Huayu: Starting from managing the Mahua FunAge Theater Troupe

More than half an hour later.

Shen Feiyang rode his motorcycle with Shen Teng to No. 39 Dongmianhua Hutong, the Central Academy of Drama's Yifu Theater. Judging from the name, you can tell it was donated by Shao Daheng.

This place is really hard to find. If Shen Teng hadn't given directions, Shen Feiyang, who hadn't been here in a long time, wouldn't have been able to find it at all.

The theater isn't just in a deep alley; it's also on the campus of the Central Academy of Drama.

Without cell phone navigation these days, finding this place is like navigating a maze.

Shen Teng's girlfriend, Wang Qi, was already waiting at the theater entrance.

Wang Qi was wearing a standard military overcoat issued to all students by the military arts academy, with a white scarf around her neck, which made her already fair skin even brighter. With her three-dimensional features, she looked heroic and dashing, definitely a campus beauty.

She watched as Shen Feiyang and Shen Teng got out of the car and took off their helmets.

Wang Qi smiled at Shen Teng.

Shen Feiyang complained, "What kind of location did they choose? Will the audience even be able to find it?"

"How would I know?"

Shen Teng replied casually, his attention completely drawn to Wang Qi. He walked towards Wang Qi with a smile: "It's so cold outside, why don't you wait inside?"

The two are currently in the throes of new love, finding everything about each other wonderful and unable to stop smiling.

Wang Qi suppressed her laughter slightly: "It's the same if I wait for you to come over and we go in together."

"Sister-in-law, let's go inside and talk. It's too cold outside." Shen Feiyang didn't want to see the two of them showing affection.

Shen Teng's gaze shifted: "You go in first, I need to say a few words to my girlfriend."

Shen Feiyang rolled his eyes at him, then turned and walked into the theater.

Shen Teng quickly hugged Wang Qi and kissed her.

"Ugh, this is so annoying."

"Hehehe."

Shen Teng took Wang Qi's hand and walked into the theater.

……

The Central Academy of Drama's Yifu Theater has only one auditorium that can accommodate at least 900 audience members, meaning that there are at least 900 tickets available for each performance.

However, the premiere, which was about to begin, only sold a few dozen tickets, and the remaining seats were empty. As the founder, director and teacher at the Central Academy of Drama, Tian Youliang could only give out tickets to his colleagues and students for free, inviting them to come and support the show.

Tickets for "Want to Eat Fried Dough Twists? We'll Twist Them for You Now" are priced at 180, 150, 100, and 60 yuan, with four price tiers.

Shen Feiyang paid for three tickets out of his own pocket, each costing 180 yuan. The seats were in the first three rows.

The ticket office and the ticket gate are very close, only two or three meters apart.

The three founders, Yu Kai, Tian Youliang, and Zhang Chen, stood at the ticket gate to welcome guests.

Upon seeing Shen Feiyang buying tickets, Yu Kai quickly walked over and said, "Just go straight in."

Shen Feiyang said in a serious tone, "President Yu, this is the first New Year's stage play in the country, it's worth the price."

In reality, Shen Feiyang simply wanted to gain favor with the three founders and express his respect for stage plays and artistic value, which would make it easier to acquire shares later.

As soon as Shen Feiyang said this, Tian Youliang and Zhang Chen, who were not very familiar with him, also developed a good impression of this young man.

As the director and planner of "Want to Eat Fried Dough Twists? I'll Twist Them for You Now," Tian Youliang certainly hopes that his creations will be recognized, and buying tickets is a high level of recognition.

As an investor, Zhang Chen has always felt that the company's approach is correct. Shen Feiyang emphasized that this is the "first New Year's stage play in the country," which is exactly what he considers to be innovative value.

Shen Teng couldn't understand his cousin's actions at all.

"Director Tian, ​​General Manager Zhang, General Manager Yu..."

Shen Teng greeted the three leaders and then followed Shen Feiyang into the audience hall with Wang Qi.

……

The three of them were seated in the first row, but at 180 yuan a ticket, it was still too expensive, and very few audience members were willing to buy tickets for the front row.

The story framework of the play "Want to Eat Fried Dough Twists? I'll Twist Them for You Now" is inspired by the American film "Beast Wish".

The creation of literary and artistic works is essentially a business of information asymmetry. By taking a story framework that most viewers have never seen before, modifying it, and it becomes something new.

The title of the play, "Want some fried dough twists? We'll twist them for you right away," comes from a line in the classic Chinese film "The Crossing River Reconnaissance": "Guests, please come upstairs. We have steamed buns, mantou, and hot pancakes. If you want some fried dough twists, we'll twist them for you right away."

