Here are some questions we often get from patrons:
- Why don’t you fix the air conditioning/heat so it can run quietly during shows?
We would love to! Unfortunately it would cost us around $10,000, which is money we don’t have. If you’d like to help us solve that problem, please let us know!
In the meantime we carefully plan our HVAC usage to maximize audience comfort as best we can while minimizing noise.
That means that it can often get a little warm by the end of the show in the summer and a little chilly in the winter. You’ll want to layer accordingly.
- The seats are kind of close together. What’s up with that?
In order to fit 99 seats in the theatre, our seating is by needs pretty cozy.
Our current seating was purchased new about 5 years ago. There are other options available that might provide a bit more separation in the seats, but that would cost $25,000… which is more than anyone who works here makes in a year.
- The risers are loud when people exit or enter performances. Can you do something about that?
Our risers are built from some of our stock plywood platforms. It takes us about two days to set or take down when we have to move them for events or alternate configurations of the theatre.
A quieter system, easier to move system would be around $35,000.
- Why don’t you have a dedicated parking lot?
There’s simply not enough space to go around in OtR, and buying a parking lot would probably cost us, well, enough to run the theatre for several years.
That said, there are a lot of garages around that are within a few blocks of the theatre.
- I’d never heard of you before. Why don’t you advertise more?
Our marketing budget is basically 0 dollars. Instead, we spend our money on making the best art possible and ensure that artists make a living wage. But you can help! If you are interested in sponsoring our marketing outreach, or if you have a partnership opportunity with your business, or if you want to join the Know Theatre Street Team to hit the pavement in support of Your Theatrical Playground, contact Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters at twinters at knowtheatre dot com.
To sum up, the answers to many of these questions boil down to:
We do a lot on very little money. We aim to keep ticket prices low. That combined with our small audience capacity means that our box office only covers about 50% of our operating expenses.
For the rest, we rely on the generosity of individual donors, corporations, and foundations, both private and governmental.
If you’d like to help us make our patron experience even better, please consider donating to us here.
Thanks for reading! And if you have any questions we haven’t answered, you can ask us at info@knowtheatre.com or by calling 513.300.5669.