One Producer in the City

Guest Blog #66: The art of throwing a party

We're switching it up a bit and giving a Wednesday guest blog. This is Patrick Soluri who's going to tell you all about throwing a great party. Take it away Patrick!

As a composer and music producing, I love bringing people and music together. A party that started in my apartment, turned into an event that last time had 800 paying guests at the Copacabana and gets written up regularly in the WALL STREET JOURNAL and TIME OUT NY on a regular basis. Many people ask how did this start and how has this helped me become a better producer?

When I was in college I started throwing small parties in my apartment and would invite musician friends to come over and play. I was a blossoming swing dancer then and loved jazz and blues. We’d dance, drink, lounge and have a great time. Before long, they started getting known, celebs would stop by and press started paying attention. Then during one summer party, my apartment was overflowing with people out in the hallway, the door open, and without A/C, I realized I needed to start doing them in a proper venue.

As you can imagine it started small and was a learning experience… bar guarantees, minimizing risk, projecting sales, promotion, This was pre-Facebook, but I tapped into a few message board groups where I was a member and hired some bands I loved that never fit in my apartment. First party I had 300 people! I had hit on a formula of 2 floors with multiple bands and acts performing throughout the night. Also I partnered with a friend who loved making cocktails (known now as mixology or craft cocktails). The ideas was during the party you could hang out in one room for a while, then go to the next; each with a different scene. I had managed to naturally combine the loungers and swing dancers, which apparently hadn’t been done. But from a producing perspective it was diversifying and expanding the demographic and tapping into multiple scenes.

From there we grew and worked with different venues, bands and performers. I experimented with different locations, styles and price points. All crucial issues for the competitive nightlife scene in NYC. I’ve produced events at venues such as GALAPAGOS, SALON NYC, THE EMPIRE HOTEL, THE PLAYERS CLUB, REBEL NYC, THE COPACABANA and THE EDISON BALLROOM. We managed to hit the post 90’s swing retro scene that has become huge in NYC, especially since MADMEN and BOARDWALK EMPIREs. Then Facebook hit and I was able to promote at low expense and wide reach. Luckily this was augmented over the years with notable  press from THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, TIME OUT NY, METROMIX,HUFFINGTON POST, NEWSDAY, MTV, The NY POST, and WBGO Jazz FM, as well as international press and write-ups from the blogosphere.

So what kind of parties have we done recently? "Celebrating Sinatra," at the beautiful 1930's Edison Ballroom in Times Square, with over 400 guests and 60 performers including Bucky Pizzarelli and other legendary musicians who performed with Frank Sinatra, an open bar and four course dinner in true supper club chic. The idea was let young singers perform their favorite Sinatra songs with the guys that used to play with him (you should have heard the stories). I do an annual "New Years Eve Eve" party, on December 30th: in 2011 at The Copacabana with over 40 performers and 800+ guests; in 2010 at the night club Rebel NYC with over 500 guests, 40 performers and sponsorship by Hendrick's Gin and Milagro Tequila; and in 2009 at the historic Players Club on Gramercy Park with over 500 guests attending and liquor sponsors Dewar's and Infinium Spirits. Since 2009, the annual LIBERTY BELLE SPECTACULAR on July 4th at the Empire Hotel rooftop (a co-production with Dances of Vice, Wit's End and Champagne Riot) draws an average of over 1,000 guests. TIME OUT called it the "Top Live Show - Best of the Week" and one of THE things to do in NY on July 4th in New York City.

 

SO now I’m looking to expand and do more… it’s fun, but a lot work. Please join us this Friday for THE SILVER SCREEN, a tribute to silent films. Just got listed in TIME OUT today (This week in NY, Best by Day). More info here http://www.thesalon.biz/May18.htm

 

 

At the forefront of the "Retro Nouveau** scene in New York City, THE SALON has been producing events since 2001. Each event celebrates the past and the future by bringing together creative people to perform music, dance, and share their art to appreciative and discerning guests who dress-to-the-nines and enjoy bespoke cocktails in classic New York venues. The tradition of great salons from the past have been reinterpreted for the modern world by pulling from a creative community of friends and colleagues who come together to share, collaborate, and showcase their incredible skills in an atmosphere of old-school glamour with an up-to-the-minute appreciation of the finest talents in vintage-inflected music and performance that New York City has to offer.

