Auditions can be daunting and nerve-racking, but it can seem even more challenging to pitch to direct and produce a show for BROS.
However, without people being willing to take up the challenge, we would have no shows to put on. We need a Society for which teams are willing to pitch to take on new shows for the slots that we can secure.
Different rules have to apply for different venues. When BROS secures slots at Richmond Theatre or the Minack, negotiations with the theatres mean that the choice of shows which can be presented will be limited to those which the theatres agree will “work” for them. For this reason, part of the work of the BROS Committee is to liaise with the theatres to identify shows that will “work” for them, before inviting production teams to pitch for the identified options.
This may appear creatively restricting; but in the end, the Society needs to present shows that work for the theatres if we are to retain future slots.
Within the identified shortlists, the Committee then has to consider any pitches from production teams both in terms of the creative opportunities and challenges.
These challenges and opportunities include an impartial assessment of whether the membership and the many friends who provide business, technical and creative support for productions, can practically deliver the show which a production team is proposing.
Again this is not “second-guessing” production teams. Instead, it is a group of members sitting on the Committee who have volunteered to take on what is a safeguarding role for the long term interests of the Society.
The members of the Committee are there to help ensure that the Society is able to match production teams with venues. For this reason, different Pitch Guides have been prepared for different venues.
Our use of Hampton Hill Theatre and other smaller venues should provide an opportunity to try new projects; and tempt those who may not have worked on production teams before to come forward and volunteer to work on the shows.
However, even in this case, the Committee will look to try and match the proposals with what it is thought the Society can realistically deliver with support from the membership.
The final decisions will often mean disappointment for those who are not successful when pitching. However, feedback on pitches and reasons behind decisions will be explained by Committee members.
So please do keeping pitching, or even volunteer to serve on the Committee to see the decision process working at first hand!
