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Event Details
  • Writer-Producer Speed Date (DO NOT PURCHASE UNTIL ACCEPTED!!!)
    July 16, 2023
    2:00 pm - 7:15 pm
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Writer-Producer Virtual Speed Date 07/16/23

We're Zooming ahead into the Virtual World - Speed Date has been reformatted for Zoom! More tech, less noise – each writer will be in an individual breakout room with each of our 11+ producers. 

Sunday 07/16, 2023
Session 1: coaching at 2:00, pitching at 4:00 ET (there will be an hour wait time between coaching and pitching)
Session 2: coaching at 3:00, pitching at 5:30 ET (there will be a 90 minute wait time between coaching and pitching)

You meet a producer at a party, and have two minutes to interest him in your work. Do you have the skill to sell yourself? Here's a chance to practice your pitching with real producers who are open to and interested in meeting you. Okay, they probably won't option you on the spot, but they'll give you valuable feedback about your work and your ability to talk about it. And you'll have the opportunity to start developing a relationship. And that's what this business is all about. Relationships.

The Speed Date is the only event I know of that gives writers the chance to meet high level producers one-on-one in a room. To me, that's what makes the Speed-Dates so valuable. And you do it with kindness, which I value in life. ~Vincent Amelio (How Alfo Learned to Love)

Click here: WriterSpeedDateApp-85-75virtual-rev2 for application. Please fill out and email to TRUStaff1@gmail.com (PLEASE - add your name to the document name, and put your name first when you "save as").

We'll have eleven producers lined up, from both the commercial and not-for-profit worlds, all with an interest in new projects; we also may have eleven aspiring producers from our Producer Development program. So you'll be pitching to as many as 22 producers in total! Come with a willingness to learn, because the real value is the chance to practice your pitching. And you'll be getting invaluable coaching from experts, as well.

Confirmed producers include:

  • Margot Astrachan, producer (Diana, The Prom, A Gentleman's Guide..., Ghost the musical, Around the World in 80 Days, Nice Work If You Can Get It, On a Clear Day...);
  • Lewis Gurgis, board vice-president, Open Hydrant Theater Company, NYC;
  • Charlotte Cohn, producer (Here Lies Love on Broadway; Without You with Anthony Rapp, Handle with Care, Church and State);
  • Merrie L. Davis, producer (Tony winner for Parade, 5 TONY awards for Company Broadway, 4 Olivier awards for Company London, 6 Tony Nominations for Eclipsed, Gigi; Himself and Nora; Museum of Broadway; upcoming Working Girl);
  • Jane Dubin, producer (Is This A Room, Dana H., The Prom, Tony winning The Norman Conquests, An American in Paris, Farinelli and the King, Bandstand, Peter and the Starcatcher, Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, The 39 Steps, Ann; upcoming: The Village of Vale, an original fantasy musical audio drama);
  • Tim Errickson, artistic director of Boomerang Theatre Company, NYC;
  • Sharon Fallon/Sharon Fallon Productions, executive producer, general manager and consultant (Indecent, Beautiful Broadway, London & National Tour, Matilda The Musical, Lysistrata Jones);
  • Cooper Jordan, producer of Live Entertainment for New York, Atlantic City and National Touring Productions (New York's Got Talent, Santa's Sing-A-Long, Easter Bunny HOP! Live, The Rat Pack Undead, Saw The Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw & more) - "Cooper Jordan Entertainment manages and produces national self-producing artists, tribute artists and 1-3 person Live Entertainment touring productions primarily based in New York, Boston, Atlantic City, and Las Vegas."
  • John Lant, indie producer/director & showrunner (17 off-Broadway shows: Frankenstein, Wicked Frozen, It Came from Beyond, Wicked City Blues, Fabulous; Earnestly LGBTQ+, XIMER), producing artistic director Write Act Rep NYC/LA (20 years); 2-time NAACP, 4-time DramaLogue & 4-time California for the Arts Winner; production manager Carnegie Hall (13 years), resident theatre operator and renter in NYC & LA; development consultant and specialist for musicals/plays off-Broadway; 
  • Tamra Pica, TV, film and theater producer and casting director for Write Act Repertory - "My work centers on developing writers in theater, film and television.  Though I tend to produce more musicals, I am interested in writers in all genres with a strong voice who write the stories they are uniquely meant to tell.";
  • Stephanie L. Rosenberg,  producer (Tony Award-Winner for Moulin Rouge!, Anastasia, Matilda, On The Town; tour of Santa's Sing-A-Long);
  • Blair Russell, a Tony nominated producer, developer whose experience ranges from fringe festivals to Broadway shows (Slave Play, Sweeney Todd off-Broadway, Lizard Boy);
  • Gayle Waxenberg, founding executive director of NewYorkRep, producer (Bitter Pill, Stalking the Bogeymen in London, award winning film Influence).

