Gryffindor House is a small theater located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The theater contains 1,500 seats. You have recently been hired to manage the theater.  Profits at the theater have been all over the place and the board would like you to make some recommendations about pricing of tickets. The board would like to make a profit of $40,000 per run.  A run is all of the performances for a particular show.  

There are two shows where some decisions should be made. The first show is Goblets of Fire and the second show is Flight of the Hippogriff.

Below is some information for Goblets of Fire

Ticket price $25

Variable costs $15

Fixed costs 2,000 (this is for all the performances in the run)

It is expected that you will have 3 performances and that each performance will be about 75% full, for the full run of the show (all 3 performances).  For each question below use the information given to answer the question.  Show all work 

1. What is the Net Operating Income for the run of the show?

2. What is the Breakeven point for this run in units (seats)? Compare this to the expected number of units sold. Explain how this impacts the theater's profits. 

3. Will Goblets of Fire meet the target profit set by the board?  Calculate how many seats would need to be sold to meet the target profit.

4. What is the Goblets of Fire's margin of Safety? 

5. You wonder if increasing the number of performances and adding a Thursday night performance would increase profits.  Fixed costs would increase by $500.  You expect that you would sell about 60% of seats on a Thursday night. Should you add Thursday night? Explain and be sure to use your calculations to support your argument. 

6. What recommendations can you make to increase the profitability of Goblets of Fire? Give at least 2 specific recommendations and use analysis to support your recommendation. .

Below is some information for Flight of the Hippogriff

Ticket price $25

Variable costs $6

Fixed costs 24,000

It is expected that you will have 3 performances and that each performance will be 70% full. For the full run of the show (all 3 performances) For each question below use the information given to answer the question.  Show all work 

1. What is the Net Operating Income for this run? 

2. What is the Breakeven point for this run in units (seats)? Compare this to the expected number of units sold. Explain how this impacts the theater's profits 

3. Will Flight of the Hippogriff meet the target profit set by the board?  

4. What is the margin of Safety? 

5. The performers in Flight of Hippogriff like to have a very full audience.  They discuss dropping ticket prices to $20. They think the performances will be 80% full with a price decrease. Do they have a good idea? Explain why or why. Support your position with calculations. 

6. The board is thinking about spending an additional $1,500 on advertising. They estimate an increase of 1,000 seats sold. Do they have a good idea? Explain why or why. Support your position with calculations. 

Compare both shows. 

7. Calculate the degree of operating leverage for both shows. 

8. Compare and contrast the cost structure and profit stability for the two shows? Detail the advantages and disadvantages. Be sure to use vocabulary . Discuss the risks and rewards of fixed costs in the cost structure. 

9.  Community theater serves a greater purpose than mere profits.  The board would like to raise prices of all tickets to $30. What are your thoughts on the price increase? What are the advantages or disadvantages? Given the information  would you recommend a price increase? Why or why not.  What is the mission of community theater? How does a price increase impact the mission of community theater?