** as mentioned and defined in the Wall Street Journal

Patrick Soluri is a New York City based composer and music producer who specializes in dramatic music for orchestra, ballet, opera, film & TV. His love of telling stories through music is evident in a large body of work for the stage, screen and concert hall. This includes five commissioned ballet scores, (Staatsballett Berlin, Dances Patrelle and CVYB); and numerous operatic works including a showcase by New York City Opera, a one-act commissioned by American Lyric Theater, and a series of short comic operas that have premiered annually at sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall. He has also worked on numerous film and TV projects including the Emmy winning Wonderpets, and recently finished working with Sean Lennon on the film score for ALTER EGOS. His music has been featured on various shows on NBC, TLC, LOGO and DISCOVERY in the US and Europe, including Americas Got Talent. He produces recordings and music in multiple styles from music theater, to pop, jazz and singer/songwriters. His retro-themed party featuring dozen of performers, bands, burlesque and craft cocktails, called THE SALON, celebrated its 10^th anniversary last year and has been featured and written up in WALL STREET JOURNAL, TIME OUT NY, HUFFINGTON POST, NY NEWSDAY, NY POAST, WBGO, WNBC and MTV among others. More info at: www.patricksoluri.com (composer/producer), and www.thesalon.biz (party).

P.S.- Solving for X is coming up. Grab your tickets HERE. 

Guest Blog #65: Jack's Back!

This week's guest blog highlights the T. Schreiber studio who is taking on the challenge of producing a musical. Below are some great bits of wisdom from producer director Barb Kielhofer.

Take it away! 

 

T. Schreiber Studio and Theatre has been a stalwart of the Off-Off Broadway movement for more than 40 years. Founded in 1969 by Terry Schreiber, the studio has been the training ground for Edward Norton, Maria Bello, Peter Sarsgaard, Julie Halston and many other noted actors and has produced award-winning productions. T. Schreiber won the 2011 New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Production for Lanford Wilson’s Balm in Gilead, which the late playwright praised upon seeing it a few months before his death. The Trip Back Down, starring John Cullum, moved to Broadway after a very successful run at T. Schreiber with Terry Schreiber as director.

 

The studio has accomplished many things in its four-decade history, but before this May, it had never produced a musical. Jack’s Back!, a romp about one unlikely hero’s journey to outwit Jack the Ripper, ushers in a new era. Barb Kielhofer, T. Schreiber Studio and Theatre’s Producing Director, writes about the challenges of producing the studio’s first musical. 

 

1) How is producing TSS's first musical different and/or the same from producing plays?

It's same in the sense you are presented with all the same challenges you have when producing a play, how to market it effectively, where to spend or not spend your money, you are troubleshooting problems the way you would with a play. What's different is there are so many additional elements to a musical you never have to think about with a play. We've never had to think about an orchestra or live music before. And the budget you create for the orchestra greatly effects the overall show, if you under budget you can't pay for the amount of musicians you need which will effect the sound which effects the overall quality of the show. It's a ripple effect.

2) What excites you about producing Jack's Back!?

I love getting to work on new projects! There is a charge in the air when you create something new, something no one has seen before, that you don't get from a revival. That feeling is unparalleled. And I love that Tom Herman (Jack’s Back! Composer/lyricist/co-book writer) has been trying to get the show produced for so long and it's finally happening, and we all got to be a part of making that happen. I love seeing his energy and excitement every day, that's why I do what I do at the end of the day. I just want to make people happy.

3) What are some of the challenges?

We are a straight play producing organization, it's what we do and what we a known for, so we didn't really know if we had the market to do a musical both from our performers and from our audience. We really struggled to find actors from our community with an interest in doing a musical...but I have to say we have the cream of the crop in our cast so it all ended up better than we could ever hoped! Sound was a huge issue as well. We realized quite quickly when we were rehearsing that our rooms do not have adequate sound proofing, there was a lot of sound bleed. It was nice for me personally, though, I had a nice soundtrack to work to everyday. We also were challenged with striking the right balance of sound in the space with out any amplification. We put in a lot of work to strike a nice balance between the orchestra and the actors voices and making sure everything sounded clear and well put together.

4) What's one thing you've learned that would be helpful for first-time musical producers?

