Building theatre patronage : management and merchandising (1927)

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The Manager 37 informs the aggrieved patron that "The manager is not around." The manager in his rounds of the theatre finds many opportunities for little courtesies, acts of thoughtfulness and considertion. Patrons notice and discuss such things. Parents worry less about the attendance of their children at a theatre where they know the manager is present to keep order, standing by ready for an emergency. Women patrons feel safer at such a theatre. The troublesome element — rowdies — avoid the theatre where the manager is always present to check what might lead to the annoyance of others. It has been said that the personality of the manager in smaller theatres can be responsible for 50% of the patronage. It is hard to determine in actual figures the result of his influence. But it is certainly not negligible. The more the manager shows his interest in patrons, the more they will show their interest in his theatre. They will regard it as "their theatre." If the manager knows patrons by name and can greet them by name, with a friendly inquiry about the family or business or some point of common interest, he makes the attendance not a business transaction, but a social pleasure for the patron. Reputation. The personal reputation of the manager must be above reproach. Questionable habits and questionable associates hurt the theatre. Gossip about late hours and rumors of scandal connected with the manager's name involve the theatre. Because the manager is the host, patrons do not want to be entertained by one whom they would not welcome into their own homes. If the manager is a churchgoer he will find that this promotes the welfare of the theatre. If he is married, it is expected that his wife will enter into the social activities of the community. Emergencies arise when the good-will of influential members of the community is invaluable. Many a legislative problem was brought to a satisfactory conclusion for the theatre because the manager who represented its case was respected. Theatres have suffered by legislation because