SOR 59: Bob Harbin On Casting Your Production Team and Picking Up the Phone To Find an Audience

In just a handful of years Bob has earned a reputation for consistently putting on quality productions, and the crowds that his shows draw are a testament to that. I wanted to bring him on and pick his brain about how he approaches finding the audience for each show.
In this episode:
- casting more than your cast – just as you look for how the actors in a show are going to work together, you also need to look at how the members of your production team (including marketing) are going to work together
- power of the cold call – having success with cold calls is not complicated, but no one does it
- how to start in a new city – jumping right in and putting on a production before you’ve learned the environment is not the most effective way to find an audience
- what a reviewer’s job is – it’s not just to make your show sound appealing
- most of us have been to more than one restaurant – if your audience goes to another theatre, it doesn’t mean they will never come back to yours again (and vice versa)
- finding what’s familiar – even an original show has elements that are familiar, and you can reassure people that they’ll enjoy themselves when you emphasize those elements in the marketing
Items mentioned:
- Bobdirex – Bob’s aptly named production company
- Sold Out Run resources – some of the best and most useful tools that I’ve shared through the blog and podcast are curated here
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Big thank you to Bob for sharing his insights. A big thanks to you as well for downloading and listening.