All stories by Pete Miller on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Do we need more theatre in which audiences take an active role? by Pete Miller

Let’s posit two categories of theatre. To be dramatic (that’s what we do, right?) we’ll call the first category “Sit-down-and-shut-up” theatre, meaning theatrical productions in wh…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 05:36PM
Friday, February 3, 2017

Why we need plays about Capitalism by Pete Miller

It’s no accident that ancient and renaissance playwrights were drawn to write plays about heroes and nobles. Not only were they aspirational figures whose lives would be ripe for curiosity…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 11:32AM
Wednesday, January 20, 2016

What if every DC tourist saw a play? by Pete Miller

This post may skate on the edge of self-promotion, because I am going to be drawing attention to a brief e-book I’ve co-authored; but I have a good story to tell about how this book is an …

SOURCE: 2AMT at 11:24AM
Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Unauthorized Game Change Keynote by Pete Miller

I am not a keynote speaker for TCG this year, but if I were, this is what I would say.   The Theatre Communication Group national conference this year is called Game Change.  As both a…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 02:56PM
Thursday, March 26, 2015

Audience (R)evolution 15 by Pete Miller

I’m in Kannsas City for a TCG gathering about audience engagement that has sort of morphed into a gathering about working across institutional lines. Now this is a topic I’m thor…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 07:14AM
Tuesday, October 28, 2014

How A Christmas Carol can save you and your theatre company by Pete Miller

You don’t have to program it during the holidays to sell a bunch of easy tickets. That tactic works for lots of companies though, which made me wonder why. With anything as big as A Christ…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 02:59PM
Monday, July 15, 2013

Text of speech to Cleveland Play House board retreat. by Pete Miller

The Cleveland Playhouse Board invited me to speak at their board retreat last Saturday. The talk was well received, so I thought I would share the text here. Thank you all for bringing me he…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 08:43AM
Monday, July 8, 2013

Annual and monthly events for a vigorous theatre community by Pete Miller

I keep writing about collaboration between theatre making organizations, but until now, I haven’t given a very clear picture of what form that collaboration should take. Here’s a stab at…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:18PM
Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Notes from TCG Session on 3xPlaygoing by Pete Miller

On Saturday the 8th of June, I hosted a session of the Theatre Communications Group Conference in Dallas to prompt discussion of ideas to increase playgoing. It drew a great group of people …

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:25PM
Friday, March 8, 2013

Is our moat too deep? (Reinvent Marketing idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: The American Theatre Movement has had a tendency to define itself partly by what it is not – distancing itself from community theatre and mere entertainment. This distancing sh…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 01:48PM
Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Failgreat (Diversify Production idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Introducing bold new kinds of productions will require change. Change can be frightening. This post is basically a sermon intended to help beat back the fear. “How do you give In t…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:33PM
Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Invest in unknowns to make them stars (reinvent marketing idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Celebrity is one of the strongest social forces in America. Increasingly, though, people are responding to apparently oxymoronic “Narrow fame;” that is, being highly salient for …

SOURCE: 2AMT at 02:31PM
Monday, February 11, 2013

Read and Contribute to 2 AM Theatre (Toolkit Idea/Hobby Idea) by Pete Miller

A shade more than two years ago, David Loehr and I met during a gathering at Arena Stage. He encouraged me to do some writing for this web site. Since that time, this is the 20th post I’ve…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 02:32PM
Thursday, February 7, 2013

Best stunt marketing I ever saw (Reinvent Marketing idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Skills in event creation and performance can be applied to marketing appropriately and effectively. If stunt marketing is selling out, it is selling out in a very classy way. I was i…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 09:36AM
Monday, February 4, 2013

Reexamine Artistic Exceptionalism (Hobby Idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Holding the idea that artists are different in kind from non-artists may create a barrier that discourages non-artists from attending or engaging with your work. Choosing to believe …

SOURCE: 2AMT at 12:33PM
Saturday, February 2, 2013

Experiment when you experiment (Toolkit idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: You can learn more when you innovate if you adopt a few concepts from the scientific method. In my experience, plenty of people in the American Theatre innovate frequently. Whether t…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:08PM
Friday, February 1, 2013

Advertise less, invite more (Reinvent Marketing idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: People with whom you have some relationship are far more likely to attend your work than are total strangers. I am aware of two major movements within marketing over the last century…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:04PM
Thursday, December 20, 2012

I know you don’t have time (toolkit idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Your available work time is completely taken up doing things the way you do them now. You have no time to try something new. All these ideas are worthless if you never have time to a…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:01PM
Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Put words in their mouths (Marketing meta-idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: If your productions aren’t getting the word-of-mouth support you hope for, you may be able to take action to shape the word-of-mouth. Most companies who survey members to learn why…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:01PM
Monday, December 17, 2012

Become Collectible (Hobby example/idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Adherents to a hobby define their relationship to a hobby partly through swag – collectibles and ephemera related to their activity. Theatre companies could create swag around thei…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 02:51PM
Thursday, December 13, 2012

Fresh, locally grown plays (Reinvent marketing idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Members of the public who care about local produce might be good prospects to attend local theatre. At first I thought I should file this idea away until the northern hemisphere spri…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 05:04PM
Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Playgeek.com or something like that (Hobby idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Specialty web sites promote hobby awareness and participation. There could be one for playgoers. My two big interests besides playgoing are board gaming and craft beer. Each of these…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:53PM
Monday, December 10, 2012

Know Your Audience (Marketing/Hobby crossover idea) by Pete Miller

Thesis: Opportunities to create strong, face-to-face relationships between audience members and playmakers will encourage future attendance and raise awareness of the value of playgoing. Als…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 03:49PM
Friday, December 7, 2012

The Actors Salon (Diversify Theatre Production example) by Pete Miller

Thesis: A group of actors, with very little infrastructure, can create audience engaging, artistically satisfying events. The Actors Salon is a group of actors who gather a few times a year …

SOURCE: 2AMT at 06:25PM
Thursday, December 6, 2012

Pink Line Project support for The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Reinvent Marketing Example) by Pete Miller

Thesis: If you produce a show inside a bar, you might find people interested in seeing it in other bars. Example: The Pink Line Project is an endeavor to raise the visibility of the arts in …

SOURCE: 2AMT at 02:43PM
Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Everybody Plays (Idea for playgoing hobby) by Pete Miller

Thesis: People are more likely to spend time and attention on performance activities they have participated in. I’m not a sports watcher, but I fenced saber for a year in college. I’ll t…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 12:04PM
Tuesday, December 4, 2012

What if we could? by Pete Miller

Theatre is too valuable to be wasted on the few. I want more Americans to see more theatre. Lots more. Enough more, that it calls for a ridiculous goal. Here goes. Triple playgoing in Americ…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 04:03PM
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Artistic goals at Woolly by Pete Miller

In the spring of 2011, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company was a finalist for an award recognizing excellence in non-profit management administered by the Washington Post and the Center for Nonpr…

SOURCE: 2AMT at 10:55AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards