National Endowment for the Arts. Al l Am e r i c a s a St a g e :

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1 Natioal Edowmet for the Arts Al l Am e r i c a s a St a g e : Growth ad Challeges i Noprofit Theater

2 Preface Photo by Vace Jacobs The Natioal Edowmet for the Arts ew report, All America s a Stage, provides a cocise overview of the atio s vital ad extesive oprofit theater etwork. Rather like a good play, the report presets surprises, revelatios, ad isights. It chroicles the eormous growth ad geeral fiacial stability of the U.S. oprofit theater commuity, ad it outlies the cosiderable challeges the field faces i developig audieces. The report also provides a uaticipated perspective o ticket pricig ad sales. All America s a Stage lives up to its title. The expasio of oprofit theater has ot bee limited to traditioal cultural ceters. There are ow oprofit theaters i every sectio of the Uited States, icludig traditioally rural areas. O a per capita basis, Vermot ad Alaska ow lead the U.S. i oprofit theaters outrakig New York with Maie ad Motaa right behid. The sharpest growth rates have bee i previously uderserved states like Nevada, Arkasas, Utah, Colorado, ad Idaho. Has the oprofit theater sector expaded too quickly? Seemigly ot. Despite the broad ad rapid expasio of oprofit theaters, these orgaizatios have geerally healthy fiaces. Their balace sheets are strog, with assets growig ad liabilities remaiig flat. Noprofit theaters have also effectively diversified their sources of support. Idividual patros have collectively icreased their already high levels of givig, providig over 40 percet of cotributed reveue. The oly area for cocer i the healthy fiacial profile of the oprofit theaters is their historical vulerability to large ecoomic dowturs. Durig both of the last two major recessios, total reveue ad cotributios fell markedly. This vulerability could create issues for the oprofit theater commuity i the curret recessio. There is oe sigificat ad persistet problem facig America theater attedace for spoke theater has steadily deteriorated. Sice 1992, the percetage of the U.S. adult populatio attedig o-musical theater has declied from 13.5 percet to 9.4 percet. As these treds worseed i the last six years, eve the absolute size of the audiece has declied by 16 percet. These audiece declies do ot seem primarily depedet o high ticket prices. Audieces appear willig to pay higher prices for evets they wat to atted. Although further research is eeded to explore the issue, the audiece drop-off may be more related to issues like lower media coverage, decliig arts educatio, ad expaded i-home etertaimet optios rather tha ticket price. I a sese, the dilemma of oprofit theater ca be simply summarized supply has outstripped curret demad. The remarkable growth ad professioal maagemet of theatrical orgaizatios across the atio has ot yet bee matched by equally robust growth i audieces. America has created a magificet atioal etwork of oprofit theaters. These two thousad orgaizatios represet a huge civic ad cultural ivestmet. Our challege ow is to use them ambitiously to brig the power of theater to our citizes, studets, ad commuities. Daa Gioia Chairma, Natioal Edowmet for the Arts

3 The stage is ot merely the meetig place of all the arts, but is also the retur of art to life. Oscar Wilde Photo by Rich Edwards Our istitutioal theatres reflect trasformatioal ideas of the 20th cetury: the otio that citizes of every commuity deserve access to high-quality arts ad culture; that artists should be able to live with digity as citizes of commuities large ad small; that cities ca take pride ad derive a idetity from the arts they support; ad that our civic istitutios, our schools, commuity ceters, ad our citizes beefit from the presece of well-supported arts istitutios. Susie Medak Presidet, League of Residet Theatres (LORT) Photo by Rivka Katva Over the course of U.S. history, the America theatre field has grow to reflect the true diversity of our atio, givig the public access to a wide rage of theatrical storytellig, from Europea classics to youg Asia America voices, from traditioal modes of stagig to exploratios of ew performace techologies. Residet theatres are stimulatig ecoomic developmet i urba ceters ad rural towships; tourig esembles egage the imagiatios of audieces across the U.S. ad sometimes overseas. Iovative parterships betwee theatres ad schools are providig youg people with uprecedeted opportuities to develop their creativity ad self-cofidece. I short, these theatres have become cetral to America commuity life. Teresa Eyrig Executive Director, Theatre Commuicatios Group (TCG) Data ad Methodology This brochure examies developmets i the growth, geographic distributio, ad fiaces of America oprofit theaters durig the 1990s ad i the first decade of the ew cetury. The study draws from four data sets: IRS Form 990 filigs by taxexempt theaters; Theatre Commuicatios Group (TCG) member survey data; the U.S. Cesus Bureau s Ecoomic Cesus data; ad Survey of Public Participatio i the Arts data from the Natioal Edowmet for the Arts. The tax form data were collected by the Urba Istitute s Natioal Ceter for Charitable Statistics ad reported i core files ( ) ad digital data files ( ). Most tax-exempt orgaizatios with receipts of at least $25,000 are required to file Form 990 aually. 10 This NEA research brochure examies filigs by tax-exempt theaters with reveues of $75,000 or more. This approach yields a oprofit theater cout similar to that reported by the Ecoomic Cesus. Theatre Commuicatios Group s member survey data are proprietary, ad were shared with the NEA s Office of Research & Aalysis for research purposes oly. No iformatio idetifyig idividual member theaters has bee coveyed. As a group, TCG member theaters ted to have larger budgets tha the oprofit theater idustry captured by IRS Form 990 data. Theatre Facts 2005, for example, reports a average aual budget of $4.2 millio for profiled theaters. 11 By cotrast, average reveue was $929,000 for the 2005 IRS Form 990 filers.

4 Key Fidigs 1. The umber of oprofit theaters i the Uited States has doubled over a 15-year period. Number of Noprofit Theaters I 2005, there were 1,982 oprofit theaters with aual budgets of at least $75,000. This total is up exactly 100 percet from the 991 couted i Data source: Natioal Ceter for Charitable Statistics at the Urba Istitute The cout is restricted to IRS Form 990 filers with aual budgets of $75,000 or greater. 2. Although theaters cotiue to cluster i high-populatio states, the umber of theaters i small ad mid-sized populatio states has grow substatially. The states with the highest per capita cocetratio of theaters ow iclude: Vermot, Alaska, Maie, Motaa, Rhode Islad, Orego, Coecticut, New Hampshire, ad Miesota. Half of all theaters are located i the seve most populous states: Califoria, New York, Texas, Florida, Illiois, Pesylvaia, ad Ohio. New York far exceeds the other six states i theater couts eve after adjustig for populatio. From 1990 to 2005, the sharpest growth rate occurred i states with small umbers of theaters: Nevada, Arkasas, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, ad Mississippi. Growth i theaters coicided with rapid populatio growth i all of those states, except Arkasas ad Mississippi. Top 10 States Raked by Growth i Number of Noprofit Theaters, Rak State Theater growth 1 Nevada 6.0 X 2 Arkasas 4.0 X Utah 4.0 X 3 Colorado 3.0 X 4 Idaho 2.0 X Mississippi 2.0 X 5 Alaska 1. 8 X Motaa 1.8 X 6 Missouri 1.6 X 7 Alabama Nebraska Virgiia 1.5 X 1.5 X 1.5 X 8 Miesota 1.4 X 9 Delaware Orego Wiscosi 1.3 X 1.3 X 1.3 X 10 Texas 1.2 X Data sources: Natioal Ceter for Charitable Statistics at the Urba Istitute; Populatio Divisio, U.S. Cesus Bureau Top 10 States Raked by Number of Noprofit Theaters Per Capita i 2005 Rak Number of theaters per 100,000 people Idex to U.S. base Populatio (i millios) Uited States Vermot Alaska New York Maie Motaa Rhode Islad Orego Coecticut New Hampshire Miesota Data sources: Natioal Ceter for Charitable Statistics at the Urba Istitute; Populatio Divisio, U.S. Cesus Bureau