Put your money in the sound of the show (the orchestra, a strong musical director, etc...). Sets, lights and costume are fantastic but in the end you want it to sound beautiful!

5) Now that you've got this one under your belt, will T. Schreiber Studio and Theatre do another musical in the future?

I'd like to say yes,but in the end it'll come down to finding a project that excites our artistic directors Terry Schreiber and Peter Jensen. They need to be behind whatever we chose be it musical or play. I will say we have learned that it is possible to do a musical at TSS and to do it well so it's definitely in the realm of possibility for us in the future!

 

Performances of Jack’s Back! run May 9 – June 24, 2012, Wednesday through Friday at 8:00 pm, Saturday at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm.  Book by Elmer L. Kline with Lee Cardini and Tom Herman, Music and Lyrics by Tom Herman. Directed by John Gould Rubin. Choreography by Bronwen Carson. For tickets and more information, visit www.tschreiber.org.

Be sure to check this out folks. It sounds great! 

Excelsior!

P.S.- Solving for X is around the corner! 

 

Guest Blog# 64: Before it's too late

This week's guest blog comes from my friend Sam Fortenbaugh who provides some very good advice about protecting your work. Take it away Sam!

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

 

Of all the things I have learned as a lawyer who negotiates and drafts contracts for production companies and artists is that 90% of the problems can avoided if you keep this simple expression in mind while you negotiate your agreement:

 

I need to take care of certain things…

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

 

Being concerned about it being too late would have helped this filmmaker who came to me after he had signed a distribution deal with a distributor.  In the first month of being shown on pay per view, the movie grossed about $500,000.  The distributor, however, decided he was not going to pay them the money they thought they were owed.  Even worse, the contract the filmmaker signed did not give them the right to take back the film and find another means of distribution.  So not only did the filmmaker not receive the money he was owed but also lost their film and the sequel rights.  The problem was that by the time he came to me I could not really do anything for him.

 

It was the same with the writer who helped co-write a very popular and successful play, but only received a fraction of what she was owed.  In this case, she didn’t even bother to have someone look at the contract.  Or the production company that didn’t secure all the rights that they need to make a network deal because they didn’t think those particular rights were important.  That mistake added three to four months of extra negotiations.  And what makes these problems even worse is that they could have been avoided if they had been addressed … BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. 

 

That’s why BEFORE ITS TOO LATE should be every artist’s and entertainment executive’s mantra.  Every time someone wants you to work on a show, write a script, shoot a movie you need to say am I protected if certain things go wrong and if you’re not well then you have to do something about that: take precautious, ask questions add language to your agreement… BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. 

 

And you should start thinking this way as soon as you begin working with someone or someone wants to use your services and/or intellectual property.  At these points in time, you need to think through what needs to be taken care of.  Something may need immediate attention.  Other issues can be dealt with later on.  For instance, if you are going to collaborate with someone on a screenplay you should right from the beginning clarify what happens if the other party stops working on the screenplay; can you continue to work on it and try to get it made?  If you don’t have a formal agreement you may not have that right because you might be improperly trying to use the other parties copyrighted material.   At the beginning, however, you don’t have to worry about structuring the option/purchase agreement for a potential sale of the screenplay; that can wait until that time arises.

 

Sometimes the biggest problem is to know when “Before it’s too late” really does occur.  That is why whenever you start a project and in particular when a project becomes a business venture it is important to consult people who have been through what you are going to embark on such as experienced writers, producers, directors and dare I say  (and here is the blatant plug for my profession) maybe even a lawyer.  You don’t have to talk to a lawyer that long.  The important thing is too get a sense of the issues you will face and when you might expect to face them.  Then you will be on alert to get more thorough advice when needed.  That’s what it means to address problems BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

 

Sam Fortenbaugh is a New York based attorney specializing in entertainment and new media. He has represented writers, directors, actors, spokespeople comedians, as well as production companies. Mr. Fortenbaugh negotiates and drafts agreements for the acquisition of intellectual property rights, writers, directors and producers as well as for the forming of production companies.  Sam can be reached by email at SFortenbaugh@Fortenbaughlaw.com. His website is www.FortenbaughLaw.com. 

 

Awesome Person Thursday: Collaboration Town

This week's APT comes from Amanda Feldman who I have known for a number of years as a producer and supporter of great art. When she tells me to check out someone's work, I listen. Take it away Amanda!