Coaches: Diana Calderazzo, Gillien Goll, Chelsey Shannon

Observing Producers: Suzanne Bachner* (artistic director JMTC Theatre), Laurel Brewer*, Melissa Center*, Adam Cohen* (Tony-winning producer-investor), Musa Gurnis*, Zillah Glory* (associate artistic director Prism Stage Company), Rob Hofmann*, Nils MacQuarrie*, Kim Ruyle*, Christine Spencer* (WalkingPath Entertainment)

[*members and alumni of TRU's Producer Development program]


At TRU they not only provide you with the opportunity to meet 11 different producers, but they also provide you with tools and coaching to make your pitch night a success. They also bring producers that love the educational aspect of the pitch night and genuinely love meeting new writers. So, even if you don’t walk away with an option, which they tell you not to expect, you walk away with a better pitch, new ideas, and a bigger network. ~Kenady Sean, musicalwriters.com 

I really am impressed with the info and support from TRU. I've done several of these with [another] group. I quit last year. With you guys it's like you're setting us up for success, what a concept. ~Kurt Johns (Hello Kitty Must Die)

I just wanted to relay a huge thanks to you and everyone at TRU for this experience, it was awesome! We really felt supported the whole way through, and we feel so much better prepared to market our show after getting the chance to practice pitching. If there's anywhere we can write a review or something for this experience, please let us know. And thank you and the rest of the team for all the tech effort behind this. ~Daniel Rosen & Alara Magritte (Safe Hands)

Just wanted to say “thanks” for your Herculean efforts in making the event so worthwhile.... Honestly, I much preferred pitching via Zoom than in person with everyone else within earshot. ~Sam Affoumado (Panic Defense)

I participated in TRU's Writer's Speed Date Pitch session last year, and got a LOT out of it! I found it so motivating to have a deadline to create production assets and prepare myself for meeting producers. My partner and I worked tirelessly for days before the event to make sure we were in top form before presenting (as writers) to the "producers" on hand. My experience was one of the rare occasions where several producers expressed real interest in my work. Later, one attended my reading, and followed up with a coffee meeting to talk financing. We're still in touch. Again, this is never promised, but it does happen for some of us. In my opinion, the price of $85 for all that value is a BARGAIN! ~Ed Zareh (Long Lost John)

I've had follow-up meetings with two people I met from the event. and provided scripts to three others. I also met some fellow playwrights, and through a chain of introductions coming out of that, I'm now working on a possible film deal in Los Angeles.  If you have a project where you'd like to practice and receive feedback on your pitch; potentially make some connections that would be useful for script development or early production; and meet some other playwrights – this is an ideal opportunity. ~William Roetzheim

Faculty

  • DIANA CALDERAZZO

    is an adjunct instructor of Theatre at Fordham University, teaching Invitation to Theatre. She earned a PhD in Theatre with a focus in Cognitive Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 and a Master’s Degree in Theatre from the University of Central Florida in 2005. She has taught Theatre and/or Communications at both of those universities, as well as Central Texas College and Bronx Community College. Diana was also a scholarship recipient at Smith College, where she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre. Diana has published peer-reviewed articles in such journals as Theatre Topics and Theatre Symposium, and has presented papers at national and international conferences such as the American Society for Theatre Research and the International Federation for Theatre Research. She is also a member of Wardrobe Local 764 in New York City, where she works as a wardrobe technician for various Broadway shows. She worked as a full-time dresser for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway from 2010 to 2013. Diana is a former Tour Actor/Director for the Missoula Children’s Theatre and has taught Theatre to over 2,500 children around the country with this company. She has also toured in Europe as a performer with Music Theatre Bavaria.

