COLLABORATION NETWORKS IN THE CHICAGO THEATER 2012-2013 SEASON:A NETWORK ANALYSIS APPROACH

Lauren G. Johnson

Why collaborate at all?

Collaborating has several benefits, including: Pooling and sharing resources

Rehearsal/performance space Talents of cast and crew Audiences

Preventing artistic stagnation Working with the same group can mean lack of

innovation

CC image courtesy of David Hawgood

Goals

Identify potential networks by mapping the existing collaborative

networks:

Who? ‘Off-Loop’ theaters of Chicago

When? 2012-2013 Season (Approx. Sept 2012 to May/June

2013) How?

Focus on the types of works produced by each theater to find commonalities

Data & Methodology

DATA (Sample Set of almost 200 theaters): List of Chicago area theaters taken from the Wikipedia

site, “Theatre in Chicago” Gathered information from each theater company’s

website; Limited data set to those who had produced one or more

works in the 2012-2013 season

Coded theaters as either “Resident” or “Itinerant” “Resident”: those with a dedicated space that functions

primarily as a theater “Itinerant”: those without a dedicated theater space, or

any regular performance space

Noted All existing collaborations (as mentioned on websites or social media)

Coded each production by Type of Work

Resident Theater: Red; Itinerant Theater: Blue;

Theater Outside Chicago: Orange; Outside Organization: Purple; Chicago performance group/theater not included in sample: Green

Finding 1: Only small number of existing collaborations

Resident Theater: Red; Itinerant Theater: Blue;

Theater Outside Chicago: Orange; Outside Organization: Purple; Chicago performance group/theater not included in sample: Green

Finding 2: Even smaller number of Reciprocal Ties (Collaborations mentioned by both theaters marked with green lines)

Explanations?

In these small non-profits, productions are like temporary projects, with short timelines and teams that rely on existing knowledge and trust

New people = a new way of doing things

To answer this question,

Marketing Directors, Artistic Directors, and Executive Directors need to be interviewed

Why are there so few existing

collaborations?

Why are these theaters not

advertising their collaborations?

Q: What’s one way network analysis can help identify potential collaborators?A: Look at which types of works were produced most often (to find companies doing

similar work) least often (to find an unutilized

opening in a crowded market).

From Existing to Possible

Most Often Produced (2012-2013)

Most commonly produced types of work:New Works & World Premiers, Musicals, Holiday shows, Well known plays/playwrights, American Classics and Modern works (1960-2000), Shakespeare(Filtered to degree of 5 and above)Resident Theaters: Red; Itinerant Theaters: Blue

Things to keep in mind…

Most of the theaters in the “Most Often Produced” picture are Resident theaters (14 out of 18)

Resident theaters have to pay for and maintain a dedicated performance space, so they may produce familiar shows to draw in larger audiences

(However…)

They also produce a lot of New Work and World Premieres to be competitive with other area theaters

Least Often Produced (2012-2013)

Least commonly produced types of work:Molière, Shakespeare’s contemporaries, American plays pre-1960, Modern Foreign Works, Adaptation, non-standard theater productions

(Filtered to degree of 8 and below)Resident Theaters: Red; Itinerant Theaters: Blue

Things to keep in mind…

Lesser done shows include Stand-up Vaudeville Magic Dance, cabaret, etc

which may have different performance venues

CC image courtesy of That Other Paper on Flickr

CC image courtesy of Ted Viens on Flickr

CC image courtesy of Eva Peris on Flickr

CC image courtesy of Larry Lamsa on Flickr

For those who like histograms!

New Works by far are the most produced!

020406080

100120140160180200

Types of Work Produced

Other potential uses of network analysis:

Starting a theater company? Find your niche

Want to discover your competition? Find out who’s producing similar work

Limitations and Further Research

Ways to Improve:

Further Research:

Use a comprehensive list of theaters Analyze across multiple seasons Interview management-level staff to

determine reasons for lack of reciprocal mention

Conduct a Content Analysis of Mission Statements

Conduct a Network analysis of performance spaces (rather than theater companies)

Additional Literature

Network studies and the performing arts: Uzzi, Brian, and Jarrett Spiro. 2005. Collaboration and creativity: The Small World Problem. American Journal of Sociology 111 (2): 447-504.

