The Playroom Theatre
151 W. 46th Street, 8th floor

With confirmed panelists Lenore Skomal, artistic director of Broadway Bound Theatre Festival; Jay Michaels, publicist for Downtown Urban Arts Festival and Fresh Fruit Festival; Michael Scott-Price, artistic director Dream Up Festival at Theatre for the New City; Elena Holy, producing artistic director of FringeNYC; Liz Ulmer, managing director of New York Musical Festival (NYMF); Gene Fisch, New York New Works Theatre Festival; Van Dirk Fisher, artistic director Riant Theatre / Strawberry Festival; Shaun Peknic, artistic director Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

The festival scene is a hotbed of opportunity for the development of new work. And FringeNYC is back in a new incarnation. Which festivals provide the best environment for your production? How do you submit, what are the deadlines, and what are some of the secrets to giving your submission a competitive edge? Once accepted, what is expected of you? More importantly, what goals along your developmental path can you reasonably expect to achieve from a festival showcase? And how do you distinguish yourself in the marketplace so that once you build it, they really will come?

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 half-minute summary of who you are, and what you need. Free for TRU members; $15 for non-members ($12.50 in advance). Please call at least a day in advance (or much sooner) for reservations: 212-714-7628; or e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com

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  GENE FISCH JR.

  has been a passionate fan of the arts his entire life. Though only as a hobby these past ten years, he has either produced, directed, or invested in 100+ shows during that span, most all at the Off Broadway and Broadway levels. Philanthropy being his primary focus, he was the lead producer for Carnegie Hall performance / Album that donated the proceeds to establish music programs in NYC schools. He has two television pilots in his repertoire, one of which was his directorial debut that was funded for four episodes by a group who worked for ABC.  Fisch is particularly fond of his work directing the Off Broadway parody of the television show, “Dexter”. Subsequent to being part of the Broadway producing team for High starring Kathleen Turner, Gene founded The New York New Works Theatre Festival, helping over 1,000 artists by giving them a shot on a top tier stage (historically the Duke and Acorn Theaters). Three shows from NYNW’s stages are on their way to Broadway and one (“12 Angry Voices” produced by his mentor and panelist, Lauren Class Schneider) is generating traction for its national tour. Submissions are free and NYNW outlays most all of the upfront costs with the hopes that the NYNW stage is only the first step of the project's journey (Numerous shows have moved forward). Every submission is reviewed by at least one Broadway producer. Gene has led a wonderfully diverse career outside of the arts and currently teaches Engineering Technogenesis at the Stevens Institute of Technology. "The bottom line is that theatre is awesome and if there is a way that we can help someone take their art to the next level while having a ton of fun, we’re all in!"   nynwtheatrefestival.com
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  ELENA K. HOLY

  is the Producing Artistic Director of The Present Company, Off-Off Broadway’s most innovative, entrepreneurial and imaginative company. First organized in '91, Holy oversaw the incorporation of the company, and was responsible for establishing the Board of Directors and securing Not-For-Profit status from the federal government. As Producing Director, Holy was responsible for budgeting, contracts, fundraising, marketing, advertising, public relations, board development, financial reporting and long-term planning. The company existed solely on box office revenue, rehearsal space rental income and individual donors for its first four years. The Present Company now receives funding from private foundations, corporate sponsors, The Department of Cultural Affairs – New York City, The New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. From 1998-2002, the Present Company operated the largest rehearsal and performance space on the Lower East Side (the 7,500 square foot Present Company Theatorium and Downtown Variety Lounge) providing subsidized space to more than 200 companies per year. In the fall of '01, upon the resignation of Founding Artistic Director John Clancy, Holy was named Producing Artistic Director. Under her Artistic Direction, the company is a not-for-profit theatre producing organization dedicated to inciting art, cultivating community and creating new American theatre. Prior to coming on board full time with The Present Company, Holy worked at Richard Frankel Productions for six and a half years, assisting Mr. Frankel for the last four. In 1996, The Present Company created the First Annual New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC). As Producer, Holy was awarded the 1997 New York Magazine Award for her “creativity, vision and enterprise” in creating the festival. Holy directs an all-volunteer staff of 100 people, over 2500 additional volunteers, and 5000 artists representing 200 companies from all over the world, producing nearly 1100 performances annually.
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  JAY MICHAELS

