Saturday and Sunday April 29th and 30th, 9:30am to 6pm
Nola Studios, 244 W. 54th Street, 11th floor Studio C

If you’re planning to produce or self-produce, do it right, do it smart, do it cost-effectively. Learn the ins and outs from experts with this once-a-year weekend workshop that offers basic and not-so-basic training for producers, geared to those producing at the in-the-trenches reading and Equity Showcase level. And with particular application for those planning to produce in the upcoming summer festivals.  We call it a "Boot Camp" but we will help you transform what can be an uphill battle into a smooth-running operation that leads to victory!

You will meet a phenomenal lineup of experts including Broadway producers Cheryl Wiesenfeld (4-time Tony winner for Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, Porgy & Bess, All the Way, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty), Jim Kierstead (Indecent, Natasha Pierre..., Sunset Boulevard, Waitress, Yank!, Tony Award winner for Kinky Boots and Pippin revival) and Cody Lassen (Indecent, Significant Other, The Band's Visit). The intensive will cover everything from Legal Requirements to Production Timeline and Budgeting to Raising Money and Marketing. Every aspect of showcase producing is broken down into easy-to-understand step-by-step modules, including a discussion of the differences between producing in a festival and producing on your own. Which is the best route for your project? Which will make you the most profit?

Limited to 30 participants.
Cost: $270 for non-member; $225 for TRU members.
Membership/Workshop Package: $290
Second attendee: $100

FESTIVAL SPECIAL: registrants accepted into Planet Connections, MITF, Dream Up, NYMF or other festivals take $20 off (email TRUStaff1@gmail.com for code)

PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND FILL OUT THE APPLICATION: BOOT-CAMP_weekend_app. The information we ask for is useful in customizing the material presented to your needs. Download it, then pay through our store or by mailing a check to the address on the application.

Saturday April 29

 9:30-10am - coffee and cake/bagels

10:00 - keynote speaker: 2-time Tony Award winning producer Jim Kierstead

10:15-10:45 - “Clarifying Your Goals: Why Are You Producing This?” with Jim Kierstead and  Bob Ost.  Should your show be commercial or not-for-profit? In a festival or produced independently? How much should you be spending? How big a theater do you need? So much depends on what you hope to achieve. 

10:45-11:30pm –"What You Need to Know Before Asking for Money" with attorney Eric Goldman.  Investments, donations and gifts - do you know the difference? We'll look at commercial, not-for-profit and fiscal sponsorship models, and what you need to know about each when asking for money for your production.

11:30-11:45 - BREAK

11:45-12:30 – "Legal Schmegal: Contracts, Options, Underlying Rights and More" with attorney Eric Goldman.  Additional legalities to consider: Do you have the right to produce this show? How do you go about getting the option? How do you do this without encumbering your property unnecessarily? Do you need to set up a legal entity to produce a showcase?

12:30-1:00 - "Producing Published Works: Licensing Made Painless" - with Fred Stuart, Chief Creative Officer for Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW). So you think that play you read or saw a while ago would make a great showcase for your actor friends. You still need permission to produce it, even in a low-profile showcase in a borough. Learn the right way to go about seeking those rights, and what the costs may be.

1:00-2:00 - LUNCH

2:00-2:30 - "Project Management: Setting Timelines, Managing Teams, Defining Outcomes" with financial advisor and producer Bailie Slevin. It pays to get the order right. How far in advance do you book a space? Hire your creative staff? Start the marketing? Raise the money?

2:30 - 3:15 “Creative Fundraising (Please Don’t Put It on Your Credit Card!)” with Bailie Slevin. Crowdsourcing, different kinds of fundraisers and how to just get over it and ask for the money you need. We'll include belief systems and how they affect us, and understanding how money works.  

3:15-3:30 - BREAK

3:30-4:00 -"Box Office and Ticketing Options" with Dan Irwin. This is a business. You need to be careful about money and accurately track your sales. There's no mystery to it: there are tried-and-true systems for handling this. And though you are ultimately responsible for your performance tallies, different ticketing options can be helpful in different ways. Which ticketing service will best serve your show?

4:00-5:00 - "Producing Smart: Fringes and Festivals, or On Your Own?" moderated by Bob Ost, with producer Jeremy Handelman (On the Town, White's Lies, F#%king Up Everything), Dan Irwin (The Nose),  Gerald vanHeerden (artistic director of plays for Midtown International Theatre Festival). There are advantages to producing in the Fringe or a festival, but there are also trade-offs. We'll discuss what you need to consider before deciding the best (and potentially most profitable) path for your production.

5:00 - Keynote speaker: Broadway producer Cody Lassen

5:30pm-6:00pm – networking reception

Sunday April 30

9:30-10am – coffee and cake/bagels

10:00-10:45 – "Putting Together Your Production Team" with John Lant, technical director of Carnegie Hall, artistic director Write Act Rep. Things to consider when hiring your design team, and what your designers need from you. 

10:45-11:15 – "How to Find (and Book) the Right Space" with John Lant. Black box or proscenium? Wing space, fly space, lighting and tech requirements, location and more. 

11:15-11:30 – BREAK

11:30 -12:15 – “Watching Your Figures: Putting Together a Smart Budget”  with Martin Platt of Perry Street Theatricals. An overview of basic line items in a showcase budget, and a realistic look at what things actually cost.

12:15-1:15 - LUNCH

1:15-2:00 - "Union Codes & Contracts: Equity, SDC, DG, 802" with Diane Krausz. The gospel according to Actors Equity, and how it sets the rules for readings, showcases and beyond. Plus realistic expectations when dealing with the directors' union, the Dramatists Guild and the musicians' union. 

2:00-2:30 - "How to Run an Efficient Audition, and When, Why and How to Use a Casting Director” with casting director Jamibeth Margolis.

2:30-2:45 – BREAK

2:45-3:30 - "Finding Your Audience: An Overview of Marketing" with Jay Michaels of Jay Michaels Arts & Entertainment. Defining the basics: marketing, advertising, PR. And how does social media fit into all this? What are your most important expenses on a limited budget? How do you identify and reach your audience? Should a showcase producer ever do his own marketing?

3:30-4:15 - "The Essentials of Successful PR"  with Joe Trentacosta. What goes into an effective press release? When should releases be sent out? How do you stand out from the crowd?

4:15-4:30 – BREAK

4:30-5:15 - "Next Steps: What Happens After That Showcase (and How to Prepare)?" moderated by Cheryl Wiesenfeld, with producers R.K. Greene (Peter and the Starcatcher, A Time to Kill, Room Service),  Victoria Lang (Matt and Ben, Shout! The Mod Musical, Silence the Musical); Jana Robbins (Ragtime, Little Women, Roof of the World, I Love You Because...) and Sharon Weiss of Tweiss Productins (Hell's Bells, Appendage, Forbidden Broadway...). The best way for your show to have a future is to plan ahead the moment you decide to produce that first showcase, festival presentation or reading. A panel of producers will talk about the steps they took to grow their brand.

5:15 - Keynote speaker: 4-time Tony Award winning Broadway producer Cheryl Wiesenfeld

5:30-6:00pm - networking reception