Word of Mouth Propels Broadway's HAND TO GOD Toward Profit

Broadway's HAND TO GOD went home Tony-less last month but not penniless.

In a recent feature by Forbes, producer Kevin McCollum talks about how the new play has been able to turn a profit for 12 consecutive weeks and announce an extension through 2016. The answer is simple: "Low running costs and word of mouth."

HAND TO GOD's weekly expenses are just $270,000, and the show has spent just $3.4 million of its $4 million capitalization. Forbes writes that the play is taking in an average profit of $63,000 per week, which means it will recoup by March, about one year after its opening on the Great White Way. And instead of dropping ticket prices as the run progressed, HAND TO GOD actually hiked its costs for theatergoers as demand grew.

"There just aren't many plays on Broadway," McCollum told Forbes. "Wolf Hall, An Act Of God, Fish In The Dark, they're all limited runs. Our only real competition is Curious Incident, which is a very different show than Hand To God...We're focusing on hand-to-hand interactions, forgive the pun. Word of mouth, people telling their friends that if they want the funniest, most surprising show on Broadway, go see Hand To God. Filling seats is far more important right now than straight revenue. The more people who tell their friends about us, the better off we'll be in the long run."

McCollum, with three Tony Awards in his pocket for RENT, AVENUE Q and IN THE HEIGHTS, knows how to market -- in person and hands-on -- and isn't afraid to tackle new work. "...honestly, I'm still learning. I'm not an expert on producing plays," he said. "I just knew that if we kept our costs low and owned our vulnerabilities, we had a shot."

The new American play Hand to God is currently running at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street), marking the Broadway debuts of playwright Robert Askins and director Moritz von Stuelpnagel.

The hilarious and provocative Hand to God centers on shy, inquisitive student Jason, who finds an outlet for his burgeoning creativity at the Christian Puppet Ministry in the devoutly religious, relatively quiet small town of Cypress, Texas. Jason's complicated relationships with the town pastor, the school bully, the girl next door and-most especially-his mother are thrown into further upheaval when Jason's hand puppet Tyrone -- once soft-spoken -- takes on a shocking and dangerously irreverent personality all its own. As Tyrone's influence over Jason steadily grows, Hand to God explores the startlingly fragile nature of faith, morality, and the ties that bind us.

Hand to God features Steven Boyer as Jason/Tyrone; Geneva Carr, in her Broadway debut, as Margery; Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch as Pastor Greg; Sarah Stiles as Jessica; and Michael Oberholtzer, in his Broadway debut, as Timothy. Boyer reprises the role for which he has been honored with an Obie Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play, the Actors' Equity Association Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Newcomer, and a citation from the Drama League for Distinguished Performance, among other awards.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus