Challenging Development: The Implications of NY State Labor Laws
Tuesday March 31st, 7pm networking, 7:30 panel
Polaris North Theatre, 245 W. 29th Street, 4th floor
POSTPONED DUE TO THE CURRENT HEALTH CRISIS.Speakers to include director/writer Cheryl L. Davis, General Counsel for the Author's Guild, Larsen and Kleban Award winning writer; Emileena Pedigo of The Show Goes On Productions, indie producer and artist coach; David Prager, retired labor and employment attorney; Dominique Sharpton, producer and activist.
Although we encourage artists to run their careers with good business sense, the truth is that work in early development doesn't always have a lot of money behind it. Of the thousand or more showcases produced each year, a large percent of them are self-produced by writers who use their limited resources to give their work a chance to be seen. Stage readings have always been an affordable early step, followed by the more expensive but doable showcases and festival productions. However NY State Labor laws may be pushing us to spend a lot more money that many of us don't have. Disabling this entry level aspect of the business is like kicking away the very foundation of theater. It is an incubator for art, a safe environment for nurturing new works, new writers and new theater artists in all aspects of production. Many artists have traditionally viewed themselves as independent contractors, a designation now viewed very narrowly by the labor department. And it is worth noting that politicians rarely mention support for the arts as an issue that that they think of addressing. Is advocacy our only hope, and how can we effectively persuade others, outside the arts, of the value of what we do?
Doors open at 7:00pm for networking and refreshments, roundtable introductions of everyone in the room will start at 7:30pm - come prepared with your best 30-second summary of who you are, and what you need. Free for TRU members; $13 for non-members in advance ($16 at door). Please use the bright red reservation box on our web page, or email or phone at least a day in advance (or much sooner): e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com / phone 833-506-5550
Panelists