Saturday November 23rd, noon to 5:30 pm
Clinton Cameo Studios, 307 W. 43rd Street, NYC

Sometimes you've just got to jump in and be more than an artist to make theater happen. "I'm just an artist" no longer cuts it when you make the move from page to paying audience - you are the CEO of your brand!  In this groundbreaking half-day workshop we will look at how artists can successfully take on the challenging role of producer to generate their own opportunities. The ones who are most successful have to master a range of business skills, don a variety of hats, and learn to be expert jugglers.

Learn to view your creative work from a business perspective and understand the need to think differently. Make smarter choices, not only now but for the future of your show. It all seems a little overwhelming at times, but we will break it down into easily digestible bites. When you know what you're doing, it can actually be fun and fulfilling! Cost: $120, $85 for TRU members (see red registration box on this page).

Faculty for this half-day workshop will include Emileena Pedigo of The Show Goes On Productions, former managing producer of Midtown International Theatre Festival; and Bob Ost, writer-producer, executive director of TRU. With guest speakers: 

• general manager/producer Lisa Dozier-King of LDK Productions (NYMF, Be More Chill) and
• production advisor/strategist and producer Matt Schicker of Show Shepherd;
• entertainment attorney Lee Feldshon of Feldshon Law;
• marketing expert Roger Gonzalez, President of Alliance Media & Communications, editor/publisher of LocaltheatreNY.com;
• Dorothy Marcic of Dr. Dorothy Productions, self-producing writer (off-Broadway long-running Sistas!, This One's for the Girls, Respect);
• self-producing actress/writer Valerie David (The Pink Hulk);
• self-producing artist Yvette Heyliger, AUDELCO Award winner and author of What a Piece of Work Is Man! Full-Length Plays for Leading Women; and
• David Dean Bottrell, veteran character actor and author of WORKING ACTOR, the book.

Our curriculum (subject to change):

12:15 check-in

12:30 - 1:00 “Why Are You Doing This?” with Bob Ost & Emileena Pedigo

• If you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t know how to get there.
• Understanding your property and identifying your audience.
• Managing expectations and setting attainable goals (S.M.A.R.T. Goals).

1:00 - 1:30 "Legal Protections and Antidotes" with Lee Feldshon

• Put it in writing: collaborator agreements, options, and more.
• What you need to know when you ask for money. And what your responsibilities are.
• Do you have the right to use that music? That image?

1:30 - 2:00 “Planning Ahead” with Matt Schicker and Valerie David

• Having a vision of what this play could be and how far it can go. 
• Thinking and planning beyond your project (5/10 year plan).
• How to capitalize on this production in order to plant the seeds for the next step.

2:00 - 2:30 “Wearing Many Different Hats” with Dorothy Marcic

• You are no longer “just an artist” – the different hats of any entrepreneur.
• Keeping identities separate – know who you are in each situation.
• Thinking in spreadsheets, and understanding the business. 
• Trusting that using your left brain will not compromise your right brain.
• Finding your team. It’s never a one-man show, even if it sometimes feels like it.

2:30 - 3:00 – Break

3:00-3:45 “Knowing What You Need to Make It Happen” with Lisa Dozier-King

• How your goals affect your choices (budget, venue, creative team and more).
• The development options: table read, staged reading, showcase, festivals, cabaret and more.
• How much do things really cost? How much should you pay people, & how to have those conversations? Including review of actual budgets.
• The most uncomfortable ask: friends and family.
• How to get help when you think you can’t afford it.
• Developing leadership and management skills.
• How to put together and manage your creative team. 

3:45-4:30 “Marketing, Promotion and Self-Promotion” with Roger Gonzalez

• Branding yourself, branding your plays, branding your company.
• Identifying your audience – if you’re selling to everyone, you’re selling to no one.
• The marketing basics: website, postcards, social media, TDF and papering.
• Being an effective spokesperson: think like an audience, not like an artist.

4:30-5:00 “Finding & Creating Opportunities” with Yvette Heyliger and David Dean Bottrell

• Getting your plays out there in the world: licensing, and getting the most out of it.
• Researching and booking tours.
• Fringes and festivals.
• The Art of Networking: creating brand ambassadors for your art.

5:00-5:30 Q&A and networking reception