Third-quarter theater attendance up 7.5%

Springfield Theatre Alliance members reported attendance of 31,200 during the third quarter, a 7.5 percent increase compared to the same quarter last year, when the organizations netted 29,018 visitors.

Third-quarter attendance, however, was down 51 percent compared to 63,576 patrons in the second quarter.

"Unfortunately, this is a quarter when less theater was being produced," said George Cron of Class Act Productions, one of 14 member organizations of the alliance.

The Springfield Theatre Alliance began collecting attendance data in late 2010. Its other members are:

• Drury University Theatre;              
• Gillioz Theatre;        
• Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts;        
• LuMaxx Productions;        
• Missouri State University Theatre and Dance;      
• MSU Tent Theatre;        
• Ozarks Technical Community College Fine Arts;
• Queen City Collective;     
• Springfield Contemporary Theatre at The Vandivort Center;
• Springfield Little Theatre at the Landers;      
• SRO Lyric Theatre;        
• The Skinny Improv; and    
• The Springfield Playhouse.