Stressing about your PLAE application deadline?
I'm extending it until the 24th, due to great response. Remember I only accept 8, so apply today!
I am very excited about this class and looking at the next slew of applicants, I think this group is going to be pretty awesome!
Hope to see some of you there.
Excelsior!
While attending a NAMT networking event this weekend, I discovered something very interesting about networking and something that I personally need to improve on. As usual, I'll explain it with a metaphor:
When I first moved to the city, I was asked to climb a rock wall at a gym. I knew nothing about this sport, but gave it a shot. I grabbed at the wall and got to the point where both arms and legs were on the wall and I was about a foot off the ground and then...
I didn't move.
If I reached up, I felt myself slipping, so I instantly pulled back and went back to the starting position. I would try again and again, but could not seem to move.
A friend of mine who was watching the show with the rest of the gym explained that I was clinging and that until I allowed some of my weight to shift, rather than keeping it all pressed against the rock, I would be stuck there. After a few tries, I convinced myself to shift the weight and sure enough, I moved up! Before every reach there was this really scary moment where it felt like I was going to fall (and truth be told, sometimes I did) but as soon as I let that go, the weight shifted and I moved. This got me thinking about networking events.
When we first make a connection at one of these events, it's exciting. We're getting to know someone new and we're talking about important things. We may trade cards or hand each other postcards for a show, but then what happens? In my case, I often stay and chat for a pretty long time and most of the time miss out on meeting any one else.
I realized the other day that this is clinging.
It's comfortable to stay with the person you know or the new contact, because that means you don't have to go to anyone else. Just like I leaned all of my weight against the rock and didn't move, I found myself anchored to people I knew already or new connections for so long, we had practically had a full meeting by the time I left!
When I did force myself to say goodbye or move to someone else, I met some other really great people, but it nagged at me that I may have met twice that many, had I not clung so long.
So my plan from now on is to work on that element and try and make my networking meetings a bit more succinct.
Have any of you every experienced this? What are your "climbing" stories? Feel free to comment below:
And the next time you're out networking and feel yourself stuffed in a corner, try shifting your weight. You may just end up at the top of the mountain.
Excelsior!
6 Days left until the next NY PLAE Class starts! Apply Here!
Many of the shows I've seen over the years have had problems with the story. The one problem that is the most common is the addition of characters who don't do anything to move the plot forward or add anything to the story itself.
Out of frustration at lunch this weekend I blurted out, "If I'm gong to pay money to have an actor play a character in a show weekly, the character had better matter to the story"
My friend at the lunch said I had to put that in my blog, so there you go.
As producers, we raise the money or invest our own to hire actors to play characters in a story that we hope will appeal to so many that our investors will get that money back. So it just doesn't make sense that there would be characters in a show that are inconsequential.
If I have an employee who is doing nothing but taking up space on a desk, why would I keep that employee?
So the lesson for today and my plea to writers and producers:
Make every character count.
Because someone's paying for them to be there.
Nuff Said.
Excelsior!
Last night I did a lot of running around. I was fortunate enough to find time to catch a lovely production called Disillusioned.
This was a simple production, done in a very small theatre that told a charming story without being heavy handed. It's great to see a story well told and one about a subject that isn't often explored. Productions like this often get lost in the shuffle of the festivals, readings, and Broadway openings, but I would urge new producers to take the time to seek shows like this out. This one in particular was very appealing to me. I was impressed with the writing, the acting, and the direction of the work. It truly was magic in many ways. It's an hour long but spans a good deal of time and tells a really touching story of friendship and loss. It reminded me that thousand dollar sets and a flashy production cannot stand up to an engaging story.
Special thanks to Georgie Caldwell for tipping me off to the magic in midtown. The show runs till the end of the month and I suggest you buy tickets and catch it before it disappears ;)
Excelsior!
Only 10 days until the next PLAE class begins! Apply today!
I tried this over the summer and
it went really well. So well in fact, that I have a testimonial from a graduate of my
class below and I’m happy to announce that PLAE will be going Bi-Coastal and
alumnus Margie Kment will be teaching the course in LA! After doing the course
over the summer, I have decided that I will only accept 8 people in the class. The
one on one time that each class member gets with the speakers works best when
we have a very small group and I want to maintain that integrity, so I hope
that you’ll apply as this next one should be very cool.
And here’s an Alumni Testimonial:
"Michael gave us so many great resources in the PLAE class. We made great connections with each other and with experts in the field who will continue to be invaluable as our projects move forward. In addition, it was great to have practice networking, learning how to network, and to have a group of creative and ambitious entrepreneurs holding each other accountable for each project's success. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to get an arts project or business off of the ground."
