For Concord’s theater scene, 2022 was far from normal but for most local companies, it was a little more normal than the last couple of years.
In fact, Sal Prizio, executive director of the Capitol Center for the Arts, says he’s optimistic about the future of live arts. In a world where things are becoming more and more technological, people still feel the need, perhaps now more than ever, to get together and have a shared human experience.
“When you go to a great comedy show or concert, you ignore your phone for two hours. You’re sitting around people you don’t know and you’re enjoying the same thing at the same time. Subconsciously, I think people have a desire for that,” Prizio said.
That said, there were many struggles that Concord companies faced in 2022. Early in the year, most theaters were forced to postpone or cancel shows due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 or because cast or crew had contracted the virus.
Come springtime, many were back in business, though Prizio says ticket sales were down 30 to 40 percent on average at the CCA. By and large, audiences were also younger than they were pre-pandemic, so the CCA strategically created more programming that would attract these younger patrons.
These days, Prizio says there’s a risk/reward system to going out. People are more selective than they used to be. Which shows are worth the risk? Which are worth the money? Big-name acts like Chelsea Handler and Daniel Tosh did very well at the box office, whereas the CCA’s Capital Jazz Orchestra concert this fall needed to be canceled due to a lack of sales.
“I don’t want to give the impression we’re abandoning older audiences. We had to shift our weight to one side. Then you shift back as things change,” Prizio said.
When they see a certain demographic is missing from the seats, they ask themselves, what are the ways they can engage that group in a different way to keep them as part of the organization? By offering reduced pricing? By streaming content? By providing outdoor options? Of course, it’s more complicated than it sounds. CCA programming happens six months in advance, so much guesswork is involved. What will the world look like by then?
Andrew Pinard of Hatbox Theatre agrees that one of the greatest challenges is simply getting people to show up. He says Hatbox staff have tried to make the theater feel safer by offering reduced, spaced-out seating. Potentially in the new year, they’ll instate masking requirements one night a week or more, depending on the need.
Some of the other challenges Hatbox faced in 2022 include supply chain issues (which affected all production elements: sets, lights, sound, stage design) and staffing shortages. Some companies, like the CCA, were able to increase wages to stay competitive, but it remains hard for theaters that rely on volunteers.
“When you’re making your living doing something, you do it whether you’re sick or not. But if this is something you do as a passion, that will make it more difficult,” Pinard said via phone.
And yet, Pinard says Hatbox had a lot of great moments in 2022, including some original productions — this summer’s rendition of “Into the Woods,” which brought new performers to the stage, and its most recent production of “A Christmas Carol,” which was one of Hatbox’s top 10 best-selling shows ever. Audiences are beginning to come back, and he’s grateful to see that.
“We’re excited for the future even though we still have some challenges,” Pinard said. “We’ve forged some new partnerships in the community, and we’re looking forward to expanding our programs beyond our four walls.”
For the Community Players of Concord, highlights in 2022 included two public screenings of the documentary “The Players: the 95-Year History of the Community Players of Concord,” produced by Concord TV, and the Players’ fall show, “Murder on the Orient Express,” which saw fantastic audience turnout, says Ellen Burger, president of the Community Players of Concord.
“At first, audience numbers were definitely suppressed, as our traditional audiences were only cautiously returning to live theater,” Burger said in an email. “But as the year went on, community theater in New Hampshire seemed to pick up steam everywhere, despite COVID’s continued presence.”
At the Audi, audience growth was like a “snowball,” says Carol Bagan of the Friends of the Concord City Auditorium, starting small and getting bigger as the season continued. Also important, says Bagan, is that visitors once again were able to find volunteer-made refreshments during intermission at the Audi’s lectures, plays, and concerts. The sales of these goodies benefitted the theater, including its recent curtain restoration project, which Bagan estimates will be completed in 2023.
This fall, theatre KAPOW became a more permanent presence in Concord and was named the resident theater company of the Bank of NH Stage, just in time for its season premiere of “Mr. Wolf”, a major highlight for the company, says Matthew Cahoon, one of theatre KAPOW’s co-founders.
He says there are two major lessons theatre KAPOW takes from 2022. One: there’s substantial interest in non-production programming, from playreading circles to open training sessions. Two: there’s a need to find more arts funding on a statewide and national level.
“Many companies, theatre KAPOW included, benefited considerably from various relief programs that came about in response to the shutdowns forced by the pandemic. That money has all but completely dried up, and yet, we still face many pandemic-based challenges that are likely to plague the industry for many years to come,” Cahoon said in an email.
Cahoon thinks the recent budget increases for the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities help, but at the same time, arts organizations also need to take stock in the larger arts community and raise awareness of the challenges they all face.
Then, when things get hard, they can remember the lessons they learned and think creatively about how to move forward and help one another. In the coming year, theatre KAPOW plans to collaborate with a number of community partners and artists onstage and off.
“That work is underway, and we are heartened by the relationships we formed in 2022 and continue to foster in 2023,” Cahoon said.