The Dorchester Reporter investigates the paradox of the Strand Theatre: Millions in city dollars have renovated the place, yet it sits empty ten months of the year.
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Paradox?
By John-W
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 9:30am
More like paradigm for this administration. Invest a lot in the appearances because the Mayor needs a good backdrop to talk about how much HE is doing and how much HE has invested in the n'hoods. Then when it comes time for substance, well that's someone else's problem.
If you're lucky some local developer is unlucky enough to have a project within city limits and therefore has to pony up a wad of cash to a local non-profit outfit to help out some worthy cause that the mayor jumps in front of and calls his own. That model has worked to the benefit of many worthwhile groups in Boston but for some reason the Strand got screwed. I'm sure they'll get some action before the next State of the City address though.
(Man that prostate's really buggin me this morning...)
well...
By Brain Dali
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 9:48am
it would be the theater directors responsibility to attract artists and to foster relationships with other arts programs to develop attractive events. it also takes a willingness of the public to buy tickets. a little PR and help from a marketing professional would go a long way here. they do have events throughout the year, but it's not like a local talent contest is going to sell out the theater due to interest from the general public.
http://strandboston.com/calendar.html
The real problem here isn't
By Adam Pieniazek
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 10:36am
The real problem here isn't with the Strand itself but the area around the theatre. $8 million is a ton of money to pour into that building without making the area around it more pedestrian/visitor friendly.
No, the problem is with the
By NotWhitey
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 12:23pm
No, the problem is with the Strand itself. The Strand, and every other theater in the city's neighborhoods, went out of business because they couldn't bring in enough customers. That was true a generation ago, and it's true now. No amount of PR or pedestrian-friendliness will change that basic fact.
Is this really difficult to understand? The city could finance a buggy-whip factory, and no pedestrian-friendly sales office would bring in the customers.
Arts at the Armory
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 12:29pm
Somerville has managed to take an old armory in a typical Somerville area and turn it into an arts zone with frequent sold-out concerts, arts camps for kids, art exhibitions, etc.
I think the Strand, while not the same as a big open space like the Armory, could do well to learn a bit about what this successful non-profit expansion in the midst of an economic downturn could mean for how they run their operation.
Arts at the Armory
By Anonny
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 12:40pm
I work with a non-profit theatre company, and we are always looking for performance venues. It's worth noting that the Performance Hall at the Armory is $1,500/night for non-profits, and open to negotiation, while The Strand starts at $2,160 for the smallest capacity on a weekend night, plus a page full of additional expenses. Simply put, the groups that might be interested in performing in The Strand on a more regular basis cannot afford it, so it sits empty.
The most interesting part of
By Cynic
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 12:40pm
The most interesting part of that story is the bylines - the Knight Foundation is paying for Pulitzer-winning reporters to contribute in-depth investigative journalism to community papers. I think that's pretty cool.
I'm a little mystified by the comments about the area, the relationships, the audiences, and the arts groups. The Strand was heavily booked before its renovations. Now, it mostly stays vacant. And the article has a clear explanation for this:
There you have it. Lots of interest. When it was decrepit, it cost little to (not) maintain, and could be rented out cheaply to the abundance of community groups that wanted the space. Now, it's too expensive for performances that aren't going to fill the enormous hall with paying customers. And groups with that kind of financial backing and audience appeal can book more attractive venues, with easier access for the well-healed audiences to which they cater.
So what we have here is a classic boondoggle. The city invests $10 million to renovate the space, and then lets it lie vacant. Lots of money for capital costs, none for operations. That's insane, and I'm glad someone's writing about it.
Local investigative journalism
By adamg
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 1:05pm
Bill Forry and Steve Kurkjian will be on Radio Boston today to talk about what they're doing. The show's on WBUR between 3 and 4; they'll be in the latter part.
Victoria Jones, Radio Producer?
By laurence_glavin
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 2:02pm
Is the Victoria Jones mentioned in the story the same Victoria Jones who appears frequently on Thom Hartmann's show on WWZN-AM 1510?
Parking not necessary for a successful theatre
By Ron Newman
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 3:57pm
Take a look at the [url=http://feitheatres.com/capitol-theatre/history/]Ca... Theatre in Arlington[/url] (originally the same kind of neighborhood movie palace as the Strand, but now a 6-plex). It has no parking whatsoever, and over 1500 seats. People either take the #77 bus, or they scatter their parked cars onto the surrounding residential streets, which require no parking permits.
The Coolidge Corner, Brattle, and Somerville theatres also have no parking, though they do have the advantage of being on MBTA subway or streetcar lines. The Coolidge is near a metered municipal lot, the Brattle has expensive private lots and garages nearby, but the Somerville has neither.
So you think that Arlington =
By NotWhitey
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 5:53pm
So you think that Arlington = Uphams Corner?
Time to take another look at the Boston Murder Map.
but it helps
By nathanael
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 10:13pm
While I agree with you on substance (theaters can theoretically succeed without parking), there's a huge civic lot behind Coolidge Corner. And two smaller ones within a block of the Somerville Theatre.
Second Dorchester Reporter article on Strand Theatre
By Ron Newman
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 5:15pm
This article is also online with yesterday's date. It complements the one already linked here:
[url=http://www.dotnews.com/2010/despite-millions-fundi... a haven for youth, Strand Theatre now seen more as history[/url], by Pat Tarantino