One Producer in the City

Extension!

So I've been getting some great entries in our Purple contest and want to keep things going. I am going to extend our deadline until September 5th. If you have not registered for it, info is below.

Good luck!

The assignment: Come up with a proposal for something in our industry that would be Purple.

Make sure you click the link to see what I'm talking about, then let your imagination run wild. Don't worry about the size or scope of the project, just come up with something in our field that would fit the bill and leave it here as a comment.

The Prize: Your own copy of Purple Cow, and a $50 Starbucks gift card.

The Rules: You must be one of the email subscribers to this blog. If you do not know how to do this, there is a box that says Feedblitz. Click. Fill out the form, and you're done.

Eligibility: Anyone can play as long as they are registered.

Criteria: Write a short proposal and post it as a comment here. Anything under a paragraph will not be eligible. The main point is to think your idea through.

I will then send this to a panel of Purple judges who will decide which idea is the winner.

Deadline is September 5th

Simple as that.

So what are you waiting for?

Come up with something Purple today!

Special Thanks to Ken Davenport for introducing me to this amazing book.

Excelsior!

Oh A Fringin' I will go- Part 2

Below is info on shows that I enjoyed that are still running:

On the 21st, I got to see The Meaning of Wife which has a few shows left. This is a theatre piece that is so smart, it's refreshing. The clever premise revolves around the concept of two women being the image makeover consultants for words in the English language who decide to take on the word Wife. It then goes beyond this extremely inventive conceit to delve into the marriage stories of both women while making the audience aware of the injustices that are inherent in same sex marriage. It tells us that we have a long way to go and I found myself also realizing that there is a lot that I do not know about this subject. Add to that the fact that the show is very funny, and has two wonderful actresses from the stand up comedy world, you're looking at a piece that invites us to laugh and reflect at the same time. This is a great piece for any lover of language and any lover of a smart script. You can still get tickets if you hurry!

On the 25th I saw Graveyard Shift: A Zombie Musical, and had a great time! This is exactly what it says in the title. We have a Romero style Zombie story being told through musical theatre. With songs that give a clever nod to shows like Little Shop of Horrors, and Urinetown and some of the best choreography I've seen in quite awhile, this is a very fun piece that had me laughing out loud. If you are into the Zombie genre, this really is a must see. If you are looking for some excellent comedic writing, you really need not look farther than Ren Casey's rollicking script which includes an automated door joke that was absolutely priceless. There are still chances to see this one. Don't miss it! get your tickets here!

More tomorrow. I'm off to another round of shows.

Excelsior!

Surfacing

So I've been away from the blogging world for about six days because I have been out seeing numerous Fringe shows and I'm just now getting a chance to get back.

So what do I need to address?

1. The Purple Contest closes on the 31st

2. What I thought of the Numerous Fringe shows

3. New Projects.

How will I address it?

Blog posts from now through the weekend.

For tonight, there are still tickets available for Dancing with Abandon

See you at the show!

Excelsior!

While I've been away from my desk...

I have been immersed in many things. So in essence, I have three days of catching up on blog posts. So I'm going to make an attempt at getting everyone caught up on those events.

August 19th:

I had numerous meetings throughout the day and then saw Viral in Fringe. I always sit agape at plays by Mac Rogers because he explores the darkest side of humanity. You laugh, you fight back tears, and you're disgusted usually within the course of one scene. This production accomplishes all of the above, and its themes sneak up on you when you're not expecting it. I assure you, after you have seen the first scene in this startling new work, you'll never regard and instant message the same again. The play pairs emotional desperation with sexual desperation in such a way that you feel voyeuristic and perverted just by the mere act of being an audience member.

What I especially love about Mac's work is I'm never able to guess what is going to happen next. It's like driving on the highway and not realizing how sharp the turn is on the exit ramp. You see those yellow arrows and you can't believe how sharp that turn is as you try and keep the car from flipping, it's the same feeling when I'm making my way through one of his clever narratives. Wait a go Mac. You have another hit on your hands. You can get tickets for Viral here. Be quick, they only have two more shows.

We also had a really fantastic Hold for the Laughs that evening. It was very well attended and was a support avenue for a fantastic company: Rebellious Subjects

The show featured some amazing Stand Up comedians and the stand up debut of sketch group Britanick.

It was a really fantastic event.

August 20th:

Yesterday was another full day of meetings including one about a much bigger version of our last food event

This one is going to be pretty incredible and just wait until you hear the name for it!

So that brings you up to speed.

