A fter having an extensive conversation with a wise friend, I have started to formulate an opinion about what will make for a successful performance company in the next few financially difficult years.

As I see it, given that corporate sponsorships, angel investors, government grants etc are all going to start to dry up, the reliance is increasingly going to fall back on us – the management, technicians, performers and musicians – to come up with financially viable means to keep ourselves busy.

I am of the belief that performance companies / groups that are able to switch to an “open book” style accounting so that all involved know where money is coming and going, and thus can have some sort of positive input in to the operation of the group will have the best chance at long term success.

I don’t believe in taking the ultimate decision making power away from those who need it, or changing the power structure that theater has developed over many hundreds of years. But what I do think needs to happen – especially if you are asking performers to give their time for very little (or no) money – is a sharing of all pertinent information so that everybody involved can feel completely connected.

I can think of many problems that this would pose, but overall – I think it may be one way for a struggling group to move forward. What do you think?