The Theater Arts Group plans to buy the Odeon Theater, a

Question

The Theater Arts Group plans to buy the Odeon Theater, a two-balcony house that has been boarded up for nearly fifteen years, renovate it , and offer it for rent to production companies for plays. But these old two-balcony have limited seating capacity, and many people do not want to sit in the second balcony. The Odeon itself can accommodate a maximum of 650 people, and a seating capacity of atleast 1500 is needed to make a production of a musical play profitable. So it is unlikely that the plan will be successful.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the speaker's reasoning?

A. Larger theaters have about 1600 seats and only one balcony.

B. The Odeon Theater is protected by landmark presevation laws.

C. Musical productions that employ a full orchestra usually require removal of several rows of seats to accommodate the musicians.

D. The current economic boom that has fueled tourism in general and theater-going in particular is coming to and end.

E. Straight drama productions, which are less costly because they do not require an orchestra, are becoming increasingly popular with audiences.

   Please explain your answer.

allabout · Answer

At first I was shocked by the big red. I'll try.

The author argues that the Odeon Theater is inappropriate for the plan because, it has too few seating capacity to be profitable and people do not want to sit on the second balcony.

A. Larger theaters have about 1600 seats and only one balcony.
D. The current economic boom that has fueled tourism in general and theater-going in particular is coming to and end.  Both strengthen the argument => out 

B. The Odeon Theater is protected by landmark presevation laws.  out of scope 

C. Musical productions that employ a full orchestra usually require removal of several rows of seats to accommodate the musicians.  An additional recuction of seating capacity wont make the Odeon more profitable => out 

E. Straight drama productions, which are less costly because they do not require an orchestra, are becoming increasingly popular with audiences. 
 If less costly productions become increasingly popular, the seating capacity maybe an irrelevant criteriom for the profitability.
Also it can be inferred that currently the productions need an orchestra, needing space, thus wasting seats.  

E

giddi77 · Answer

Plan: Renovete and rent O to  production companies 
Evidence:  Musical play  (one of the types of production companies) cannot be profitable since the seating capacity requied is 1500 but X has only 650 with other issues (2nd balcony)

Renting to musical play's may not be the ONLY way of making it profatibale. 

Hence E is the closest.

andy_gr8 · Answer

E for me too.
E explains why the drama can be profitable even without increasing the seats.
Whats the OA

JAI HIND · Answer

I choose E.
Again focus on the conclusion part which says to be profitable you need 1500 instead of 650.
E says cost is reducing - which means you can be profitable with just 650.

The Theater Arts Group plans to buy the Odeon Theater, a

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