When I think of CollaborationTown, I don’t just think of one awesome person. I think of a bunch of awesome people and that’s because while CollaborationTown is run by an incredibly talented Artistic Core – Geoffrey Decas O’Donnell, Boo Killebrew, Jordan Seavey, and Boo Killebrew – it’s real strength is in the large community it’s cultivated throughout it’s nine year history. I met the artists of CollaborationTown back in 2003 when they hired me as their Managing Director. It didn’t take long before I fell in love with their innovative, smart, funny, and heartfelt storytelling.

 

CollaborationTown allows itself the freedom to define “collaboration” in many ways.  Whether working on an entirely ensemble-generated text or a playwright-lead piece, the company’s mission requires that all artists in the room step out of their traditional “roles.” The goal is to unify different styles and aesthetics, opinions and ideas, perspective and emotions, backgrounds and philosophies into cohesive ensemble-driven pieces of theater.

 

On the heels of their sold out run last June of The Play About My Dad and the GLAAD Nomination for their show The Momentum, CollaborationTown is next choosing to revisit The Deepest Play Ever: The Catharsis of Pathos. Originally produced to great acclaim in the 2006 NYC International Fringe Festival, it’s now back and better than ever! So rarely do indie theatre artist get an opportunity to revisit a play from their past to make improvements and I can assure you with five new songs, a streamlined plot, and some incredible actors and designers this will be the hot ticket in town.

Before Mother Courage there was Mother LaMadre. In THE DEEPEST PLAY EVER, an unrivaled masterpiece of modern dramatic writing, our antiheroine Mother LaMadre and her rag-tag crew drag their wagon through the Fifth World War and the post-post-apocalyptic wasteland that is New Europe. Together they must navigate all the pitfalls (and rewards) of the dramatic art of drama to find the few remaining books the art-abolishing Evil Empire have yet to destroy and maybe, just maybe, find a way to replace violence with art. If the zombies don't eat them first. Don’t understand? You never will, human. 

 Only once in a while does a show come a long that makes you both quietly reflect and laugh out loud and this is one of those shows. CollaborationTown is  thrilled to be presenting it in The New Ohio from March 9^th – 24^th. Tickets are on sale: www.smarttix.com For being a friend to Michael Roderick and reading this Awesome Person blog entry, use the code DEEPFRIEND for $15 tickets. If you have never been to a CollaborationTown show, you are most definitely in for a treat.

 To read more about the awesomeness that is CollaborationTown visit: http://www.collaborationtown.org.

Thanks Amanda! Be sure to check these folks out.

Excelsior!

LAST day for early brid price on Solving for X! Grab your tickets HERE

 

 

 

Guest blog#63: Stage Managers initiate an Open Dialogue with Industry Peers

There are plenty of people who work on shows, but there is one person who can make the job ten times easier: The Stage Manager. I have had amazing experiences as a producer as a result of hiring a great stage manager. So when a stage manager said she wanted to guest blog, I had only one answer:

Hell Yes. 

Read Eileen's post below and if you can check out this event. It is something the industry needs. Cheers to them for starting some engaging discussion. Take it away, Eileen!

Talking Amongst Ourselves – Stage Managers Initiate an Open Dialogue With Industry Peers

 

By Eileen Arnold – AEA Stage Manager & Chair of Theater – A View From the Wings

 

On March 5, the national Stage Managers’ Association will host the second annual Theater – A View From the Wings at Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant (121 W. 45^thStreet) from 10:00am – 6:00pm. The event began in 2010 as a way to look at life from the other side of the curtain expanding the round table discussions we have as part of our own membership meetings to become an open dialogue with our peers in the industry. Traditionally, the entertainment industry in general has been represented by the Show Biz Expo focusing on film, television and, in a more limited capacity, on theater. A founding  SMA member, Zoya Kachadurian, suggested that the Stage Managers’ Association could be a catalyst for a theater focused event that would serve as an opportunity to talk candidly about how we, as stage managers, share both achievements and challenges with our industry colleagues. As part of a production, Stage Managers are the central connection between actors, designers, directors, crew, producers and general managers. The Stage Managers’ Association wanted to create an event to connect us all in conversation.