Theater productions as temporary projects / innovation and creativity in projects: Goodman, Richard Alan, and Lawrence Peter Goodman. 1976. Some management issues in temporary systems: A study of professional development and manpower-the theater case. Administrative Science Quarterly 21 (3): 494-501.

Creativity in the workplace: Perry-Smith, Jill E., and Christina E. Shalley. 2003. The social side of creativity: A static and dynamic social network perspective. The Academy of Management Review 28 (1): 89-106.

How theater companies run: Nelson, Reginald. 2010. How to start your own theater company. Chicago, Ill.: Chicago Review Press: Distributed by Independent Publishers Group.

Photo References

Photo 1 (slide 2): Hawgood, David (2013). Rehearsal in The Studio, Royal Exchange Theatre, [photo]. Retrieved May 9, 2014 from: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3373947.

Photo 2 (slide 13, Top Left): That Other Paper (2007). Punchline|May 4|Reess Kennedy, [photo]. Retrieved May 9, 2014 from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/austins_only_paper/485344640/.

Photo 3 (slide 13, Top Right): Viens, Ted (2011). Kiki’s Sordid Sideshow! this night of TWISTED VAUDEVILLE DELIGHTS, IMG_6182, [photo]. Retrieved May 9, 2014 from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/36229438@N08/6301187211/in/photolist-aAPeqP-aAS16u-aARWJh-aAP4sZ-aAPefv-aAP2ir-aARWGS-aAPh5x-aAPhdD-aARZM3-aAP4p8-aAP9rH-aAPhpP-aARZPU-aARX1W-7YV7X-aAPe78-aAP9nx-aAP9dc-aAP9ct-aAP2kz-aARJLE-aANZRe-aARHf1-aARM2u-aARZHw-aAPe9K-aARLX5-aARJSN-aAPhyK-aAS19C-aAP9oe-aARZWw-aARRR3-aAPe8x-aAPeuc-aARLZQ-aARWRf-aAP9fr-aARHHw-aAP158-aARM3s-aANZMe-aAP4yz-aAS18o-aARWSm-aAP9qa-aARZS5-aAP4Ae-aAPhmn-aAP9qP.

Photo 4 (slide 13, Bottom Left): Peris, Eva (2011). Mago//Magician, [photo]. Retrieved May 9, 2014 from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/32347177@N02/5438832695/in/photolist-9hBrtv-5RBgux-bL7Kdv-51TDfu-fa5HMh-96NbcG-e27Bvu-a1hz6J-bg2E8v-awgUbC-7Ga5SH-e931P1-7Kq9sd-2fwWyB-e8jgvm-3baXtu-dSyRUv-6H6kY1-6H2h1c-6H6k87-6H2jB2-6H2j6e-6H6nFN-6H6mud-6H6nk1-6H2ign-6H2hzD-6H2hjt-6H6k2W-6H6nMf-6H6mUf-6H2hHB-6H2jwt-6H6kHq-6H2jjx-6H2iwZ-6H6kU7-6H2hTM-6H6mJS-6H6mxS-6H6n5L-6H2inn-6H2iMa-6H6m5Y-6H6knU-ar2YHZ-BuVqR-dUVtDW-8KZnWx-8e8ePb-6H2jFt

Photo References

Photo 5 (slide 13, Bottom Right): Lamsa, Larry, (2010). Dance in Los Alamos, [photo]. Retrieved May 9, 2014 from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/22191277@N03/5291309693/in/photolist-94zm2t-ejmnJA-ed931k-a4CxmE-cSoCwh-doXMBm-8C3Euv-9yPefV-dTVrBA-ejmnKN-dTVr2J-ed93ex-ejmnKA-hUfNe8-6y7vRK-e7CR24-2W8PUG-bacFcZ-4vJEMM-83T3Kw-dTVtMW-ejfDuT-edeFG1-bacF1B-fefEuJ-9ZS55t-cSoCc5-4ZsuRQ-hUgwwN-e7CQLB-9FJbk8-dTPNtx-94CrbU-dTPPme-dTPQog-dJrhZj-3ePC8Q-3ePJz5-edeFU7-8Gdzmg-6ycahd-6ogWCV-6y7zkp-4ZooHp-4ZohZD-e7qxcA-6ybGTm-e82EBJ-cBAQWC-e88YRP-9ySqgE

THANK YOU!Questions? Contact me at laurengjohnson@hotmail.com