  is a producer/director, marketing and public relations executive, entrepreneur & educator. He has been part of the indie theater and film scene since 1985. In 1997, he took the knowledge he acquired as a casting director for New York Daily News commercials and production associate for KSL Media and PBS and founded the boutique PR firm that now bears his name. Jay Michaels Arts & Entertainment creates visibility for self-producing stage artists and production companies on the East & West coasts and in multiple film arenas. Stage clients include Planet Connections Theatre Festivity; Downtown Urban Arts Festival; Fresh Fruit Festival; New York New Works Theatre Festival; Richard Skipper Celebrates; the Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble; Step1 Theatre Project; Medicine Show Theatre; Opera at Hunter College; Spotlight-On Festivals; Playwrights/Authors Doug DeVita, Gary Morgenstein, Patrick Hickey, Jr., Anthony J. Piccione, Antonia Kasper, and Dorian Palumbo; Cabaret Artists Lane Bradbury, Andrea Bell Wolff, and Rev. Mary and Granny's Blue-Mers. Film clients include award-winning filmmakers, Eliana Ujueta (“Beneath The Rock,” “The Airport Run”) and Ben Goldstein ("Jack London") and Steve Silver (“The Watchtower,”). JMA&E also produces live promotional events. Michaels presented live promo events for the HBO Summer Stage, Spotlight-On Film Festival, and the promo showings of “UVX,” a live theater and film hybrid, which was a sponsor of the 2017 New York ComicCon. In 1999, he and Mary Elizabeth Micari formed Genesis Repertory Ensemble, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to giving opportunities to emerging artists in the stage and film (and live event) industries. A professor of communications at Kingsborough College, Michaels continues to appear as a guest speaker and artist throughout the tri-state area at universities and arts organizations.
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  SHAUN PEKNIC

  was the Associate Director for Once the Musical (Broadway, National Tours, West End, Toronto, Dublin). He was the recipient of The Lee Strasberg Directing Fellowship to direct Crystal Skillman’s Pulp Vérité for The Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission, he is an alumnus of NYU and the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, teaches directing at NYU/Playwrights Horizons Theater School, and serves as Director of Education & Artistic Associate at Musical Theatre Factory. He is a theater director with a focus on the development of new plays and musicals. Select directing credits: Manifest Pussy (Joe's Pub/North Carolina Rebel Tour); The Birds/The Receptionist (Cortland Repertory Theatre); I’m A Lot Like You (Salty Brine’s Spectacular Living Record Collection); Pulp Vérité (2015 Lee Strasberg Institute Directing Fellow); Comes a Faery (Nylon Fusion Theatre Company); Sherlock Holmes & the West End Horror (Cortland Repertory Theatre, nominated Best Director 2015 SALT Awards); One Night In New York! (Musical Theatre Factory); A Snowfall in Berlin (Nylon Fusion Theatre Company); Pageant Princess (Bleecker Street Theater); The Girl with the Red Balloon (The Tank); Must Be the Music (ArsNova); Chaser (New York Fringe Festival); Aimless (Theatre Row); A Streetcar Named Desire (New York University). Shaun is an alumnus of NYU and the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, a member of SDC and serves as the Artistic Associate and Director of Education at Musical Theatre Factory. Shaun is on the directing faculty at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School/NYU. 
• MICHAEL SCOTT-PRICE

  is the Director of New Projects at Theater for the New City. Michael still maintains his role as Literary Manager at TNC. You are welcome to send your new stage projects for (full/co) production consideration to him at literary@theaterforthenewcity.net He is a director/creator and artistic director of the Asteroid B612 Theatre Company. Michael has written and directed productions presented nationally as well as in Canada, Ireland, and England. As a playwright, Michael's play LYNCH PLAY was selected for a performance residency at Antioch College (2006). He has studied at the School of Physical Theatre in London, England and the Odin Teatret in Hostelbro, Denmark. Scott-Price is a member of Lincoln Center Theater Director's Lab. He also serves as curator of TNC's New City, New Blood Readings Series, Scratch Night at TNC (works-in-progress) and of its summer Dream Up Festival.
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  LENORE SKOMAL

  is a theatre producer and career writer. An author of 17 books, including three bestsellers, she is the sole proprietor of Lenore M Skomal Productions, LLC, which produces her plays and Broadway Bound Theatre Festival. In addition to BBTF, she produced The Exes (Theatre Row, 2019) for a 9-week run and Bluff at Hudson Guild (2016), both licensed plays with 2020 productions in community and regional theatres. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter, her first book, is being made into a movie by Amfram Entertainment with a release date of spring 2022. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild, Commercial Theatre Institute, Theater Resources Unlimited, Off Broadway Alliance, Theater Communications Group, the National Newspaper Columnists Association, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), Lenore is dedicated to empowering artists.  www.lenoreskomal.org