 

I volunteered for the first Theater – A View From the Wings in November, 2010. This year, I am the event chair and will also speak as part of our morning round table “The Traveling Stage Manager – Tricks of the Road” a discussion aimed towards stage managers to give hints and tips about handling a touring show. After over two years and five national tours with professional children’s’ theater company TheatreworksUSA, I know about the ups and downs of life on the road! This round table will be in a similar vein to discussions held as part of our general meetings.

 

After a networking lunch, we will shift our focus and open the conversation up to two groups of our industry peers: In a panel called “The Stage Manager and the Associate Director: How do we work together? What works and what doesn’t?”, Lezlie Wade (Assistant Director, Jesus Christ Superstar / Dodger Productions and Associate Director, Henry V, Stratford Shakespeare Festival), Steven Minning (Broadway and National Tours: Resident Director: The Lion King and Supervising Resident Director: Billy Elliot) and Joe Langworth(Associate Choreographer of Lincoln Center Theater's South Pacific) will share their insights about the working relationship of the stage manager and associate director. After that, Tony DePaulo (International Vice President and co-Division Director Stage craft of the IATSE International), Ken Keneally (Property Head for Book of Mormon), Laurie Koch (Production Prop Supervisor: Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Moose Murders and Chapter Two; First female member of IATSE Local #311), and Neil Mazzella (president of Hudson Scenic Studio and Hudson Sound and Light) will join us for final plenary, “The Stage Manager and the Crew: In the Trenches Together,” about the working relationship between stage managers and the production staff. The day will conclude with cocktails and a chance to continue the conversations.

 

I am very proud to be a professional stage manager and member of the Stage Managers’ Association and thrilled to be chairing this event. It is my hope that it will be the second of many opportunities to talk openly with those people we work closely with to make each show a success.

 

More information about the March 5 Theater – A View From the Wings event and about the Stage Managers’ Association can be found at www.stagemanagers.org. Registration for the March 5 event can be done through http://stagemanagers.eventbrite.com .The event is only two and a half weeks away so register now to engage in the conversation!

 

Awesome. I love seeing this kind of discussion out there, it is what art is all about.

Enjoy your weekend folks 

Excelsior! 

P.S.- Solving for X tickets are on sale now! 

Guest Blog 62: Modern Dance but no one rolls on the floor

This week's guest blog comes courtesy of my friend David Homan who's here to tell you all about a really cool collaboration between himself and his wife. Take it away David!

Hey All,

You're reading a guest blog by David Homan and Ariel Grossman, a composer and choreographer team who also happen to be married to each other.  Ariel creates the dance, David makes a great meal. David writes the music, Ariel does the dishes.   Last night was sea scallops and fresh basil/spinach pasta! 

We're both not in the avant garde, and are raising money via kickstarter for a major collaborative show with Catherine Miller/WalkingTalking and Davis Roberton's Joffrey Ballet School Performance Company. 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/792081117/ariel-rivka-dance-and-david-homan

 When little Ariel was 8 years old, she trained there, and Catherine, for whom David is writing a piece of music, is using Joffrey Ballet dancers in her work.  David's also writing a piece for Ariel and her company, Ariel Rivka Dance. 

Click here to see Une Nuit, Ariel's work at the Saratoga Artsfest, which will be premiered in NYC March 22-24 at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center on 60th and West End Ave

http://www.arielrivkadance.com/?page_id=69

And if that wasn't enough, here's a video of Ariel dancing her own solo, to the music of her dancer Stephanie Chun.

http://vimeo.com/28032515

THANKS!

Ariel and David

www.homanmusic.com

www.arielrivkadance.com

www.evaband.com

Thanks David! Be sure to check out their work. 

Excelsior! 

Guest Blog #61: RSO sending out and SOS

Hey all,

This week Ryan Scott Oliver is here to tell you all about his latest project. Take it away Ryan!

Ryan Scott Oliver here!  I’m the composer and lyricist of Disney’s upcoming Freaky Friday, Darling, Mrs. Sharp, Jasper in Deadland, Out of My Head, and this spring, 35mm, a multimedia musical exhibition featuring the work of photographer Matthew Murphy.

We’re currently trying to raise funds via Kickstarter, and we need your (you theatre loving theatregoer, you!) help!

