One Producer in the City

Recruitment

I didn't blog yesterday.

Why? I was in meetings from the second I woke up and didn't get back to my computer until late last night and was doing follow ups until about 5am.

When I woke up bleary eyed this morning, I realized that the time has come to build a team.

So what should you know if that's of interest to you:

1. I'm looking for people who have some free time on their hands to help me grow my casting business, general management business, and consulting business. I am also looking for folks who would want to help with PLAE and the other initiatives I am starting up.

2. I will have to meet you in person if I decide to work with you. I have very strict rules about making sure I know the people I'm working with since I trust these people with my projects and contacts.

3. While I am at this point not in a position to pay, my goal is to grow the businesses so that I can be in a position to pay and those who helped grow the business will most likely become my first employees. 

4. If you're able to get involved you will work on something new all the time and most likely be in on some of the meetings I take as well as take meetings yourself. As I had pointed out in make the water rise, I am just as interested in your success and growth as I am in my own.

5. If this sounds like something you're interested in and you want be involved, drop me your resume and a letter of interest at sma[email protected] and we'll set up a time to meet.

6. We will most likely work days as early as 10am and finish around 6pm. Hours are totally up to you as I am in this recruitment phase and a lot of work can be done from home. I also want to make sure that if you are on the job hunt, that you have ample time for your own interviews.

7. I am raising money for shows, building these businesses, and planning big things for the future. I'm eager to take some people with me on that journey. 

So there you have it. Drop me a line if this is of interest.

Excelsior!

Guest Blog #10- A Dramaturg speaks

This week's guest blog addresses two of my favorite things: Passion and Sharing. This Dramaturg is very passionate about the show she's worked on and she wants to share it with my readers. Enjoy the guest blog.

Excelsior!

A year ago this week, I started my MFA in Dramaturgy at Columbia.  I
was welcomed into an amazing, artistic community where theater artists
with incredibly rich and varied backgrounds collided together. From
teachers, to an adv./marketing representative for a utility company,
to a temp at an apple peeling company: this kaleidoscope of
experiences has resulted in the creation of exciting, theatrical
pieces.

Today, 20 of us from different disciplines in Columbia´s Theatre
program are catapulting our collaborations into the NYC theatre scene
by presenting two powerful one-act plays about family and death: My
Artichoke Heart & What the Sparrow Said. These two plays will receive
their world premiers next week in the inaugural season of the Dream Up
Festival.

We’ve come quite far in just a year.  And to top it all off, this is just the
beginning.  I hope you can join our journey!

Warmly, Ellen Joffred

For Immediate Release:
August 18, 2010


My Artichoke Heart & What the Sparrow Said
Two Powerful One-Act Plays about Family and Death

DREAM UP 2010 Festival

World Premiere
"The work of these Columbia playwrights, directors, actors, dramaturgs
and stage managers is simply not to be missed. They are the future."
      - Anne Bogart

New York, NY: Two new powerful one-acts—My Artichoke Heart and What
the Sparrow Said—will be presented as part of the DREAM UP Festival at
Theater for the New City, beginning on September 1.

These collaborative works were created and produced by graduate
students in the Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre
program, under the guidance of noted American theatre director, Anne
Bogart. And with a sincere belief in their talent and the power that
resides within both of these plays, Bogart urged these emerging
artists to take these theater pieces to the streets of New York. This
has now led to their world premiere in the inaugural season of the
DREAM UP Festival.

My Artichoke Heart, written by Naïma Phillips (Shubert Fellow), is the
journey of a matriarchal elder, Karina, through the memories, fears,
hopes, and the internal struggles of her final days. It is an
investigation into the ingredients that make up a person's life and
determine the legacy that they will leave behind. Struggling with her
isolation, and a fading sense of memory, Karina calls upon the help of
transitional spirits to fill the gaps of missing family members and
unresolved memories.

What the Sparrow Said, written by Danny Mitarotondo (Albee Writing
Fellow), is a theatrical rollercoaster, catapulting us into an
unforgettable conversation between two estranged brothers, Blaze and
Dan, at an outdoor café in LA, just hours after their mother's
funeral. Toeing the line between high farce and tragedy while pushing
the boundaries of dramatic language, Sparrow reveals just how far we
are willing to go to feel and the price we all pay to connect to one
another in our modern, ever more isolating, society.

The plays, directed by Simón Hanukai (Naked Souls Artists Alliance)
and Shannon Fillion (NYTW) respectively, with lighting design by David
Bengali (Stolen Chair Theatre Company), is a double-billing featuring
nine actors from the MFA Acting program at Columbia University: Rafael
Benoit, Sarah Eismann, Eddie Jackson, Wei-Yi Lin, Natalia Miranda
Guzmán, Jensen Olaya, Marine Sialelli, Blaze Mancillas and Matthew
Hurley, as well as dramaturgy by MFA candidates Jess Applebaum, Jay
Jaski and Ellen Joffred.

Tickets are $15 and are available at https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/758535

Performance location and dates:
Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue)
Wednesday, Sept 1 @ 7pm
Thursday, Sept 2 @ 7pm
Friday, Sept 3 @ 7pm
Saturday, Sept 4 @ 5pm
Sunday, Sept 5 @ 1pm

Please contact: Producer, Seena Hodges @ 803.447.3771 ([email protected])
Jay Jaski @ 646.279.1183 ([email protected])

Being unemployed sucks

So I'm going to do something about that.

I was helping a good friend of mine the other day by finding people to work for her arts-based start up. She had some money, needed some good people so I did a basic posting and a lot of folks responded.

This means a lot of people need jobs.

I know. Newsflash right? ;)

I also realized that I often get people who tell me they are looking for someone to work for them in all kinds of businesses and that I enjoy matching people up.

So today I created a little email account.

If you need a job, send me your resume. If any of my friends match what you do, I'll send it along. If somebody is hiring a ton of people, I'll do a blast to everyone who emailed. If there's work out there, I'm happy to pass it on to those who need it.

So send an email to [email protected]

And happy hunting!

Excelsior!

P.S.- For Those who are looking for more Fringe coverage, I will have it in my Broadwayworld Column tomorrow.

The importance of partners

To those of you who are anxious about Fringe coverage, I am seeing more shows today and tonight and have more updates tomorrow. For today, I wanted to talk a little bit about the beginning of the producing process.

Many people get excited at the beginning of a process and that excitement can sometimes lead to biting off more than they can chew. They will claim that alone they can raise an obscene amount of money and this can often get people into trouble. I learned many lessons during my first couple of raises about being realistic about how much could be brought to the table and I learned some valuable lessons about partners. Here are my thoughts on this for what it's worth:

1. A partner on a project is a great motivator- When you have someone raising money with you, there's accountability. There is someone that you answer to each week of the process and that can be an incredible motivator.

2. A partner has a different network from you- No two people are connected to the exact same network. You may have friends in common and go to some of the same people, but each person has that friend who they have known for years that does not know the other and may be their biggest lead or biggest investor. You never know who your partner knows.

3. Don't be greedy- I have worked with some folks who want it all and are not willing to share with their partners. In those cases, you don't have a partner you have a servant. Partners should be offered whatever credit you are able to give because when it comes down to it, if the money isn't raised nobody wins.

4. Your partner choice is very important- It's like a marriage. This is a person that you will be working with for the next few months or even years, so you really should like them and enjoy working with them. I have a rule about working with as many good people as possible.

5. Most Importantly- BE HONEST- We're all at different levels in our careers and it's best to be honest about what you see coming through rather than imagining what might come in money-wise. I have had some folks who have talked big numbers and not come through at all and folks who have talked tiny numbers, then come in big. If you're honest about where you are, your partners will respect you for it.

All of that said, I am in the process of deciding what I want to get involved in this year and am looking for more partners. If interested, drop me an email.

Excelsior!

Oh a Fringe-in I will go- Cont.

So first off thanks to one of my readers, Nu Mystic, for keeping me on track. I have been so busy the past couple of weeks, that I haven't gotten a chance to say much about Fringe shows and I hope to rectify that in this post. Scared Skinny sold out and has now closed, Feed the Monster has one more show on Thursday at 10pm, and Terms of Dismemberment has a few shows left.

So here is what I have seen that is still running that I enjoyed:

Jurassic Parq The Broadway Musical- This one is very funny and a great time. The focus of the show is on the dinosaurs themselves and its irreverent nature reminded me of some of the best episodes of South Park. Check this out for some great laughs. And wait till you see Morgan Freeman!

I Don Heart you Anymore- A very promising new musical that takes a look at our current obsessions with the internet and in particular smart phones. Brilliantly directed by John Hurley, there are a ton of great comedic moments and the cast throw themselves into this crazy world as we find out what happens to the tech obsessed when they suddenly have no more tech.