  • GILLIEN GOLL

    is an Acting Teacher & Coach, Director, and Artistic Director with a background in Casting, having worked in casting for TV pilots, indie film, and web series. As she has been on the other side of the table, she knows what does and doesn’t work. Her clients appear in every medium: Broadway, films, TV, webisodes. As a teacher and coach, she can help you connect emotionally & truthfully to your role. and guide you to an audition that is truly exceptional and unique in showcasing your strengths and talents. With an additional background in coaching presentation techniques, she can help you overcome stage fright and nerves. Gillien is also a produced playwright and is adept at cutting & pasting dialogue together to create original monologues. She has taught courses in monologues, acting technique, scene study & on-camera acting, and has taught and/or lectured at Fordham University, Barnard College, Wellesley College, and for ACTRA (the Canadian Actors Union), among others. She has been teaching at AMDA since 2001, and there has seen thousands of hours of actors’ presentations. An actor herself, she is best recognized for crying in the Self-Help Aisle in “Sex & the City.”  You can check out her other credits at her website, www.gilliengoll.com

  • CHELSEY SHANNON

    is the founder and owner of Chelsey Shannon Creative Care LLC and has worked extensively in the New York Theater scene for over 20 years. In 2011, she Co-Founded The New York Children's Theater Festival, a non-profit supporting artists developing new theater for young audiences. As Festival Producer, she oversaw more than15 productions over 8 years. Other producing credits include Walken on Sunshine (EP, 2016 New York International Fringe Festival, Theatermania Audience Favorite Award) and BEYOND (Dramaturge/ Producer/ Director) 2022 New Feathers Festival. As a producing associate at Gables Grove Productions, she worked on Re-Usable the Musical (Bronx Zoo) and various Family projects for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Her company, Chelsey Shannon Creative Care LLC, nurtures and supports the entertainment community through Coaching, Reiki energy work and Consulting. As a Certified Life Coach, she empowers arts professionals to align with their unique creative expression and move forward with fulfillment in every aspect of their lives. Chelsey is a Certified Usui Reiki II Practitioner and blends Reiki & Coaching to help clients move through creative blocks, release fears and gain clarity. As a consultant, she is passionate about supporting her clients with the tools, planning and resources to meet their goals. She resides in NYC with her husband and two intensely creative little boys. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater from Point Park University and is a member of the Actors Equity Association. www.chelseyshannon.com

Producers

  • MARGOT ASTRACHAN

    is a Tony Award winning commercial theatrical producer based in New York. Broadway: Diana, A New Musical, The Prom, Tony Award winning A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, The Realistic Joneses, Nice Work If You Can Get It, the revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever; Bonnie & Clyde; Busker Alley, Ghost the Musical National Tour, and the only staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Evening Primrose. She also produced The Sting starring Harry Connick Jr. at The Papermill Playhouse. Margot wrote, produced and performed five one-woman cabaret shows.  New York: Danny’s Skylight Room, Judy’s, The Plaza Hotel, The Oak Room of The Algonquin Hotel, the Triad, The National Arts Club, and Don’t Tell Mama’s, among others. With dancer/choreographer Carmen de Lavallade, she wrote the book of a new Jazz musical, which has been read at Lincoln Center and at The York Theater. Margot was the American Artistic Director of the Jermyn Street Theatre in London and The Kings Head Theatre in London, and has had over 30 years’ experience producing special events for Arts Organizations such as The York Theatre Company, The Theatre Museum, and Brit-Arts of The St. George’s Society, which with Jim Dale, featured British and American theatre professionals in readings and panels in New York. She was the Vice Chair of The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), and is a board member of The Alumni & Friends of The LaGuardia High School for the Arts, Chair of the Theater Advisory Committee of the Library For the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, a Board Member of The Transport Group and Co-Chair of the Rachel Crothers Award of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a graduate of CTI (The Commercial Theatre Institute) and is a member of The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, The National Alliance For Musical Theatre, The Broadway League, The Dramatists Guild, the Advisory Board of TRU, British American Business, Inc. and BAFTA East Coast. She is the past chair of The American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Her latest project is Radio Galaxy by Michele Aldin Kushner (found in the TRU Voices series). Upcoming: The Outsiders, Broadway, Spring 2024. She is a graduate of CTI (The Commercial Theatre Institute) and is a member of The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, The National Alliance For Musical Theatre, The Broadway League, The Dramatists Guild, the Advisory Board of TRU, British American Business, Inc. and BAFTA East Coast. She is the past chair and current board member of Theater Resources Unlimited and The American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. 

