The Original Old-Time Radio BBS

As I plan the rest of my life around forming a radio theatre company to perform and record plays in front of an audience, I would be curious to hear from those who have done radio shows live.

What sized audience could you generally expect? - this will help me book a suitably sized venue. I know it can vary depending on the show, region, marketing, etc, but other's experiences will help guide my initial venue.

Are there any marketing tips you've found most successful to draw in an audience? ie. What sells tickets for you?

While I have my own ideas for my local market, the broader knowledge of members would be greatly appreciated.

Rod

Rod. Live radio shows have been performed in my area to good sized audiences at first. Then they tappered off after several performances. Apparently it's considered a novelty act. What folks call "retro." The ones I'm talking about were not actually broadcast. That may have been their downfall. Here's my take on how to make it work better. Have one of the listener-supported stations broadcast the show in their evening prime time as an experiment. They run promos on the air that you can hear the show or see it done live. Comparing it to a successful live radio show, there's Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" that has the 'Guy Noir' section of the radio detective trapped in a TV world, or whatever the motif is. That section of the show has sound effects done live. And of course the entire show is done live. Who knows? Your stage show might find a home this way. Even nationwide! Good luck!

I'm in the Washington, DC area and have attended some live radio shows on stage and have also acted in two of them.

It's very hard to build (and keep) an audience. Most groups do such a show no more than two-three times a year. The demographics are against you. Usually audiences are older folks who actually remember OTR. The younger ones, like under 35, don't understand or support it.

There are even a few stage shows, written as around radio, like "1940's Radio Hour" and these don't do well as the box office either.

Sorry I couldn't be more encouraging.....

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL