Name: Weekend Intensive for Showcase Producing
Start: 2016-04-30T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2016-04-30T18:00:00-04:00

Weekend Intensive for Showcase Producing

CLICK HERE TO REDIRECT TO THE 2019 WEEKEND INTENSIVE
Desotelle Nu•Box Theater, 300 W. 43rd St., 3rd Floor

Basic and not-so-basic training for producers, geared to those of you producing at the in-the-trenches reading and Equity Showcase level, with particular application for those planning to produce in the upcoming summer festivals.

Featuring a phenomenal lineup of experts covering everything from Legal Requirements to Production Timeline and Budgeting to Raising Money and Marketing. Every aspect of showcase producing, 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.

Keynote speakers will include Tony® Award winning Broadway producers Margot Astrachan (A Gentleman's Guide..., The Realistic Joneses), Tom Smedes (Pippin, The Visit, Peter and the Starcatcher, Mothers and Sons), Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman (On The Town, You Can't Take It With You, The Scottsboro Boys, Pippin, Clybourne Park, Nice Work If You Can Get It), and Cheryl Wiesenfeld (All the Way, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty). Scroll down for full bios of our entire fabulous faculty.

Limited to 30 participants.

Cost: $270 for non-member (early bird $210 if you register before April 15th);
$225 for TRU members (early bird $175 if you register before April 15th).
Membership/Workshop Package: $290 ($245 if you register before April 15th)
Second attendee: $100

FESTIVAL SPECIAL: registrants accepted into Planet Connections, MITF, Fringe, NYMF or other festivals (email TRUStaff1@gmail.com with code), $195

PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND FILL OUT THE APPLICATION. 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 30^th

9:30-10am - coffee and cake/bagels
10:00 - keynote speaker: Margot Astrachan (A Gentleman's Guide...., The Realistic Joneses, Ghost the Musical tour, Nice Work If You Can Get It, upcoming: The Countess of Storyville) - "Being a Producer: Perception versus Reality"

10:15-10:45 - “Clarifying Your Goals: Why Are You Producing This?” with producers Patrick Blake and Patricia Klausner. 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 Erach Screwvala. 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 Caitlin Bartow, business affairs supervisor at Samuel French.

1:00-2:00 - LUNCH

2:00-2:30 – "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.

2:30-3:00 – "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.

3:00-3:30 – "The Biggest Bang for Your Buck: Securing Resources at the Best Price Possible" with John Lant

3:30-3:45 - BREAK

3:45-4:30 - "Union Codes & Contracts: Equity, SDC, DG, 802" with attorney 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.

4:30-5:15 - "Producing Smart: Fringes and Festivals, or On Your Own?" with Jeremy Handelman, and Brock Hill (Artistic Director, Planet Connections Festivity). 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.

5:15 - Keynote speech: Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, On The Town, You Can't Take It With You, The Scottsboro Boys, Pippin, Clybourne Park, Nice Work If You Can Get It) - "It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish"

5:30pm-6:00pm – networking reception

Sunday May 1st

9:30-10am – coffee and cake/bagels

10:00-10:15 - keynote speaker: Tom Smedes producer (The Visit, Matilda, Pippin, Next Fall, upcoming: Bandstand) and general manager

10:15-10:45 - "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?

10:45-11:15 - “Creative Fundraising (Please Don’t Put It on Your Credit Card!)” with financial advisor and producer 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.

11:15-11:30 – BREAK

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

12:30-1:30 - LUNCH

1:30-2:00 - "How to Run an Efficient Audition, and When, Why and How to Use a Casting Director” with casting director Bob Kale of Bob Kale Casting, fomerly of Moss Kale Anastasi Casting.

2:00-2:30 - "Box Office and Ticketing Options" with Emileena Pedigo, executive producer of the Show Goes on Productions. 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?

2:30-2:45 – BREAK

2:45-3:30 - "Finding Your Audience: An Overview of Marketing" with Jay Michaels. 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 Jay Michaels. What goes into an effective press release?

4:15-4:30 – BREAK

4:30-5:15 - "Next Steps: What Happens After That Showcase (and How to Prepare)?" – moderated by Tony winning producer Cheryl Wiesenfeld, with producers Pat Blake, Tony winner David Elliott, Theresa Wozunk (The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, Liberty A Monumental New Musical). The best way for your show to have a future is to plan ahead the moment you decide to produce that first showcase or reading. A panel of producers will talk about the steps they took to grow their brand beyond a showcase.

5:15: Keynote speech: Cheryl Wiesenfeld: "It's All About You!"

5:30-6:00pm - networking reception

Faculty

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) and directed by Mark Waldrop, currently in development. 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.
CAITLIN BARTOW

is currently the Business Affairs Supervisor at Samuel French Inc., managing contracts and legal correspondence with clients, customers and vendors from all over the world. Prior to Samuel French, Caitlin was a director/dramaturg with a focus on new play development as well as a playwright/devisor with an interest in immersive theatrical experiences. She graduated from Stony Brook University in December 2012 with a BA in Theatre.
PATRICK BLAKE

is a writer/producer based in New York and San Francisco, and Founding Artistic Director of Rhymes Over Beats, a hip hop theater company. In New York theater, he is a producer of the off-Broadway revival of The 39 Steps, the off-Broadway transfer of Bedlam Theater Company's dual productions of Hamlet and Saint Joan, and is currently producing My Life Is a Musical (from the TRU Voices series) which had a debut production at Bay Street Theatre. He was one of the producers of Play Dead! at The Players Theatre, he has produced In the Continuum at Perry Street Theatre, Noah's Archive, Joe Fearless, The Exonerated (Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Court TV's Scales of Justice Award) and The Soap Myth at Southstreet Seaport. He also produced Dirty Works at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He was Executive Producer for the short film, The Igloo, and the feature film Mr. Smith Gets a Hustler. Patrick is a proud board member of TRU.
DAVID ELLIOTT

has worked in the New York theatre community for over 25 years, much of that time with Martin Platt as a principal in Perry Street Theatricals (PST). PST, founded by Platt and Elliott in 2004, is a multi-award-winning producing and general management company where they collectively produced and general managed over 25 productions. Their productions have been nominated for nearly every award in the theatre industry. Highlights include - London: Lend Me A Tenor The Musical; Broadway: Dames At Sea, Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike. Off Broadway: Georgie, Bedlam’s Hamlet And Saint Joan, In The Continuum, The Exonerated, An Oak Tree, and 7 shows as Producing Artistic Director at the Cape Playhouse. As General Manager: Bedlam’s Sense & Sensibility, The Saintliness of Margery Kempe and 3 tours with The Aquila Theatre Company. David recently served as Producing Artistic Director at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, MA.
ERIC GOLDMAN

For over 25 years, Eric has provided legal services to Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award winning talent, and to technology and internet entrepreneurs. Recent projects include representing the writers of the Broadway smash hit Come from Away and the producers of the highly successful Off-Broadway musical parody of the television show Friends. Before launching his own firm in 2011, Eric worked for 15 years as a Senior Associate for entertainment attorney Mark Sendroff of Sendroff & Baruch LLP. Eric also served as in-house counsel for St. Martin’s Press and Hertz Computer. His first job out of law school was working as an associate for copyright guru Stanley Rothenberg. Eric is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and New York University School of Law.
JEREMY HANDELMAN

is a two-time Tony Award nominated producer whose many credits include John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons (Broadway and National Tour), the Broadway revival of On the Town, the Off Broadway and regional production of the rock musical comedy Brooklyn Crush, formerly F#%king Up Everything (NY Times Critics' Pick & Best New Musical nominee), White’s Lies and the acclaimed production of The Chekhov Dreams. He is one of the lead producers of Dearly Beloved, a fully immersive theater production slated for 2020, and is on the producing team for several Broadway-aimed musicals currently in development. Jeremy is the founder of Off The Leash Productions, where he produces a wide range of marketing and entertainment video including commercials, promos, web videos and performance shoots (OffTheLeashProductions.com). Past Lives: Vice President, Programming of CBS Sports; Vice President, Programming Sales for Wink Communications. Other Lives: Co-President of the Brown University Club in New York; serves on the board of Houses on the Moon Theater Company and served for many years on the board of Theater Resources Unlimited.
BRUCE ROBERT HARRIS and JACK W. BATMAN

Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman are Tony Award-winning Broadway producers who have presented over 50 new plays, musicals and classic revivals, particularly for Broadway and the West End, plus many private and corporate events since forming their producing partnership in 2005. Their productions include - London/Berlin/Australia: Magic Mike Live; Las Vegas: Chris Angel Mindfreak; Broadway: Be More Chill (also London), Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (Tony nomination), King Kong, American Son, Carousel (Tony nomination), Present Laughter (Tony nomination), Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Tony nomination), On The Town (Tony nomination), You Can’t Take It With You (Tony nomination), Pippin (Tony Award), Nice Work If You Can Get It (Tony nomination), Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park (Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and Olivier Award) and Kander and Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway and in the West End (London Critics Circle and London Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical, Tony and Olivier Award nominations); Off-Broadway: My Trip Down the Pink Carpet (also London's West End), Straight, The 39 Steps, The Judy Show; Andrew Lippa’s I Am Harvey Milk at Lincoln Center; and Carrie the Musical (Los Angeles Critics’ Circle Award). Bruce and Jack have also produced five Original Broadway Cast albums (Grammy Award nomination) and were the Executive Producers of Gerald McCullouch's award-winning film “Daddy." sunnyspotproductions.com / sunnyspotcelebrations.com
BROCK H. HILL

is a New York based director. He is known for ensemble based, organic work. He is the Producing Artistic Director of the Planet Connections Festivity and Artistic Director of the Altruistic Theatre Company. Selected projects include: Current project - Helvetica (Rising Sun, Planet Connections); Mistakes Madeline Made, Books on Tape, Humans Anonymous (Tongue in Cheek Prod); Civilization! (Planet Connection Festivity); Choose Your Grown Adventure, Wardrobe of the Living Dead (Altruistic Theatre); Invoice (Leela Theatre Festival).
BOB KALE

A partial list of the projects Bob has worked on as a casting director would include: Broadway— Souvenir, King Hedley II (August Wilson), An Inspector Calls, A Tale Of Two Cities, Little Women-The Musical, The Who's Tommy, Titanic-The Musical, The Life, Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel. Off-Broadway includes—Frank McGuinness' Gates Of Gold, Dracula, Dietrich & Chevalier, Over the River and Through the Woods, Avow, The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, Tap Dogs. Tours include—The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas starring Ann-Margret, Barry Manilow's Copacabana, Nunsense (25th Anniversary Tour), Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk starring Savion Glover; Television—HBO's Scarred City, Due South, Elmo’s World: Happy Holidays!, PBS Sesame Street, Cosby Mysteries, As The World Turns, and the miniseries Sally Hemmings (NY Casting). Feature Film includes—Jack & Jill (additional NY Casting), You Don't Mess With The Zohan (additional NY casting), I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (additional NY casting), Beavis and Butthead Do America (NY Voice Casting), The Quest for Camelot (NY Voice Casting), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (NY Voice Casting), Big Daddy (NY Casting), Little Nicky (NY Casting). See www.bobkaleonline.com for more information.
PATRICIA R. KLAUSNER

Ms. Klausner has produced, written and assistant directed theater since 1990. While she has invested in many Broadway shows, she is credited as a Co-Producer on The Band's Visit (Tony, Best Musical), Pippin (Tony, Best Revival), Trip to Bountiful, Stick Fly and The Scottsboro Boys; National Tours: The Band's Visit, Pippin; and in London: The Scottsboro Boys. She is the Co-Executive Producer of the film Wakefield starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner. Other theatrical and business credits include Managing Director of Shotgun Productions/Global Arts Initiative since 1995, Managing Director of the Steps Beyond Foundation, General Manager of The Donald Byrd Dance Foundation (1996-1999), conceiver of the multimedia piece The Tides of Intolerance (The Asia Society, NYC, 1996), Director of Marketing for Steps on Broadway (2001-2018), editor of a weekly financial trade publication, and consultant for various cable television companies and arts businesses. She currently holds the position of Director of Investor Relations for a theatrical fund and is working with the lead producer on the new musical by Ahrens & Flaherty, Marie: Dancing Still. She sat on the Board of Directors and is a past Vice President of Media Audit International and served as a Co-Director of Theater Resources Unlimited's Producers Development Mentorship Program. Ms. Klausner has a Ph.D. in sociology and has taught women's studies, race relations, and criminology at the University of Delaware and Montclair State College. She currently sits on the Marymount Manhattan College Dance Advisory Board, and is a graduate of CTI.
DIANE KRAUSZ