  • LUIS REYES CARDENAS

    is Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Open Hydrant Theater Company, the first ensemble professional theater company in the South Bronx. Film: Shakespeare High Executive Produced by Kevin Spacey and From Bronx to Yale Executive Produced by The Guardian. Actor: Fools in Love at MET, BAM, Lincoln Center Boro-Linc and Open Hydrant, Balm in Gilead with Barefoot Theatre Company and Durang, Durang at Open Hydrant. Playwright: Play The Papers For Lupe, Visa Decline, Place of Assembly and Last Exit In New York. He is currently a member of the New Play Development at Laguardia Performing Arts Center and a member of The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre Company's Playwright Unit. He is the Director of Individual Events at The Stanford National Forensic Institute at Stanford University. 

  • CHARLOTTE COHN

    was born in Denmark and raised in Israel where she served in the Israeli Army as a commanding officer. She was the lead producer of The NY Times critics’ pick Handle With Care and the critically acclaimed Church & State, both written by Jason Odell Williams. Directing highlights include Best Friends at JAZZ at Lincoln Center and Church & State at Berkshire Theatre Group. Acting highlights include La Boheme and Coram Boy on Broadway. Charlotte is pn the producing team for the Broadway production of Here Lies Love, has been an Ovation Award Winner and was nominated for the Bay Area Critics’ Circle Award for her performance as ‘Hallelujah Lil’ in Happy End at A.C.T. For more please visit:  www.charlottecohn.com

  • MERRIE L. DAVIS

    is a producer and Tony Winner for Parade, Best Revival of a Musical 2023; Tony & Olivier Winner  (New York, London), for Company 2022 for Best Revival of a Musical and West End (winner of 4 Olivier awards total including Best Musical Revival 2019); and a Tony nominated producer for Eclipsed with Lupita Nyong’o (6 Tony nominations). Her producing career began with Gigi the Musical, Himself and Nora with Matt Bogart (Jersey Boys) and Whitney Bashor (The Bridges of Madison County). Since coming into the New York theatre world she has been investing and raising money for shows including Dear Evan Hansen, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hello, Dolly!, The Band's Visit and Moulin Rouge, among  others. In addition to producing, she is an Out-of-the Box Marketer who founded Next Act 2 Follow, a producing/marketing company, utilizing her unique marketing skills and introducing inventive ideas to the Broadway scene on shows including Allegiance and 39 Steps. Prior to making a career change into producing, Merrie had been a Publisher and Out-of-the-Box Marketer for over 25+ years in the magazine world dealing in the Hospitality and Tourism industries. While owning her own Visitor Magazines, IN New York and WHERE that were distributed in the hotels, she also had the pleasure of working with all the theater agencies.  Merrie is on the Board of TRU, Abingdon Theatre Company and the Broadway Association and is still delighted that she took the giant leap into an industry that she had always loved!!! 

  • JANE DUBIN

    is a TONY Award-winning producer and the President of Double Play Connections, a theatrical production and management company committed to supporting emerging artists and playwrights in the creation and development of new works. Jane is a graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute's 14-week (NYC) and O’Neill Center Intensive (CT) Producing Workshops and Director of Theater Resources Unlimited’s Producer Development Program Master Class. Ms. Dubin is Chair of the Board of Directors of Houses on the Moon Theater Company.  She is a member and recent Board member of the League of Professional Theatre Women.  She is a member of the Broadway Women’s Alliance and the Off-Broadway League.  For two years she was co-curator of the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center New Play Reading Series. She co-produced Hudson River Rising, presenting events in Westchester for One Billion Rising (V-Day).  She was a strategic consultant to SPACE on Ryder Farm, an artists’ residency in Brewster, NY and a member of the Grand Jury for New York Musical Festival’s 2015 – 2019 seasons.  She served as an evaluator for a NAMT innovation grant panel and is a juror for Bethany Arts Community residency program.  She is a frequent panelist and guest lecturer on theater-related matters. Before embarking on her career in theater, Ms. Dubin spent over 20 years in the financial services industry. Productions: Upcoming: The Village of Vale.  Recent: Is This A Room, Dana H., The Prom (Drama Desk Award Best Musical), Farinelli and the King (starring Mark Rylance, nominated for 5 Tony Awards), An American in Paris (4 TONY Awards, plus London and National Tour), Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey (Westside Theater and on Tour), Ann, starring Holland Taylor (Lincoln Center); Bandstand (Broadway), Beebo Brinker Chronicles (2008 GLAAD Media Award for Theatre); Groundswell (the New Group), Peter and the Starcatcher (Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tour), winner of 5 TONY Awards; The Norman Conquests (TONY Award, Best Play Revival), The 39 Steps (OB, Tour); The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (London).  Film: Radium Girls.

