The Little Theatre is a nonprofit organization devoted to staging plays for children. The theater has a very small full-time professional administrative staff. Through a special arrangement with the actors union, actors and directors rehearse without pay and are paid only for actual performances.

The Little Theatre had tentatively planned to put on six different productions with a total of 108 performances. For example, one of the productions was Peter Rabbit, which had a six-week run with three performances on each weekend. The costs from the current years planning budget appear below.

The Little Theatre Costs from the Planning Budget For the Year Ended December 31
Budgeted number of productions	6
Budgeted number of performances	108
Actors and directors wages	$ 259,200
Stagehands wages	75,600
Ticket booth personnel and ushers wages	59,400
Scenery, costumes, and props	110,400
Theater hall rent	97,200
Printed programs	70,200
Publicity	14,400
Administrative expenses	51,840
Total	$ 738,240

Some of the costs vary with the number of productions, some with the number of performances, and some are fixed and depend on neither the number of productions nor the number of performances. The costs of scenery, costumes, props, and publicity vary with the number of productions. It doesnt make any difference how many times Peter Rabbit is performed, the cost of the scenery is the same. Likewise, the cost of publicizing a play with posters and radio commercials is the same whether there are 10, 20, or 30 performances of the play. On the other hand, the wages of the actors, directors, stagehands, ticket booth personnel, and ushers vary with the number of performances. The greater the number of performances, the higher the wage costs will be. Similarly, the costs of renting the hall and printing the programs will vary with the number of performances. Administrative expenses are more difficult to analyze, but the best estimate is that approximately 75% of the budgeted costs are fixed, 15% depend on the number of productions staged, and the remaining 10% depend on the number of performances.

After the beginning of the year, the board of directors of the theater authorized expanding the theaters program to seven productions and a total of 168 performances. Not surprisingly, actual costs were considerably higher than the costs from the planning budget. (Grants from donors and ticket sales were also correspondingly higher, but are not shown here.) Data concerning the actual costs appear below:

The Little Theatre Actual Costs For the Year Ended December 31
Actual number of productions	7
Actual number of performances	168
Actors and directors wages	$ 453,700
Stagehands wages	115,700
Ticket booth personnel and ushers wages	95,900
Scenery, costumes, and props	132,600
Theater hall rent	140,000
Printed programs	100,300
Publicity	19,100
Administrative expenses	57,200
Total	$ 1,114,500

Required:

1. Prepare a flexible budget for The Little Theatre based on the actual activity of the year.

2. Prepare a report for the year that shows the spending variances for all expense items.

Some of the costs vary with the number of productions, some with the number of performances, and some are fixed and depend on neither the number of productions nor the number of performances. The costs of scenery, costumes, props, and publicity vary with the number of productions. It doesnt make any difference how many times Peter Rabbit is performed, the cost of the scenery is the same. Likewise, the cost of publicizing a play with posters and radio commercials is the same whether there are 10, 20, or 30 performances of the play. On the other hand, the wages of the actors, directors, stagehands, ticket booth personnel, and ushers vary with the number of performances. The greater the number of performances, the higher the wage costs will be. Similarly, the costs of renting the hall and printing the programs will vary with the number of performances. Administrative expenses are more difficult to analyze, but the best estimate is that approximately 75% of the budgeted costs are fixed, 15% depend on the number of productions staged, and the remaining 10% depend on the number of performances.

After the beginning of the year, the board of directors of the theater authorized expanding the theaters program to seven productions and a total of 168 performances. Not surprisingly, actual costs were considerably higher than the costs from the planning budget. (Grants from donors and ticket sales were also correspondingly higher, but are not shown here.) Data concerning the actual costs appear below:

The Little Theatre Actual Costs For the Year Ended December 31
Actual number of productions	7
Actual number of performances	168
Actors and directors wages	$ 453,700
Stagehands wages	115,700
Ticket booth personnel and ushers wages	95,900
Scenery, costumes, and props	132,600
Theater hall rent	140,000
Printed programs	100,300
Publicity	19,100
Administrative expenses	57,200
Total	$ 1,114,500

Required:

1. Prepare a flexible budget for The Little Theatre based on the actual activity of the year.

2. Prepare a report for the year that shows the spending variances for all expense items.