a lot of hidden costs you may not anticipate - seating, zoning regulations, insurance, etc. A really good idea if you're serious about this is to talk to companies that already operate theatres and do a proper business plan to make sure your idea is financially feasible.

I am absolutely not trying to sound pessimistic; the fact that there are 50 puppet theatres in the U.S. proves that it can be done (we only have two here in Canada and one of them only does puppetry part-time), but this is a big undertaking and if you want to make it sustainable it's really important to do all your homework before you begin.

 

[Melonpool]

Another thing you might want to think about is who own the rights to promote your puppets. I can't remember -- did you build your own puppets? Or did you buy them? If you bought them, you may not have the right to put them on flyers and ads for your theater. Or you might -- but you may want to get it in writing before you get too big.

 

[crazy chris]

i appreciate the input buck!

i know exactly what you mean! and you make some great points! im definately the type to do my homework... this thread was one of the first stops on a long journey of info gathering...

gotta meet with my insurance guy next! ... thats the one thing that really worries me!

im quite lucky to have an amazing PR person working with me who has an amazing rolodex and community of friends who fit into our demographic... she also has experience as an educator...performer... and is a definate asset in every way!

with her help i think we could definately pull it off...atleast long enough to complete our lease agreement... hahhaa

cc

 

[crazy chris]

Another thing you might want to think about is who own the rights to promote your puppets. I can't remember -- did you build your own puppets? Or did you buy them? If you bought them, you may not have the right to put them on flyers and ads for your theater. Or you might -- but you may want to get it in writing before you get too big.

definately a great point melonpool! i had planned to take the proper steps towards that....

cc

 

[spcglider]

In this economy, what do you have to lose?

-Gordon

P.S. Seriously, I think you have a great idea.

 

[crazy chris]

lol spc...

so true...

cc

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Something else to look in to are the zoning regulations for theatres. For example, here in Toronto, Famous People Players opened a new theatre for black light puppetry and reportedly had to spend several hundred thousand dollars in order to comply with all of the zoning requirements the city had.

That's an extreme example, but theatres - even small ones - usually have strict rules; I've heard that compliance usually costs at least $10,000 or more in upgrades, although that varys depending on whether you're located and the condition of the building you're going to operate in.

 

[Puppetainer]

Hey Chris sounds very exciting! My wife and I have a dream of opening a puppet theater here in Wisconsin. I have quite a bit of experience as an independent businessman. I owned and operated my own small town video store for 13 years. I sold it but it is still running and will celebrate it's 20th year of business next year! I also was president of a small game company that designed produced and sold (locally) a board game of sorts. I know that you are researching this all pretty well because you ran your own business for so many years.

That means that you understand the challenges and obstacles a new business can face. But you also know how rewarding it can be. The one bit of advice I've given over the years to friends who've been considering starting a business of their own is LOVE WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO! Because you're going to be spending LOTS of time and energy getting it up and running and keeping it going. And if you don't love it at the very least you'll grow tired of it and won't have the stamina required to succeed.

Having said all of that I think you already have that covered. From your other posts and simply from your membership at this forum I would say you do indeed have a passion for puppetry. So my only other advice would be to consider whether being a non-profit might be the way to go. Most of the puppet theaters that I know of are. It helps with certain tax advantages as well as opening the possibility of collecting donations and applying for grants to help with operating expenses.

I would suggest checking out Pinocchio's Marionette Theater.
http://www.pinocchios.net/index.html
I found them on the web and actually went and checked out their operation. I really liked their approach. They've been a year round standing puppet theater for over 8 years now. I love the way they cater to birthday parties. A rather outstanding alternative to Chuck E. Cheese. They also have a lot of business from school and preschool groups. If I can ever get a theater going I intend to model many of their practices and ideas.

As a fellow entrepreneur I can only say GO FOR IT MAN! I can feel your energy and when there's that much passion there I think a fella has to go for it! The minute that I can see a way to financially pull it off I will do the same. For now I will have to bide my time making puppets and creating the occasional online video.

 

[crazy chris]

thanks so much puppetainer!

great to hear words of wisdom from someone who's been in the "mom and pop" scenario. there are definately many obstacles ahead... and your so right about NEEDING the required passion to do so!

i like that idea of the non profit ! i will definately check into that!

thanks for the link! i will definately check out their operation! ive found a few others as well... and theres so many great ideas being used! its great to see success in the field of puppetry! makes my heart warm!

cc