  • TIM ERRICKSON

    is Artistic Director of Boomerang Theatre Company. During his time as Artistic Director of Boomerang, Tim has produced 64 full productions (including 20 free public Shakespeare productions) and produced development workshops and readings for over 100 new plays and even a few musicals. Upcoming projects include The Great Divide, a new one person play by Amy Crossman, and The Lucky Ones by Lia Romeo. In addition to Boomerang, Tim has been on staff at Lincoln Center Theater and New Dramatists. He served on the Honorary Awards Committee for the New York Innovative Theatre Awards and is the former co-president of the Off-Off Broadway Community Dish, a service organization for the Off-Off/Indie Theatre Community. As a writer, Tim's plays include Endless Summer Nights, The Firebird, The Messy Antigone Project and Warm Roses, which will be adapted in a film shooting Summer 2024. His new play-with-music Wonderland is currently in development. Tim holds a BA from Hofstra University's experimental New College, and an MFA in Writing for Stage and Screen from Point Park University.

  • SHARON FALLON

    Sharon Fallon Productions is an independent Theatre Producer, General Manager, and Theatrical Consultant.  Celebrating 20-plus years in the entertainment industry, working both in the commercial and non-profit theatre industry, Sharon brings a unique perspective to her work. In 2015 she created a boutique theatrical productions/ general management company with a mission to bridge the gap between art and business allowing productions to be financially viable and artistically satisfying. Taking a holistic approach – from page to stage and everything in between, she works directly with early-career producers and artist-driven niche projects (showcases, readings, early development workshops, etc.) as well as on larger union and non-union projects.   She has worked in the theatre as an actress, director, general manager, managing director, and producer.  Broadway credits include Indecent, Beautiful, Matilda the Musical, and Lysistrata Jones. In addition to producing commercially, Sharon served as the Associate General Manager of both the Helen Hayes Theatre and Lyric Theatre in New York. Currently, she is the executive producer on a number of projects in development. Sharon is a Board Member-elect of NAMT, the National Association of Musical Theatres, co-chair of the Festival of New Musicals Committee, and a dedicated and lifelong supporter of social justice, cultural equity, diversity, and inclusion.

  • COOPER JORDAN

    is one of New York's youngest theatrical Off-Broadway & Touring producers, having produced & managed over 30 shows in Manhattan. Cooper created the Halloween hit The Rat Pack Undead in 2013, shortly after acquiring a Times Square residency, and now is celebrating 10 years running. Cooper was Managing Director & Producer with Off-Broadway's former Elektra Theater where he produced multiple Off-Broadway hits Boogie Stomp (Executive Producer), Miles Thorn Master Illusionist (Lead Producer) which ran consistently for 2 years, New York's Got Talent (Producer & Host) and more.  An Actor & Show Host, as well as Producers he splits his East Coast time between New York & Atlantic City, where he's revitalizing the AC Live Entertainment market. Cooper Jordan Entertainment now manages and produces Live Entertainment & Touring productions primarily based in New York, Atlantic City, and Las Vegas.

