For most of his life, entrepreneur Bill Kenzie has been immersed in the wonderful world of live theatre. He performed as an actor for many years and later worked on the business side of live theatre and in casting actors, handling publicity, directing plays, and more. Seven years ago, after decades of honing his experience, Bill Kenzie founded the DayTrippers Dinner Theatre (based in Bloomington, Minnesota). This popular theatre produces comedy plays and musicals with a scrumptious lunch buffet prior to each show.
DayTrippers Dinner Theatre halted all operations for the time being due to the coronavirus pandemic but will re-open at a later date. Home Business Magazine had the chance to chat with Kenzie and ask him about his business journey. The entrepreneur shared what inspired him to found DayTrippers Dinner Theatre, his tips for other aspiring business owners, and what success means to him. He goes on to share his hopeful insight about the future of the theatre industry in light of the COVID-19 crisis.
HBM: What inspired you to found DayTrippers Dinner Theatre? How did you come up with the concept?
BK: “When I started DayTrippers Dinner Theatre seven years ago, many of my friends and acquaintances in the theatre industry were group leaders, tour operators, theatre club members and matinee club presidents. Their organizations pursued almost exclusively daytime activities. I also knew that most of these group leaders and their organizations tended to dine along-side whatever event they decided to undertake. So the idea of serving this niche in the theatre market was born in me and I put it into action.”
HBM: Why is working in live theatre important to you?
BK: “Theatre has always been a huge part of my life, really since I was sixteen or seventeen years old. At first, and for many years, I viewed the industry from one perspective–as an actor. Then gradually over time, I began to work in different aspects of live theatre: in group sales, in casting actors, in publicity, in directing and selecting plays for performance, and in the business side of theatre.
I had a mentor who used to say to me, ‘theatre makes you a better person.’ And I believe it does, particularly when acting and directing; when you work on a play you’re always getting a close-up view into other people’s lives through the characters in the play. And if you pursue it with a sense of purpose, you learn about yourself and you get a much richer sense of people and situations.”
HBM: What do you hope your audience takes away from every show?
BK: “The noted producer/director/playwright George Abbott said, ‘An audience wants to give itself to a show – that’s why it came – it hopes to be taken up by the action, and carried out of this world.’ In that sense we have a responsibility to the audience. That’s the ideal I strive for and, of course, sometimes it goes well and then again with other plays not as well as you’d like.”
HBM: What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned on your business journey with DayTrippers Dinner Theatre?
BK: “Trust your talents and abilities and just as important, trust others’ talents and abilities. Be a leader in the best possible sense – that means being kind and considerate as well as decisive. Enjoy the ups and downs that come with every day – it makes life easier.”
HBM: How do you define success?
BK: “Giving the audience the best possible production we can with the time allotted and the given budget. To satisfy the audience to where they keep returning for another play – that’s my idea of success.”
HBM: What are your greatest tips for other aspiring entrepreneurs?
BK: “Be sure you like what you’re doing because it’s going to demand a great deal of your time.
Be a problem solver and don’t look back on what went wrong yesterday or even an hour ago.
Expect today to be better than yesterday and tomorrow to be better than today. If it doesn’t all happen at once, that’s okay. Don’t lose sight of what you can do today by what you’d like to see done a week from now or a year from now. As the Broadway producer Ken Davenport said, ‘don’t waste time worrying about how you’re going to accomplish everything. Let each step lead to the next step.'”
HBM: Also, in light of the devastating coronavirus pandemic, what do you think will happen to the future of the theatre industry?
BK: “Obviously, the virus is impacting theatres all over the world. Broadway in New York is shut down until at least April 12th. London’s West End, (which had vowed to carry on) closed all theatres indefinitely. Cirque du Soleil, which operates all over the world, has closed down. That said, I’m not worried about the theatre business.
First and foremost, the theatre is an art form, and art never stops, never dies; as long as there are people living, there will be art. In the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918, 675,000 Americans died. Theatres were shuttered; quarantines were imposed. And theatres flourished afterward, as they surely will when this pandemic passes. The more important issue here is to think of your neighbor, don’t hoard, be kind and helpful, and do everything within your power to ‘flatten the curve’.”
For more info about DayTrippers Dinner Theatre, visit daytripperstheatre.com. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Contact: shannahch@gmail.com