5 Number of Noprofit Theaters by State i 2005 Data source: Natioal Ceter for Charitable Statistics at the Urba Istitute 3. Noprofit theaters geerally have maitaied a healthy balace sheet. Growth i their assets has outpaced growth i their liabilities. Average Fixed Assets: Lad, Buildigs, ad Equipmet Betwee 1990 ad 2005, real assets (assets adjusted for iflatio) grew by early 60 percet, while liabilities remaied flat. Much of that growth came from fixed assets, which rose by early 40 percet. 2 Normally, these assets caot be used as cash to fiace theater operatios. Data source: Natioal Ceter for Charitable Statistics at the Urba Istitute Data are from the NCCS Digital Database, ad were available oly for the years reported. 4. Noprofit theaters have achieved a good balace betwee eared ad cotributed icome. Eared icome made up 52 percet of all oprofit theater reveue i The remaider was mostly cotributed. 3 As a share of all reveue, eared icome fell 13 percetage poits sice Cotributed icome, ad other types of reveue, grew proportioately. This chage has allowed a more eve mix of reveue sources a coditio associated with surpluses. 4

6 5. Idividuals ad foudatios remai the biggest cotributors to oprofit theater ad theaters ow rely o them for a eve greater share of fiacial support. I 2002, the most recet year for which reliable data are available, idividuals doated 40 percet of all cotributed reveue up 8 poits from 15 years earlier. Foudatio givig made up 22 percet i 2002, about 3 poits higher tha i Share of Cotributed Reveue by Source, Cotributios from: Percetage poit chage Idividuals 32.1% 30.6% 35.6% 40.2% +8.1 Foudatios 18.9% 22.0% 23.9% 21.7% +2.8 Busiesses 20.5% 19.8% 19.0% 17.0% -3.5 Govermet 26.3% 24.4% 17.5% 15.7% Other 2.2% 3.3% 4.0% 5.4% +3.2 Data source: Ecoomic Cesus, U.S. Cesus Bureau 6. NEA fudig has bee show to be a catalyst i drawig sizeable cotributios from other sources. Each dollar i NEA grat support is associated with a additioal $12 from idividual doors, $1.88 from busiesses, ad $3.55 from foudatios. 5 Although more research is eeded to idetify the uderlyig mechaism for this relatioship, high-quality performaces ad programs may be cosidered a commo factor amog theaters successful i wiig support from the NEA ad multiple fuders. Attractig Doatios to Noprofit Theaters $1 i grats from: (period=previous year) Natioal Edowmet for the Arts Attracts additioal theater fudig from: (period=curret year) Idividuals Busiesses Foudatios +$ $1.88 +$3.55 Data source: Theatre Commuicatios Group Results are based o a regressio aalysis of TCG member survey data from 1998 through The estimates are sigificat at 95% or higher cofidece. 7. Betwee 1990 ad 2005, oprofit theater reveues fluctuated sharply with busiess cycles i the U.S. ecoomy. Noprofit Theater Budgets Reflect the U.S. Ecoomy Followig declies i the early 1990s, real average reveue grew from 1993 through 2001, whe it climbed by 9 percet. O the stregth of risig cotributios, this icrease mirrored a overall growth tred i the U.S. ecoomy. After the 2001 ecoomic recessio, oprofit theater reveue sak by early 12 percet i 2002 (the sharpest dowtur recorded for the time period). Reveue cotiued to fall, albeit slowly, from 2002 through I the case of the first recessio, ticket sales fell more rapidly tha cotributios. The secod time, the reverse was true. Data source: Natioal Ceter for Charitable Statistics at the Urba Istitute Dollar amouts are adjusted for iflatio.