  • JOHN LANT

    Producer/Director, Consultant specialist for musicals/plays off-Broadway and TV/Film studio operator for stage to screen. 43-year veteran in the entertainment in over 750 television, film, theatre/music tours, and live theater. Production Manager at Carnegie Hall since 2006-2020 season for over 2,000 events. Award-winning producer, director, writer, lighting/set designer; Interlochen, Cal Arts, Ricardo Montalban, Hollywood Playhouse, Long Beach Playhouse, Glendale Center, Jewel Box Theatre Center and Write Act Repertory garnering DramaLogue, Diamond, ADA, NAACP Awards, LA Weekly and Backstage Pick of the Week, Garland and Valley Theatre (LA) nods. Executive Radio Producer New Frequency - Theatre of the Mind for SIRIUS/XM Radio - Ranked #1 Radio show. Mentored with Jonathan Sanger/Chanticleer Films for two shorts (Emmy & Oscar Winners), Howard Storm CBS Radford and TRU PDMP Master Fellow under Jane Dubin and Jennifer Issacson. Directed TV / Pilots Symphology, Carrot Talk, BET JAZZ Master Awards (1&2), Toronto Independent Shorts Awards, Funiki-Jam Season 2, and Anonymous Confessions. 17 Off-Broadway Lead Producer / Director (AEA/Non-union) credits include Fabulous!, 2By Tennessee Williams, Lili Marlene, Frankenstein, It Came from Beyond, Wicked Frozen, Teen Party Massacre, Swing!, Wicked City Blues, Geeks! TV/Film Credits include King of New York, The Freshman, Army of Darkness, Renegade, Power Rangers, and HBO Max's The Flight Attendant (CCO Supervisor). Tours include Phantom of the Opera, Singin' in the Rain, Gypsy and Evita. Current money raise - Pearl Bailey Musical (with Tony winning team members of Dreamgirls! and Hamilton). Development Director/Consultant for TV Film - Twisted Media NYC, Nathan Murphy Prod, Gatehouse Entertainment, Tin Mirror Prod and Trinity Theatrics network and streaming content for 3 TV pilots & 2 feature film currently in pre-production. COVID Compliance Supervisor certified for Film/TV/Broadway Theatre.

  • TAMRA PICA

    producer and casting director for Write Act Repertory. Tamra's theater and television work spans 33 years and over 250 productions as a prop designer, AEA Stage Manager, producer and casting director of plays, musicals, dance and ice shows. She produces both Off Broadway, as well as, managing the Los Angeles theater presence for Write Act.  Recent credits include the long-running Frankenstein, Wicked City Blues, and Swing.  Other credits include: Lili Marlene, Caldwell’s Bomb for the New York Venus/Adonis Theater Festival, Renewal, Your Name on My Lips at Theater for the New City and the long running musical Fabulous! Queen of the New Musicals where she served as a casting director and producer.  Alongside theater, Tamra’s work production, casting, and development television work can be seen for companies such as Disney, Sony, Cartoon Network, NBC Studios, TBS, CBS, MTV, ABC and FOX.  She currently works on the animated Disney series Mira, Royal Detective.

  • STEPHANIE L. ROSENBERG

    is a Tony Award Winning Broadway Producer currently producing the Broadway smash hit Moulin Rouge! The Musical. She’s been producing on Broadway since 2012, the same year she was named the Fredric B. Vogel Scholar by Commercial Theater Institute, and soon after became the only Associate Producer on Gore Vidal’s The Best Man. The following year, she would be a guest lecturer at Wharton Business School for a FAP specializing in Broadway. She brings compassion and a strong business sense to the table. From there, Stephanie’s career skyrocketed to such productions as Matilda, Anastasia, On The Town, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Broadway, US Tour, West End, and Australia). In 2013 Stephanie founded The Empress Productions LLC, with a commitment to developing high-quality theatrical productions. Our goal is that these productions will bring people together for an experience that will last a lifetime – while being fiscally responsible. From there, she has been developing new work such as Santa’s Sing-A-Long, and Easter Bunny HOP! LIVE, among other productions. Stephanie is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre; has a BFA in Theater from Adelphi University; apprenticed at Williamstown Theatre Festival, and has performed and directed Off-Broadway as well as directed national tours including the National Tour of Atlantic City Blues Brothers. Her background as an Actor, Director, Writer, and Tony Award Winning Producer helps her to know what's needed on and off stage to both get the job and get the job done.  Stephanie upholds the belief that Theater is a collaborative art form. All of this resulting in theatre that can change the world. theempressproductions.com   inst: @StephanieLRosenberg   & @EmpressOfBroadway  TikTok @EmpressOfBroadway

