NewHavenBIZ

n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m n e w h a v e n B I Z 31 more connected to the community, being collaborative with staff, strengthening ties to education, programming family entertainment and engagement, and committing to building a diverse audience. Managing Director Josh Borenstein, who took on the additional role of artistic leadership in the interim, says that shi has already begun. "My hope is that we'll always be a major regional theater, but we have to refocus on who we are serving regionally. We've been focused so long on transferring work that we haven't paused to ask what are the plays that might be most relevant to the greater New Haven audi- ence right now." Changing Times But business models and consumer tastes and habits have greatly changed since the years when Long Wharf had 15,000 subscribers and an audi- ence that would go to the theater no matter what was on stage. Today LWT has 4,000 subscribers and attracts 50,000 to 60,000 people a year to its mainstage and Stage II performance spaces. Long Wharf is in the process of transforming from being solely a producing theater compa- ny to being more of an arts complex that has producing theater at its cornerstone. "We'll use that as a launch pad to engage people in other live performances and presentations," Boren- stein explains. "Producing six plays a year is not going to be enough for any [not-for-profit theater] in America." e big trend is in product diversification, says Alan Brown, principal at WolfBrown, an international arts consulting firm. "It's more difficult for theaters to serve everyone with one product," says Brown. "e population is getting more diverse, younger adults have different ideas of what they expect from an entertainment experience and all of that is causing arts organizations to rethink their programming and in most cases offering a new product line. e paradigm shi is from season planning to product development where organizations offer new series and formats in alternative spaces and going for new audiences." In an effort to expand the theater's commu- nity connections — and create new revenue streams — Long Wharf is expected to an- nounce in December four new series. ey include a comedy series of sketch or improv entertainment (as opposed to stand-up acts); a "theater-for-a-young-audience" series; a cabaret series; and a series that makes available the theater as a site for podcasters. e most dramatic change is Long Wharf 's bid — in collaboration with the Shubert eatre and Albertus Magnus College — to acquire a former dance club on the northeast corner of College and Crown streets in the city's entertainment district. e organizations propose creating two intimate performance spaces: a 200-seat theater on its main floor and a 90-seat cabaret-style ven- ue on the lower level. ere would also be areas for classrooms and a rehearsal space. "Long Wharf has talked about going down- town for literally a generation, if not longer, to extend our mission, complement what's already there and generate revenue," says Borenstein. "A lot of people are downtown because the dining and entertainment scene is so vibrant. We've come up with some really cool ideas and ' T h i s i s n o t a b o u t j u s t p u t t i n g w o r k s o n s t a g e , b u t l e a d i n g a t h e a t e r. ' – Laura Pappano Continued on next page

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