[SML] Show Budgets Question

[Steve Boone]

Hi,
Your budget per show is actually a little higher than ours, but still in the same ballpark.  I would also say that we’re chronically underfunded, and pre-Covid we relied on our box office for the bulk of our $.

If you’re really interested in finding more comparative info, the parent organization of the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) keeps a data base called HEADS.  It stands for Higher Education Arts Data Service.
All of the NAST member schools are required to put lots of budget info into this.  I see that non-member schools can contact them for access to the data (but I bet there’s $ involved).

Here’s their web page:
https://secure3.vaultconsulting.com/HEADS/

When I was a department chair, this info seemed to be a useful tool when the upper administration started asking questions.  However it never got us any more money (but it may have prevented a budget cut or two).

Show budgets are listed in the data in fairly large groups.  Here at BGSU we fall into the group: "public univ. theatre program with 100 to 500 majors.”  Our program enrollment is often close to 100, so I always looked towards the bottoms of the ranges in salaries, show budgets, and other interesting bits when it was time to talk to the dean about money.

I stopped being the dept. chair several years ago, so I’m not in a position now where I can see any HEADS data (in other words, I don’t keep the password any more!).

But I thought this resource might be useful to you if you’re really interested in digging in.

Steve Boone, Assoc. Prof.
BGSU Department of Theatre and Film




On Apr 20, 2021, at 2:38 PM, stagecraft-request at theatrical.net<mailto:stagecraft-request at theatrical.net> wrote:

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2021 17:37:13 +0000
From: "Miller, Daniel" <Daniel.Miller at dwu.edu<mailto:Daniel.Miller at dwu.edu>>
To: Stagecraft Mailing List <stagecraft at theatrical.net<mailto:stagecraft at theatrical.net>>
Subject: [SML] Show Budgets Question
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Good morning!

I am a university professor running a one-person theatre department. I produce three plays a year including a musical. I have had the privilege of doing this at this university for 15 years now. As we all know the costs for royalties and the costs for building materials has increased a great deal over the last couple of years. However, my budget has remained the same for a decade. I have asked for increases to the budgets, but administration believes the budgets I have for each production is sufficient. I need your help. Can I get your feedback? Are my budgets sufficient?

These budgets are for ALL aspects of a show from royalties, to props, sets, publicity, etc.

Here is my budget??..

Fall Show???$3500.00
Winter Show???.$3500.00
Musical???.$11,000.00

BTW ? Any items needed for the department such as office supplies or equipment repair/replacement, etc. also has to come from these budgets as well.

Is this typical?

I look forward to your replies on this matter.

Daniel

Daniel L. Miller
Director of Theatre
Associate Professor of Theatre
1200 W. University Ave. | Mitchell, SD | 57301
605-995-2710

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