  • GAYLE WAXENBERG

    Gayle’s career began on Wall Street where she managed the marketing and corporate communications for a premiere investment bank. During her 11 years there, she won a multitude of awards for the creative and strategic campaigns she directed. She later started her own marketing consulting firm, Waxenberg & Associates, working with advertising, public relations and direct marketing firms servicing the financial industry. A born advocate, she left the for-profit sector and committed her self to raising awareness for those less fortunate. Combining her extensive business experience and philanthropic work, she began giving “voice” to the different communities she served, and continues to serve; domestic abuse victims, hospice patients, substance abuse victims, immigrants, at-risk children and mental health patients. Gayle has been repeatedly honored for her service by the organizations she serves. Recognizing the power of the stories she captured, she launched the Telling Company in 2012 as a forum for telling real-life stories influencing social change through art.  She has now brought The Telling Company to NewYorkRep becoming a founding member with Markus Potter. Her first play, A Bitter Pill, premiered in 2016 at the Hudson Guild Theater, as part of the Venus/Adonis Theater Festival. Gayle also produced the multi-award winning film Influence, and the London production of Stalking the Bogeyman, which received an Off-West End (Offie nomination) for best production and direction. Produced readings included Ben Elton’s Olivier award winning play, Popcorn, starring Sharon Stone and Stacey Keach. She is proud to have launched and produced a community based program of readings, Thought Bubbles, to bring new theatrical work free to people who may not otherwise have access. Gayle is also a Founder/Past President and currently a Board Member of The Graham School Education Foundation, a Board Member of Danza Espanza, The American Spanish Dance Theater, and was an elected official.   She is also a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, the Off Broadway Alliance, Theater Resources Unlimited and a member of the League of Professional Theater Women.

  • SUZANNE BACHNER

    is a playwright and director, and the Artistic Director of JMTC Theatre. Suzanne’s award-winning plays include CIRCLE, which ran for 5 months Off Broadway and was called “ingenious” by The New York Times and her acclaimed show, The Good Adoptee, which toured to the London International Fringe Festival and across the U.S. and is currently being streamed globally. Broadway World called her work “the future of theatre.” JMTC is an Artist-driven, London-founded, NYC-based indie theater company which transforms personal stories into powerful theater and combines Art & Advocacy by partnering with a diverse group of wonderful nonprofit social justice and service organizations. JMTCTheatre.com 

  • MELISSA CENTER

    is an actor, writer, producer & crowdfunding expert. Her most notable credits include roles on This is Us (NBC), Grey's Anatomy (ABC), Masters of Sex (SHO), & more. Favorite roles onstage include Maggie in A Chorus Line (Dir. Mitzi Hamilton), Olivia in Sex with Strangers (Hollywood Fringe), & Jan in 50 Words (The Lab Creative, LA). She originated the stage adaptation of Lois Lowry’s The Giver, directed by the late Wynn Handman of The American Place Theater. She is the producer, co-writer, and star of feature film All I Want (Prime, Vudu, TubiTV, itunes), & the co-director, writer, producer & star of award-winning short film R.v, a narrative that anticipated the overturn of Roe vs Wade. Her solo show Marrying Jake Gyllenhaal debuted during Pandemic via livestream at The Pico, LA followed by Edinburgh Fringe (digital) to rave reviews. She is currently seeking producing partners to bring Marrying Jake Gyllenhaal to the New York stage. melissacenter.com

  • ADAM COHEN

    Native New Jerseyer and avid theater-fan/burgeoning new producer. I want to work with good people to create art that makes us proud, educates, and inspires. More often than not that art is driven by music. Co-produced Fat Ham (Tony nom.); associate co-pro Parade. Upcoming projects include Harmony and Suffs.

  • CHRISTINE SPENCER

    Chris/Walking Path Entertainment is producing the seriocomic original play A Brief Crack Of Light. The 2024 goal is a West End London production, and her team includes Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, General Manager Martin Platt, and Casting Director Pat McCorkle. Charlie Haid and Chris are the Executive Producers of the TV pilot Department of One. She was an investor in The Museum of Broadway and Ohio State Murders. Previously, she was director of Art Workshop International, an annual, month-long summer workshop taught by award-winning artists and writers in a four-star hotel in Assisi, Italy. Chris retired from Morgan Stanley as a Vice-President, Investments, and CFP. During her 27 years there, she also taught continuing education classes and wrote investment columns for local newspapers. Chris is a partner in Trigance Press, which won Franklin and Midwest Book Awards and is currently editing a book of short stories. The University of Minnesota recognized Ms. Spencer as a notable alumnus for her achievements in the investment and artistic communities. A Minnesota native, she lives in Minneapolis and Bainbridge Island, WA.

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