Balancing the Twin Cities' theater capacity with demand

Park Square Theatre recently opened a second stage in downtown St. Paul, doubling its programming.

In a metro known for a vibrant arts scene, when does the supply of theater seats outweigh demand?

From Minnesota Monthly:

Behind the scenes at many theaters, an unspoken philosophy infuses decisions small and large: If we aren't expanding, we're effectively failing. But there are a number of roads to that destination--and simply adding seats doesn't guarantee that there will be anyone to fill them. Park Square has brought in three local partner companies--American classics specialists Girl Friday Productions, the ensemble-oriented Sandbox Theatre, and the intellectually eclectic Theatre Pro Rata--who will each stage a show apiece over the next three seasons.

The hope is that the companies will grow together rather than treat the relationship as a series of one-off enterprises (a frequent description of guest-company arrangements in recent years in the Guthrie's Dowling Studio).

On The Daily Circuit, we discuss what it's like for theaters trying to make it in the Twin Cities.