Wait wait wait don’t go!  Forget about the fundraiser for a second.  Just watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9_8GnbKcgk&feature=player_embedded

Did you like it?  No?  You’re right; too dark.  Okay okay, what about this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbA4dbkfa9s

Kinda pretty, maybe?  You love Jesus?  Sorry...  All right, well if that doesn’t sell you— what about a friendly little pop tune?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BV79eSArCU&feature=related

Have I got you?  Even a little bit?  Okay then...  I’ll let you watch the video to find out more about our project, and if you’re moved even a little bit... Please give a little bit.  If you’re moved a lot, well... You’ll know what to do!

 
THANKS!!
Ryan Scott Oliver

PS, Can’t give, but want to help?  Please spread the word!

Thanks Ryan! I have seen his work in person and trust me, it's great stuff. 

See you all next week and don't forget about your WORST Customer service story! 

Guest blog #60: A chemist walks into a theatre

Nope, that's not just the beginning of a joke involving test tubes. It's actually the beginning of a pretty amazing guest blog by my dear friend Janet Zarecor. Janet is currently in school for Educational Theatre and would like to tell you all a little about her thesis project. Take it away Janet!

I don’t think I have to convince anyone reading this blog that we need to keep the  arts in our educational system.  As a computer application educator at a medical center and a producer, playwright and actress in New York I have often felt the tug of two very separated worlds.  I know my success in my career over the last 14 years is directly related to my arts education and experience on stage as an improv comic. But that isn’t a shared opinion with the world. On the right side, I am an artist with a full time STEM career and therefore not a “serious” artist.  On the left side, in the professional world revealing my artistic explorations has its own problems.  Bosses and hiring managers look at my artistic enterprises as an unwelcome distraction from work and colleagues have viewed it as a “cute” hobby. 

Why can’t an actor be a high powered, respected executive?  Why shouldn’t a physicist write a play?  Give me one good reason that a doctor shouldn’t design sound for a show.  Tell me why a set designer can’t be a good candidate to manage a staff in a corporation?  

I believe the arts enhance career growth, upward mobility and the ability to be successful in whatever industry a person may choose.  It is certainly not everyone’s opinion but it’s something that I have undeniably felt since I have been working in an office space since the age of 15. Two years ago, after the recession began to kill the publishing industry slowly, I lost my job, picked up a consulting gig and decided it was time to finally go to grad school and get my masters.  I had been teaching adults for more than a decade, I might as well get the degree.  I began to work towards my Masters in Educational Theatre through the wonderful program at City College of New York.  Now I am facing my last semester and looking at the culminating project to end my time there, hopefully leaving something behind to help keep arts in the schools or at least drive a discussion.  My argument is that the skills that hiring managers are looking for in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers are the skills that practitioners of arts education are looking to teach, foster and nurture.  For a moment, take a look at the top ten skills that hiring managers are looking for:

• Communication Skills
• Analytical & Research Skills
• Computer & Technical Literacy
• Flexibility/Adaptability/Managing Multiple Priorities
• Interpersonal Abilities
• Leadership/Management Skills
• Multicultural Sensitivity/Awareness
• Planning/Organizing
• Problem-Solving/Reasoning/Creativity
• Teamwork

 If you have ever worked on a show I think you will realize that you need the same skills that are valuable in the American workplace.  We are struggling and fighting to keep arts in schools. We are not looking to only encourage students to become actors but to be more confident when they decided whatever career path they desire.  Again, I ask you, why can’t an artist be an executive if they truly want to? Why should any person be forced to sacrifice working in and creating art in the name be a better employee?  I say that allowing a person to do both will prove valuable to any business and we should encourage it.  In 2012, I will be doing research via interviews and surveys to try and put some proof behind my rants.  

I am looking for working professionals in STEM careers to talk about their arts experience in their education.  If you are interested in being a part of this project I would love to talk to as many people as I can in the New Year.  You can email me at janetplanet@renegaderedhead.org with your information and any thoughts.  Have a wonderful New Year!  Arts now and forever!

Thanks Janet! If you can help, definitely reach out to Janet for an interview. She is awesome.

Also tomorrow is the last day for your best customer service story. Make sure you fill out the form for a chance to win tickets to Culture Soup!

Excelsior! 

