Marc Gourdeau had heard about the positive experiences of Canadian and Montreal theaters which had adopted inclusive pricing. Then, in the spring of 2023, when the Carrefour international de théâtre de Québec launched, the director of Premier Acte knew that the time had come.
“It was too late to implement it for the 2023-2024 season, but it was obvious that we wanted to go in that direction,” says Marc Gourdeau, general and artistic director of Premier Acte.
This “solidarity and inclusive” pricing seems to him to be in harmony with the values of openness and accessibility of his theater. Obviously, this initiative represents a risk for this room which is one of the smallest in town.
“I have no worries,” says Marc Gourdeau.
“I have the feeling that we even risk having an average price per ticket higher than the one we have at the moment, but we will see,” he adds.
Premier Acte, which operates on a principle of sharing revenue with artists, fully assumes the risk it takes by introducing this new pricing.
“The artists must above all not be penalized,” declares the theater director.
“Next year, artists will not be able to share revenue at an average price lower than that which was current this year,” he assures.
Four options
Currently, the base price of a ticket to attend Are you talking to me? presented at Premier Acte until May 11, is $32.
This so-called regular rate will remain available for the next season, but other options are being added.
The “solidarity rate” invites people who can afford it to pay an additional $8 for their ticket in order to support the artists and help ensure that they receive a decent income.
“I dare to believe that there are people who will pay the solidarity rate. People who frequent us, who have the means, who know that a show theater is expensive to put on and the artists don’t earn a good living,” declares Marc Gourdeau.
We then offer a “reduced rate” of $25 and an “accessible rate” of $15.
The first is aimed at students, cultural workers and major theater consumers who do not want to compromise between their passion and their budget.
The second is aimed at people with modest incomes who could not otherwise afford to go to the theater. This price is also considered as an incentive to learn about theater.
“If someone has very limited financial resources and this price allows them to come to Premier Acte twice instead of once, well done! Beyond the financial aspect, the more people who come, the better! For artists, there is something really exciting about playing in a full house,” says the theater director.
A good season
Marc Gourdeau is still consolidating the figures from last season, but it would likely have surpassed his forecasts. The theater would have returned to an average attendance comparable to “good pre-pandemic years”. Particularly thanks to shows like The hip-hop republic of Lower Canada which attracted new visitors.
“36% of people who came to see this show“They had never come to Premier Acte,” says the director of Premier Acte.
“Because of the particular themes of the shows, we see people arriving that we don’t normally see.”
— Marc Gourdeau, director of Premier Acte
After having won over hip-hop fans, it will perhaps be the turn of classical music fans to come and visit Premier Acte in December to discover The Soldier’s Storya creation based on the music of Ramuz and Stravinsky… who knows!
Ten “pieces of resistance”
This new pricing was announced as part of the unveiling of Premier Acte’s 2024-2025 programming. Ten “pieces de resistance” are on the menu for next season.
This will begin with An aftertaste of composta closed session written by Anne-Virginie Bérubé and directed by Nathalie Séguin, which explores the insidious and incapacitating nature of eating disorders and depression.
Then, the room Disgrace by Nadia Girard Eddahia, who received the prize for best original text from the Association québécoise des critiques de théâtre (AQCT) in 2022, will be back from October 29, 2024.
It will be followed by the humorous monologue of Antoine Paré-Poirier, Forbidden to loiter, which invites the public to follow the strange career of a young pot seller.
Discover all the programming on the First Act website.
