“If you ask the young spectators who line up outside the Nuyorican Poets Café each week why they’re drawn to our shows, you’ll hear a range of reasons,” writes Daniel Gallant on Monday (10/26) at HowlRound.com, which focuses on theater. “But there’s one common factor that appeals to most of the Café’s youthful spectators: tickets to our shows are cheap…. Price hikes have repercussions beyond the walls of arts venues.… After a price hike, the artists and staff who depend on an arts venue for their livelihood need to work harder to get spectators in the door…. Moderate-income ticket buyers who used to patronize shops, bars, and restaurants near the arts venue have less money to spend in the neighborhood.… Ritzy audiences who can easily swing the higher admission fees seek more upscale food, drink and shopping than the neighborhood offers…. So fancy new businesses move to the area and cater to the influx of wealth…. My fellow arts leaders, the next time you find yourselves asking, ‘Why don’t our audiences include younger people? Why is our neighborhood gentrifying? Why aren’t we staging more innovative shows and developing young talent?’—rethink your admission prices and your outreach strategy…. Ladies and gentlemen, lower your prices.”
Posted October 29, 2015