7 8. Audiece treds are flat or i declie. Although the umber of musical theater attedees has grow, they remai largely costat as a percetage of the populatio. Prelimiary survey results show a declie i the umber ad percetage of o-musical theater attedees from 1992 to The survey asked America adults whether they had atteded ay play i the last 12 moths, with the exceptio of elemetary ad high school performaces. 7 Percetage of U.S. Adults Attedig Theater over a 12-Moth Period Musical theater Theater (o-musical) % (32 millio 13.5% (25 millio 17.1% (35 millio 12.3% (25 millio Early results % (37 millio 9.4% (21 millio Data source: Survey of Public Participatio i the Arts, Natioal Edowmet for the Arts 9. Attedace treds do ot seem primarily related to ticket prices. Potetial Impact of Ticket Price Icreases o Noprofit Theater Attedace Theater ticket sales do ot appear to respod strogly to price chages. Statistical models predict that a 20 percet price hike i low-ed subscriptio or sigle tickets will reduce total attedace by oly 2 percet. 8 These data suggest that total attedace does ot rise or fall i proportio to ticket price chages. Therefore, other factors are likely affectig the demad for theater. For that matter, oprofit theaters have goals beyod maximizig box-office reveue. I 2005, for istace, the average TCG theater served more tha 18,000 people through educatio ad outreach activities. 9 Whether or ot they improve box-office sales, programs with a clear civic iterest ca be key to raisig public ad private cotributios. Such programs ofte iclude exposig ew or uderserved audieces to performaces by offerig discouted tickets. 20% price icrease i: Data source: Theatre Commuicatios Group Attedace per performace: Total Subscriptio Sigle ticket Low-price subscriptios -2.0% -0.8%* -0.1%* High-price subscriptios +1.8%** +6.3% -0.9%* Low-price sigle tickets -1.6% -1.1%* -1.3%*** High-price sigle tickets +3.0% +2.1%* +7.4% ** = statistically sigificat at 94% *** = statistically sigificat at 93% * = ot statistically sigificat Results are based o a regressio aalysis of TCG member survey data from 1998 through Uless otherwise oted, estimates are sigificat at 95% or higher cofidece. This brochure was produced by the NEA s Office of Research & Aalysis i cosultatio with Bill O Brie, director of Theater & Musical Theater. The aalysis is based o research commissioed by the NEA from Thomas M. Smith, Emory Uiversity, ad Thomas H. Pollak, Natioal Ceter for Charitable Statistics at the Urba Istitute. Zaie Giraud Voss, Souther Methodist Uiversity, gave valuable techical advice. 1 this cout excludes theaters that did ot file IRS Form 990. Whe theaters filig the tax form are couted regardless of budget size, a ear-doublig still occurs: 3,416 i 2005 versus 1,751 i Fixed assets are defied as lad, buildigs, ad equipmet, mius accumulated depreciatio. 3 IRS Form 990 captures all types of cotributios, icludig what are referred to as restricted cotributios, ofte reported separately o fiacial statemets. 4 this fidig is based o a correlatio aalysis of the eared icome ratio (eared icome relative to all icome) ad the icidece of surpluses of reveues over expeses. The aalysis suggests that a favorable mix is whe 45 percet to 55 percet of oprofit theater icome is eared, with most of the remaider cotributed. 5 the models geeratig these results cotrolled for theater earigs, fudraisig expeses, ticket expeses, ad public relatios outlays. Eve whe the relatioship is modeled for fixed effects, which cotrol for idividual theater characteristics, additioal doatios from idividuals are almost $8 for every NEA grat dollar. 6 techically reported as program service reveue, these figures cosist largely of ticket sales, but they also iclude related items such as tourig cotract fees. 7 The 2008 Survey of Public Participatio i the Arts, desiged by the NEA ad coducted by the U.S. Cesus Bureau, obtaied a respose rate of 82 percet, for a total of more tha 18,000 adults. Full results of the survey will be available later i Further, icreases i attedace per performace appear to be liked with icreases i the highest ticket prices that theaters offer. See the related table. These results characterize the aggregate oprofit theater idustry, based o Theatre Commuicatios Group data. The fidigs may ot apply to idividual theaters. I 2005, the average high-priced subscriptio ticket was $29.89, while the average low-priced subscriptio ticket was $ Amog sigle tickets, the average high-ed price was $40.53; low-priced was $ theatre Commuicatios Group, Theatre Facts This fidig refers to TCG tred theaters, respodets to aual TCG fiacial surveys for each of the previous five years. 10 Departmet of Treasury, Iteral Reveue Service. Compliace Guide for 501(c)(3)Tax-Exempt Orgaizatios. Publicatio 4221 ( ), catalog umber 37054E. 11 Profiled theaters are defied as those respodig to TCG fiacial surveys i ay give year.

8 A Great Natio Deserves Great Art Pesylvaia Aveue, N.W. Washigto, DC (202) Not for sale Available for free at Cover photo: Phylicia Rashad i a scee from Licol Ceter Theater s productio of Berarda Alba. Photo by Paul Kolik.