This line later became a popular saying in the Chinese Department of Peking University. Yu Kai, a graduate of the Chinese Department of Peking University, quoted this popular rhyme to name the play.

I waited a while longer.

The performance begins.

He Jiong plays Wang Dong.

Xie Na plays Ma Hua.

Yu Na plays Yilin.

Like a stage play, the opening begins with character introductions, followed by the unfolding of the story.

Wang Dong is an ordinary real estate salesman. He has lofty ideals but lacks the ability to achieve them. He is ridiculed by his colleagues and has a crush on his beautiful female colleague Yilin, but his feelings are not reciprocated.

One day, Wang Dong encountered a mysterious netizen named "Mahua" online who claimed to have boundless magical powers.

"Mahua" told him that he could help him fulfill seven wishes.

The condition is that after his wish is fulfilled, Wang Dong must give his soul to her.

In order to win Yilin's love, Wang Dong agreed to the deal.

With the help of "Mahua," Wang Dong successively experienced various glamorous identities such as tycoon, singer, athlete, writer, and emperor, and went through a series of absurd and beautiful dreams.

After experiencing all of this, Wang Dong finally understood the true meaning of life and found true love again.

The performance has ended.

All the actors went on stage for a curtain call.

Dozens of paying audience members and hundreds of free audience members raised their hands and applauded.

Shen Teng clapped his hands and sighed inwardly. Compared to going to make money with his cousin these past two days, he still wanted to perform on stage, even if it was just as a minor role.

Shen Feiyang, who was watching the performance, was inspired.

How about turning "Lost in Thailand" into a stage play?

……

The audience left.

Shen Feiyang and Wang Qi followed Shen Teng backstage.

Tian Youliang and Yu Kai encouraged the entire troupe in the break room.

"Everyone performed exceptionally well today. The audience's applause is the best recognition. Although there weren't many audience members here today, the road ahead is winding, but the future is bright. I firmly believe that if we complete all three rounds of performances, we will achieve great success!" Yu Kai said with great enthusiasm.

Tian Youliang chimed in, "That's right. Although there are few audience members, it's mainly because we haven't spent enough money on promotion and the venue we chose isn't a well-known theater. As a result, many audience members have to call to find us. But as long as we keep performing, word of mouth will spread, and we will definitely succeed one day."

He Jiong then stated, "No matter what happens next, I will definitely do my best to finish these three rounds of performances."

"Me too," Nahe echoed.

Since the lead actors had no objections, the others naturally had no objections either.

……

In the following days.

Shen Feiyang gave Shen Teng the framework outline of three general sketch templates to improve and paid him a manuscript fee of one thousand yuan.

Shen Teng is a contestant who can write, direct, and act.

At the same time, Shen Feiyang used Shen Teng's network of connections—namely, the teachers and friends Shen Teng knew at Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama—to poach students from the vocational high school classes at both schools.

They poached about forty people from the Beijing Film Academy, including Ai Lun and Huang Bo.

The Central Academy of Drama only established a vocational college program in acting in 02, and the quality of the students was generally average. Shen Feiyang selected about twenty students who were not stage-frightened and had acting skills as a supplement.

A total of eighty-four people.

Shen Feiyang recruited the maximum number of people required for holding 10 annual meetings and commercial performances within the same time period, including redundant personnel.

Each person can earn 300 yuan for each performance.

Shen Teng's labor fee is 5% of the net profit of this project.

He was given dividends because Shen Feiyang treated him like a nuclear-powered donkey.

After finishing the script, Shen Teng also had to work as a director, dividing the eighty-four people into several groups, with each group focusing on a single skit. On the spot, they only needed to make slight changes to the lines.

Shen Feiyang is responsible for accepting jobs and scheduling.

Shen Feiyang's annual meeting performances are concentrated between December 30th and January 16th.

There are currently 107 confirmed performances.

For businesses, spending 10,000 yuan to get a custom-made skit and four or five professionally trained aspiring stars to perform is much more cost-effective than spending tens of thousands of yuan to hire a minor celebrity.

They received 3%-4% of the advance payment for each performance, which was more than enough to cover labor and basic props. However, Shen Feiyang managed to use very few props in these three pre-made skits.

Excluding kickbacks, staff salaries, basic prop costs, taxes, and other expenses, Shen Feiyang would probably get about 45% of the 10,000 yuan.

One hundred games, around 450,000.

Of these 450,000 yuan, there is also a dividend of over 20,000 yuan to be given to Shen Teng.

In the end, I can get about 420,000.

March 29, evening.

After finishing the calculations, Shen Feiyang muttered, "That should be enough to buy up the Mahua Troupe at rock-bottom prices."