On the fringe side, it will be a big weekend, so I will keep you all posted and make sure to get tickets early if you want to see the Fringe show I'm producing, because half of our run is already sold out and we were just in Playbill today, so tickets may sell even faster.

Also, there is still time to enter the Purple Cow contest!

Looking forward to reading everyone's submissions!

That's all the news for now.

Excelsior!

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something Purple?

So last night I had a really great PLAE class and I gave a very challenging assignment.

So I thought I'd give all of you the same assignment.

It's Tuesday. I didn't see any Fringe shows yesterday, and this could be fun.

The assignment: Come up with a proposal for something in our industry that would be Purple.

Make sure you click the link to see what I'm talking about, then let your imagination run wild. Don't worry about the size or scope of the project, just come up with something in our field that would fit the bill and leave it here as a comment.

The Prize: Your own copy of Purple Cow, and a $50 Starbucks gift card.

The Rules: You must be one of the email subscribers to this blog. If you do not know how to do this, there is a box that says Feedblitz. Click. Fill out the form, and you're done.

Eligibility: Anyone can play as long as they are registered.

Criteria: Write a short proposal and post it as a comment. Anything under a paragraph will not be eligible. The main point is to think your idea through.

I will then send this to a panel of Purple judges who will decide which idea is the winner.

Deadline is August 31st

Simple as that.

So what are you waiting for?

Come up with something Purple today!

Special Thanks to Ken Davenport for introducing me to this amazing book.

Excelsior!

Oh a Fringe-ing I will go!

It has begun my friends. That's right, it's Fringe season and a great time for producers to get out there and catch the new writers, directors, and actors who will be making a splash in the years to come.

I have a show in the festival again this year and we have already sold out our first performance. You can see more about that here.

And as always I have been to a bunch of Fringe shows thus far and will be seeing many more before the festival is over. Here is a bit about what I have seen so far:

Willy Nilly was the first show I saw and that comes from my good friends over at The Brick. They are known for doing very wild and far out stuff and this show fits right in. If you are looking for something really crazy or if you're just looking for something that pokes fun at this hit, this is the one to check out. With crazy music, a twist on a dream ballet you have to see to believe, and plenty of double entendre, this is a show that truly lives on the Fringe. The most poignant moment coming in Willy's monologue at the end, this is certainly a Trip.

Next, it was off to see The Books, now one might think that I was going to see story about a library perhaps or maybe a tale of an accountant, but no folks this is Fringe. The piece was about a Dominatrix who is doing sessions with a super in the basement of his building where he collects books. I found this show really fascinating and thought that the writer has some very clever dialogue between these two characters. The acting and direction is also very strong and the domination scenes are filled with so much passion as well as pathos that I was really drawn into this dark sordid world. With some very shocking moments including spitting and stomping in places I won't mention, this show rides a great line of tension and eroticism. Definitely worth a look.

Next up was Time's Scream and Hurry, a series of three monologues that explored again a very dark side of humanity. The most shocking of which was a tale from another Dominatrix (theme Fringe?) who does something for one of her clients that made the Dom from The Books seem like a Disney fairy princess. The other two monologues deal with issues of rape, mental retardation, and violence. Each piece is strong, but the two last monologues are probably the strongest in terms of overall effect. The acting is also very solid in all three with one or two being a tad more experienced than others. If you're looking for intense, this is one to check out.

On to Look after You- a very taut psychological drama dealing with the issues of memory loss a photographer suffers from a brain aneurism. This is some very strong writing that reminds us of how much it sucks when you have a "friend" who is "just trying to help". The piece is short, quick, and engaging and I found myself really curious as to what would happen next. Playwright Louise Flory has crafted a very clever narrative that touches on hot button topics like fear of commitment, not following doctor's orders, and independence vrs. Loneliness. She also performs in the piece which is usually not my cup of tea, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well she seperated herself as an actor and a playwright. All too often I see playwrights overdoing it. She maintains a very nice balance and deserves to be commended for that.

Last, it was another seat in the psychiatrist chair with The Aperture. You don't get much more controversial than dealing with a woman who has an 18 year old boy "pose" as a soldier in Uganda, while still in this country, but this is the premise. Craig George's stellar direction utilizes projection, strobe lights, and a nod to the silent movie drama, to weave an very intense narrative. Certainly worth checking out!

Ok that's all for now. Back with more as my Fringe-ing continues!

Excelsior!