Katrina Ylimaki PLAE Summer 2009
Excelsior!
Program to Launch Artistic
Entrepreneurs (PLAE)
October 26th- December 21st 2009
Every Monday from 7:00pm-
10:00pm (Except November 23rd)
Applications due October 22nd
PLAE:
This is an 8-week development program geared toward equipping arts
entrepreneurs with the tools to realize their goals. The course will meet
once a week and will feature guest speakers in leadership positions throughout
the field of the arts who will participate in the discussion of each
entrepreneurs project and offer guidance and support. The class will be
structured around the selected applicants who will create an 8-week action plan
and implement a new task or initiative every week. Topics covered will
include networking, developing structure for businesses, understanding the
psychology of the arts leader, identifying unique qualities in projects, and
fostering on-going relationships with arts professionals. The course will be
interactive and satellite networking events will be suggested each week.
Participants in the course will work together in groups as well as on their own
to complete the tasks they have outlined. The class will be strictly limited to
8 members and the class will not be conducted if enrollment is under five
people.
Who Should Apply:
Any artists who are seeking to develop a new business idea or company or to
restructure a current arts model. Level of experience in an arts related
field is only one factor in the selection process. If a banker who has
never done a show before has a great idea for a dance company,
excellent. The course will thrive if it is full of people who are
seriously committed to starting something new and exciting. Any artist –
producer, dancer, visual artist, musician, etc. is eligible to apply.
The online application form can be
found Here.
Application deadline is October 22nd, 2009.
Those selected will be notified by
e-mail (October 24th). If accepted, the full tuition will be $500 for 8
weeks. Payment is Due by October 26th. Your
acceptance email will provide payment options and instructions.
This includes the cost of books that will be taught in the course as well as
handouts and materials.
The course will run 7:00pm-10:00pm
every Monday from October 26th- December21st with the exception of
November 23rd.
E-mail any questions to PLAE2009@gmail.com.
My Bio:
Michael Roderick has produced at Manhattan Theatre Source, Theater Row Studios, Where Eagles Dare, the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, the Red Room, the Bridge Theatre at Shetler Studios and has produced shows in the NY International Fringe Festival, the Midtown International Theatre Festival, the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival, among others. He has worked as an office associate for Davenport Theatrical Enterprises and has Off Broadway producing credit as an Associate Producer of the musical ROOMS a Rock Romance at New World Stages as well as an Associate Producer of The New Hopeville Comics at The Chernuchin Theater at ATA. Michael recently received the MITF Producer's Award for his show "The Director's Reality" at Where Eagles Dare and he is currently the program director for Self-Producing Artists at Theater Resources Unlimited. Michael is also a graudate of the Commercial Theatre Institute's 14-week Program as well as the Six-week Creative Intensive Program. Michael is the organizer of the Independent Producers Alliance of NY and he holds a BA in Secondary Ed English and Theatre Performance from Rhode Island College as well as a Masters in Educational Theatre for Colleges and Communities from NYU.
Looking forward to a great new class.
Excelsior!
As a producer, I cannot promote the online presence enough.
In fact, it baffles me how some people choose to still not have one.
So today I thought I'd make a quick list of how my web presence has connected me recently and ask you to think about what your web presence is and how it can help you. If you're reading this, are we facebook friends? Are we linked in? Do you follow me on twitter?
All interesting questions, when you see the list below.
So without further ado...
1. I met my current co-producing partner and associate producer for The Cure through this blog. I did a posting asking who my readers were, and Michael Ian Cedar responded. We have since done the CTI 14 week together, worked on a NYMF show together and connected on a number of potential projects.
2. Bruce Lazarus recently created a group for producers on Linked IN and I just attended one of his networking events and met tons of valuable new contacts. Had I not accepted his linked-in request or his group request, that never would have happened.
3. Ken Davenport introduced me to the world of blogging and now I'm connected to some blogging organizations as well as a number of great bloggers.
4. It was at a bloggers social where I got a chance to reconnect with Leonard Jacobs who was kind enough to come in and speak in my PLAE class.
The list goes on and on..
So if you do not have a web presence or if you are not using all of your outreach channels, take some time today to connect.
You never know who you might catch in your web.
Excelsior!
So my mom came into town this weekend and said that she missed my blog and I felt that familiar pang of letting my readers down. Truth be told, I have been out seeing as many NYMF shows as I can and just finished a solid run with many sold out houses for The Cure. As a result, the bloggin has been a bit light in the past few weeks
During the NYMF run, I came across something else about our industry that I have a problem with.