 

Guest Blog #59: All they want for Christmas is SPACE

This week's guest blog comes to us from my good friend Isaac Klein. Isaac is here to tell you all about this amazing organization now in it's second year! You can also view their video below this post.Take it away Isaac!

Excelsior! 

Amid the hustle and bustle of the New York arts community, where time and space are precious resources, there is a perpetual need for retreat. Artists hunger for a place where new works can be incubated and developed. SPACE on Ryder Farm is delighted to provide just such a resource for NYC. SPACE is currently in the midst of its Kickstarter campaign for Season Two, and as a special kickstart to kickstarter, we are now on Day 5 of our 12 Days of Giving Campaign.  (Follow the link tomorrow for a special Day 6 offer and slam poetry session with yours truly.)

SPACE's mission is to support and nurture emerging artists by providing a workshop and retreat space singular ini its ability to reinvigorate the artist's spirit and their work. SPACE is the answer to dormant creativity, giving artists time and space to do what they do best: create. Located just an hour away from NYC on a 127 acre farm in Brewster, NY, SPACE is making big moves. This past summer, our inaugural season, we proudly hosted over 100 artists as they developed 27 projects!  Many more have visited and risen to support our cause.

SPACE has merited huge buzz and extremely positive feedback from its first season, yet sustaining such an organization is no easy feat.  We are in serious need of further support for Season 2.  Please, follow the links above to help support SPACE.  Even five dollars can make a big difference if enough of you are moved to click.  If even five dollars is out of the question (and I know what that's like) how about sharing our link on your blog or facebook page?  We are very grateful for any way you can help us to support SPACE.

Applications will be available in February on the SPACE website.  We would love hear from you, and hope to see you on the farm for Season 2 in 2012!

As a director, writer, and and active member of NYC's artistic community, I know firsthand how crucial this opportunity is. It has been personally rewarding and deeply gratifying to work with SPACE and share this haven with so many artists in need.

Many thanks to the magnificent mogul Michael Roderick for this guest-blogging opportunity!

A Happy Holiday Season To You All,

Isaac Klein

Artistic Associate, SPACE on Ryder Farm

 

Guest Blog #58: Let's talk business

This week's guest blog comes from PLAE Alumni Joshua Rivedal who is asking those of you out there who are interested in discussing the business to come on out and chat. Take it away Josh!

So recently I’ve been thinking about the business of acting, how it relates to the Occupy Wall Street movement and I’m thinking that just like our country has to change the way banks do "business as usual," we as actors have to change the way we do "business as usual" because there is definitely a better way of doing things to make our acting careers work.

A lot of my friends can’t seem to find consistent work as an actor. There seems to be about 1% of all actors who are working consistently and the rest of the 99% can’t seem to make ends meet. Now this isn’t really about taking down the 1% as it is learning not only what that 1% did to succeed (besides luck and good fortune) but also learning what our sweet spot is in the business so that we are spending more time working, acting and doing things that make us financially and spiritually fulfilled as opposed to spending our time doing things for work (waiting tables, temping, dinner theatre in the North Pole) that make us miserable. 

What I’m offering is a FREE event- a roundtable discussion/seminar where we’ll talk about some of the biggest challenges that you or your friends are facing as actors and what I’d like to do is provide some solutions to things like:

-Making a consistent living

-Effectively finding an agent
-Meeting the right people who can help your career
-Bucking the “There’s a ton of my type and I’ll never stand out” idea
-Finding good (sane) people to work with
-And more plus any other issues you might be facing.

For me this is an opportunity to share the things I’ve learned as I’ve found my sweet spot in the business as a VO actor, producer, writer, blogger, coach, and solo show performer; additionally I want to see the response and find out if folks are really looking for these kinds of solutions and if they are then I may formulate a class on these topics. Oh, and as a bonus you'll get to connect with other actors and myself and you may just come closer to finding your sweet spot in the business. 

This event is going to be on Saturday, December 10th at 12 noon till 2pm at Chelsea Studios- 151 West 26th St., Studio 501 in Manhattan. All I need from you is to RSVP with me at josh@artfulcoach.com and let me know if you’re bringing a friend(s). Oh and if you feel like this will benefit someone you know, then please pass event info along. 
Thanks and I look forward to seeing you soon.

-Josh

http://on.fb.me/JoshCoach

www.artfulcoach.com

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