Together This time- If Blink 182 wrote a musical, this would most likely be what it would sound like. This is a really great new piece by some incredibly talented new musical theatre writers and features fantastic performances. The story revolves around a writer who is trying to finish his story and his girlfriend who has worked as his editor. It moves cleverly in and out of the world of the book and has really good music and a few tunes you'll leave humming.

I warned you all the list is short. I have included the shows that still have performances running. Some shows I have seen have closed already.

I will of course keep you all posted if I see anything else that I enjoyed. Thanks again to Nu Mystic and get out there and see some Fringe shows!

Excelsior!

Last chance to beat the clock!

I had a great info session about PLAE on Saturday and more and more people are excited about it. Remember that today is the last day to get your application in and still get the Half Price rate on the course. This is the most exciting version of the course I have ever created and I'm really looking forward to it.

So you have until midnight tonight to apply and still get in at the advanced rate.

All the info and the application is here.

See you in class.

Excelsior!

Guest Blog# 9- The Girls of Horror

This week's guest blog comes to us from the company Edible Brains who had a fantastic show in the Planet Connections Festivity last year called "Everybody Dies" You can see my response to it here. 

Molly Rydzel discusses the state of horror for women writers and what their team plans to do about it. If you can get involved with these ladies it would be a smart move. They do really amazing work and I'm sure this festival will be a scream. Ok. I know.

But it's early and puns are easy.

Anywho, Enjoy the guest post!

Also don't forget to rsvp if you're joining us on Saturday.

Excelsior! 

I saw an HSBC ad on Delancey st. claiming that only 4% of American filmmakers are female. I was initially pleased to be part of such a tiny niche. When the pleasure wore off, I was indignant; I know a lot of female filmmakers! And what constitutes a 'filmmaker' anyway? Must you just be a director? Or can you write and produce and still be considered one of the 4%?

 

I viewed this ad for the first time on the same day that I posted an ad of my own: Seeking female horror and science fiction filmmakers interested in submitting films for consideration for EdibleBrains’ first Women in Horror Festival. 'HA, HSBC.' I said. 'Soon I will disprove your erroneous advertising claims!

 

I sat back and waited for the responses to flood in. And waited. And waited. The deluge I had expected never came.

 

My production company is called EdibleBrains. EdibleBrains was born with the short film The Dead Walk in Brooklyn, shot in the summer of 2008. Last summer we had our inaugural theatrical run with the original, female penned play Everybody Dies. We have also produced two more installments of The Dead Walk in Brooklyn, a film trailer for Everybody Dies.

My partner, Carly, and I started EdibleBrains Productions in the first place because we wanted to promote the female voice in horror and science fiction ventures. A voice we felt is underrepresented. It wasn't until that ad day that I realized how underrepresented Women in Horror really are.

 

The term Women in Horror was coined by 'zinestress/radio host Hannah Forman. Her brain child, AxWoundZine,(www.axwoundzine.com) has been a groundbreaking force on the subject of gender issues in the horror genre for the past nine years. On her recommendation, we reached out to Canadian filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska, who run their own production company TwistedTwins Productions. They were good enough to submit their film Bad Girls and give us our centerpiece for the festival (along with EdibleBrains films, of course.)

 

With these women in my microcosm, it's easy to see that I was shocked by the lack of additional film submissions from the female community. I was sure that there were a plethora of women out there making splatter films and biding their time until they found the right venue in which to be heard.

 

Judging by the submission to request ratio EdibleBrains is currently dealing with, I can only conclude that I was SLIGHTLY misled.

 

So are we discouraged?  No. Because the smattering of responses we HAVE received are strong. And the dearth of females stepping up has only made it more apparent that building a community of feminine, scary filmmakers is something that must happen NOW.

 

Women like Hannah have already proven that a macabre female voice is a powerful thing. (Hannah's blog has featured interviews with Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino, both of whom profess a great deal of admiration for her work.) So EdibleBrains is begging female filmmakers (the entire 4%) don't be afraid to let your inner freak out. And for the film viewers, don't be surprised when you begin to see the most innovative and shocking content coming from women.

 

To submit your film to EdibleBrains’ Women in Horror Festival, please contact [email protected].  And check us out on Kickstarter

 http://www.ediblebrains.com

Go on and have a taste

Many folks have asked me recently what PLAE is all about and since the registration deadline for the class is fast approaching, I thought I would do an event that helped explain it for those who may be on the fence.