The Journey and the Controversy

Last night I went to see Another Man's Poison

The Producer on the show is my friend Sheila Speller and I sat next to a reviewer. This is always an interesting thing for me because I blog about shows when there is a producing element involved that I can address and sometimes it can be like a review, but as I've said many times I am NOT a Theatre Critic.

So here are my thoughts on the show from a producing standpoint:

I think that all too often we see a show and usually have no idea about the journey someone took to get the show there. In this case, I know that there was a staged reading done and they all worked very hard to bring it into an Off Broadway house. I really applaud the tenacity that takes.

The show itself is very controversial and it was interesting to watch how that controversy extended into the audience. There were reviewers there who seemed offended, there were audience members who were incredibly vocal, and there were things said on stage that certainly caught me off guard. This for me is where the greatest controversy arises.

Critics comment on the quality of the show. Is it worth seeing etc?

Again, I am not a critic, but I will say that is was very well produced and I applaud the team for such an ambitious project. I think something else that feeds the controversy here is the whole element of surprise. The characters in this show have some really deep secrets and the issues raised in the show are some very challenging ones.

So now you know about the journey and have a taste of the controversy. You can listen to what the critics say, or you can go and see the show yourself as a producer.

One man's passion is indeed another man's poison.

Will you be offended?

Will you be surprised?

Will you be disappointed?

Only one way to find out.

Excelsior!

I play a lot of jenga

Remember this game? It always seemed so simple right? All you had to do was take one block out, stack it, then keep moving right?

But what happened if you pulled the wrong block?

This.

I realized while talking to one of my good actress friends last night, that networking is all about the same idea.

Confused?

Ok. So imagine you start out in the business and you meet someone who is slightly higher up on the scale from you. You go to a party with that person and meet three other people of that caliber. Those people introduce you to some others and on and on it goes. Most of the time, like the blocks, they stay where they are for a a while and you also stay where you are for a while.

Then you move.

Just like taking a piece out and stacking it, you have all of those people supporting your move up. Connect with the wrong one or damage a relationship with one of your foundation people, and your tower falls. Choose the right person and keep your supports strong and you keep climbing.

Get it?

Like I said, I play a lot of Jenga and here's what helps keep my tower from falling:

1. I never pull out an outside supporting block: The people who I first met, I do my best to keep those connections warm and I always let them know I appreciate them.

2. I pull the block out that is the most free and has the most support around it: I spend a lot of time developing relationships before I ask for things. It's the same thing as always pulling that middle block when you have six or seven others supporting you.

3. I look at the tower and identify the weak parts: I always pay attention to who in my network is in need and when, then do everything I can to help and support them.

After all, I know that I'm also a block in their tower.

Now do I screw up sometimes?

Of course.

But if the tower falls, there's really only one thing to do next:

Get started building it again.

So look at the blocks in your community and start playing some Jenga.

You never know how high your tower may get.

Excelsior!

Third times the charm!

This makes the third play that I have published in this anthology! Very exciting stuff.

I wrote this show when I was in undergrad at Rhode Island College in a playwriting class that focused on structure. The assignment was associative structure.

It's a lot of fun.

Check it out here.

Now off to celebrate!

Excelsior!

Love the ones you're with

So the Throwdown ended up being a really great event and everybody who came was asking when we'd do another one. The judges were happy, the companies were happy, the audience was happy, and overall it was a great night.

We had maybe 15 people in a 50 seat house.

As I left I thought about that fact a lot.

I then realized something pretty interesting:

Everybody was happy because we had the time to make sure everyone was happy. A smaller group made that possible. I've been noticing this with my PLAE class as well. I have 6 entrepreneurs in that class and I am always able to give each individual attention. My speakers are not overwhelmed and can also give each person individual attention.

This flies in the face of everything a producer goes for. We often want bigger audiences and sold out houses, but I'd argue that this event may not have gone over as well had we sold out. It worked well because we all had enough time to meet each other, to talk for more than five seconds, to build community.

So to all of you who are doing shows and who have small audiences, what are you doing for them?

When the crowd is smaller, we can give more individual attention, so why not do that? If the house is only full of 15 people, make those 15 feel like they are the most important 15 people in the world.

That builds community and that leads to your sold out houses.

We'd all love for the 50 "maybes" on our facebook invite to show, but what are we doing to show love for the 12 "yeses"' that actually did show?

So love the ones you're with, no matter how small a group they are.

They'll remember you for it. Trust me.

So to our first audience and first group of judges and competitors for the Throwdown:

 Hats off to you my friends.

We love you.

Excelsior!