The Empty "Empty Space" - Part III

Which I suppose gets us back to the question my dad asked me. Why start a theater? Especially one that is not a non-profit?

First, because I believe that good theater breeds good theater, and the best way to get even more people in Tacoma going to theater is to increase their options. Good theater is habit-forming, and if the Horatio can help Tacoma reach a critical mass of theatrical opportunities we might see an explosion of opportunities.

And second, I believe there is another workable business model for theater I didn't mention earlier. The small fringe theater. A small house with high quality talent who are drawn to high quality material. Keep the production costs low, invest in the people, and reach out to an audience that is open, eager, discerning, and intellectually curious.

I firmly believe the model works and is sustainable over the long run. The Horatio Theater is founded on with that goal, and I believe will be able to deliver exceptional pieces of theater. We will be looking for founding members (more on that soon, once I can announce the location) so until then, you can sign up for the mailing list or get tickets to the first show, "It's A Wonderful Life," presented as a 1940's radio play at the Blue Mouse Theater this December.