The event will take place this Saturday 8/21 at 6pm

Here are the details:

1. This will be a gathering that  will possibly include PLAE alumni and it will serve as an info session for PLAE

2. This session is free. There will be wine and cheese.

3. Those who RSVP will be notified of the location once the rsvp is in. Again, I will take 15 people total and as soon as the room is full, I will close out the rsvps.

You can RSVP here: [email protected]

You can read more about PLAE by going to this link on the blog:


Hope to see you at the event!

Excelsior!

Never underestimate the power of a walk

So this post is going to be a very short one as this is one of my busiest days, but I do think it's important. At least to me.

Whenever I come up with a new idea and I am in the process of fleshing it out, I go for a walk. Sometimes it's on the way to a meeting, sometimes it's on the way to a show, and sometimes it's just wandering.

The cool thing about it is that I am taken out of the office and I have to focus on other things. I'm kind of forced to pay attention to where I'm going so my focus is a little split. For some reason, this helps me to solidify a plan or solve a problem faster. I really come up with my best ideas while walking places.

So next time you're stumped, don't just sit there. Go for a walk.

You may be surprised about the path you end up traveling.

Excelsior!

Oh a Fringe-in I will go 2010

So the Fringe has started up again, and as I did last year, I plan to let everyone know which shows I really enjoyed and what I think warrants a further look from producers. I will also be sending out info on shows that my friends are working on in addition to my own.

To recap, this year I am involved with Feed The Monster, Scared Skinny, and Terms of Dismemberment.

You can find tickets for each of these shows here.

I also love to see when new companies enter into the Fringe space, so I'm going to turn to the press release and video trailer from Thesia Arts below. Check them out.

Excelsior!

Thesia Arts is pleased to announce the cast, crew and performance details of the world premiere of Passchendaele by John Rafter Lee.

The Cast: Jess Brown, Antonio Garcia Jr., Jeff Horst, Cyrus Newitt*, Denise Poirier, Cameron Scoggins, David Shih*, Kevin G. Shinnick*, Jonathan Tindle*, Elizabeth West*

The Crew: Matthew Dunnam, Stage Manager; Rod Menzies, Dialectician; Ryan Murphy, Sets and Props; Rien Schlecht, Costumes; Ann Warren, Sound; Meggan White, Assistant Director

Directors: Jonathan Winn and Jessica McVea (emeritus)

Performance Details: Passchendaele will receive its world premiere at the Robert Moss Theatre, Venue #9 of the New York International Fringe Festival. The Robert Moss Theatre is located at 440 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor in Manhattan’s Astor Place, directly across the street from Joe’s Pub. Passchendaele will run for five performances only:

Saturday, August 14th at 2:15 pm

Sunday, August 15th at 9:00 pm

Monday, August 16th at 2:00 pm

Wednesday, August 25th at 7:00 pm

Saturday, August 28th at 6:30 pm

Tickets: Available soon at 866.468.7619 or fringenyc.org ($15–$18)

About Passchendaele: Inspired by the lives of Sir Douglas Haig and John Singer Sargent, Passchendaele follows a general, a painter, and a Chinese trench digger in World War I. The fates of these men reconstruct our image of war and art in that seminal moment of our history. Up-to-the-minute information on Passchendaele can always be found at passchendaele.org.

About John Rafter Lee (Playwright): John has written, produced and performed in two feature films, Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He has written the plays Blood and Milk, first produced in 1998 at Pacific Resident Theatre, Hitler’s Head (The Road Theatre 1999), Frankincense (Mark Taper Forum New Work Festival 2000) and adaptations of Schiller’s Don Carlos (Los Angeles 2001, New York 2002), Racine’s Brittanicus (California Rep 2008) and Grabbe’s Jest, Satire, Irony and Deeper Significance. He is currently at work on The Coming of the Colossus or Box 13, a play about Lyndon Baines Johnson. He is the recipient of two Audie Awards for his audiobook narration, several film festival awards for his two feature films and a research fellowship at the American Antiquarian Society.

About Thesia Arts: Thesia Arts is a non-profit arts production company that seeks to shepherd and realize projects at various levels of conception. Thesia Arts also educates diverse populations in various arts in order to create a receptive audience for artists and their work. www.thesia-arts.org

 *These Actors are appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

Here's the Trailer