We had a sold out show and we had people on a waiting list, and I was there to witness people being turned away while seats were left empty.
Wait a sec..
Seats empty?
But we were sold out right?
Something seem wrong with this picture?
Let me break it down for you:
If someone buys their seat online, ticket agencies will not allow you to resell their ticket. So if they don't show up or show up an hour after the curtain goes up, that seat needs to be held for them and another paying patron needs to be turned away.
So one might ask what happens if that person never shows?
The seat goes empty and $15-$20 walks out the door.
Looking at this from a teacher's point of view, this is insane. By this logic, my students should be allowed to come to my class as late as they like or not come at all, because their parents are paying for their education. Instead, I say they get to class on time or they do not get to have class. Why should the theatre be any different?
Maybe I'm starting a fight here and maybe I'd fall victim to this, because every once and a while I am late to shows, but I think we need to stop this.
If you don't make it to the show on time, your seat should be resold. End of story.
We enable audience members when we tell them that their seat will be held no matter what. Why would anyone bother to be on time for anything if they know that there's no way their seat can be taken by another person?
If someone doesn't make it, we should get the extra cash and they should have to come back another time and pay again.
Again, maybe there's something I'm missing and if so, someone please educate me, but I think it's an absolute travesty when a seat goes empty in any theatre when it could be filled by a paying patron.
Comments are open on this one folks.
Have at it.
Excelsior!
Above is a picture of an empty room.
There are many of them in this city and each and every one is waiting to be filled with something.
When I first started producing, my company was known as the company who had FREE rehearsal space. Why was that? I used my empty classroom at my day job. I used my empty cafeteria and my school, at the time, was accommodating.
Eventually, like all things, the school asked for money and I ran the rental of classrooms as a business and we had a good business going. Then, there were issues and there were complaints and eventually, we closed.
But for a while it was all pretty incredible and it was all because I saw an empty space and decided to fill it.
Last night, I finished Seth Godin's book TRIBES
It's a quick read, and it's all about becoming a leader and challenging the status quo.
The status quo is that the rehearsal studios are the best place to rehearse and that any other space is too much hassle.
I say: Why?
Can't we still find empty rooms? Aren't they out there?
Today, go outside and take a look around. Note what's empty and think about how you can fill it.
You could be the next Free rehearsal space person and build your own business or just put art somewhere where there's a void.
Either way. Do something.
The world needs it.
And if you make something happen. Let me know and I'll be sure to tell everyone about it.
Excelsior!
As many of you know, I have been part of the producing team of The Cure, and we open tonight.
And we're sold out.
Vampires are everywhere and it's showing in the public's enthusiasm. We just had a nice feature in playbill today, and tonight's opening is looking to be very exciting.
I'm happy to be one of the bitten and I hope you'll become one of the bitten as well.
You can still get tickets for the remaining performances here
See you at the show!
Excelsior!
As a producer, it is really great seeing the progress of a show, a group of people, or a theatre company. I had the good fortune of seeing that growth over the past 8 years of some really fantastic NYU students.
When I first started out, I helped produce shows for NYU playwrights, actors, and directors. My first producing credit was Proof by Disproof, and the stage manager on that show was a guy named Turner Smith who later ended up directing a production of The Line that's picked up a thousand babes. Turner went on to do a lot of fight choreography and I ran into him again when I was at a Fringe show called The Office and the Metal Blob, which I considered to be extraordinary. This was a mix of Blue man Group, The Office, and 2001 that used soundscape so well, that I was very engaged throughout the entire show. I later found out that the company that produced this show was known as The Centrifuge, and that one of the producers of their newest show was our stage manager for our show Lovehandles, a few years back.
I of course had to see their latest offering: Our Farm
Much in the style of Brecht, this show reimagines the concept of Orwell's classic and treats us to an exploration of what might have happened if a certain pig who was run off the farm, assembled a troop of animals to act out the "Real" story. What comes out of this is an extremely visceral production that creates a very clever conceit regarding the relationship between how actors are treated in a production and the role of a dictator. I won't ruin anything for anyone, because you have to go and see the show, but I will say that all of your old friends make an appearance even while some arrive a bit late in the action. As an English teacher, I was very impressed with the detail that went into this production and the constant challenging of established forms of theatrical expression. These guys really know how to tell a story and they are a company to watch.
They are certainly on my radar.
Grab your tickets today because they will fill their houses.
And congrats to all those who worked for Small Pond in the past. You're doing great things. Keep it up!
Excelsior!