For over 25 years, Principal Diane Krausz, Attorney at Law, has represented individuals and entities in the entertainment industry, with an emphasis in theater, film, television, talent representation/negotiation, and intellectual property. Ms. Krausz has extensive experience protecting art through copyright; licensing, merchandising, and spokesperson deals; drafting and negotiating contracts and resolving disputes; purchase and sales of entertainment companies; and helping artists reach financial success. Among her high-profile clients, Ms. Krausz has represented Parseghian Planco, LLC, a well-known talent management firm. Whether it’s an individual just starting in the entertainment industry or a well-established artist seeking greater exposure, she is there to protect the financial interests and the integrity of their work. A graduate of the Wharton School and Fordham Law School, and a previously trained and qualified Certified Public Accountant, Ms. Krausz has written articles in leading industry publications and been a sought-after guest lecturer at film festivals, bar associations, and universities. No stranger to the industry, Ms. Krausz has produced and invested in several film and theatre productions over the years.
JOHN LANT

(Creative Producer / Artistic Director / Consultant) 40-year veteran in the entertainment in over 700 television, film, theatre/music tours, and live theater. Pre-Covid: Production Manager at Carnegie Hall since 2006-2020 season for over 2,000 events. Award-winning producer, director, writer, lighting/set designer at Interlochen, Cal Arts, Ricardo Montalban, Powerhouse, Glendale Center, Hollywood Playhouse, Long Beach Playhouse, the 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 Producer New Frequency - Theatre of the Mind 150 original Radio Dramas for SIRIUS/XM Radio's Sonic Theatre - Ranked #1 Radio show. Mentored with Jonathan Sanger & Chanticleer Films for two shorts that won an Emmy and an Oscar, 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. 14 Off-Broadway Lead Producing (union and non-union) credits include FABULOUS! 2By Tennessee Williams, Lili Marlene, Frankenstein, It Came from Beyond, Wicked Frozen, Teen Party Massacre, SWING!, Wicked City Blues, Great Cat Massacre, GEEKS! (St. Luke's & Actors Temple). Recent Pre-COVID LA productions: Finest Hour (Winston Churchill), Wicked Wicked Mae West, The Lester Young Story, and Frank and Eva. 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 Off-Broadway pre-production Pearl Bailey Musical (with Tony winning team members of Dreamgirls! and Hamilton). Development Director/Consultant - Twisted Media NYC, Nathan Murphy Prod, Gatehouse Entertainment, Tin Mirror Prod and Trinity Theatrics for new network and streaming content. COVID Compliance Officer for Film/TV/Theatre.
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.
EMILEENA PEDIGO

Emileena's work focuses on building sustainable careers #AnotherWay, using entrepreneurial strategies that prioritize the artist over their art. Her company, The Show Goes On Productions provides coaching and artist management, as well as produces workshops, showcases, and events. Before that Emileena was managing producer of the Midtown International Theater Festival. She helped expand the annual festival into seven venues, presenting up to 60 shows in one month during her seven-year tenure. Emileena also general-managed for several nonprofits, assisted Stewart F. Lane on four Broadway shows, including the Off-Broadway transfer of The 39 Steps, and worked on various film and music festivals. She toured theaters, music arenas, and schools across the country, working with artists from all artistic disciplines. Emileena has served on the board of Conscious Capitalism NYC, and helped to build Arts programming within the Chelsea Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce. She is a graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute, SUNY/Kaufmann's Fasttrac program for entrepreneurs, and a Purdue University alum.
ERACH SCREWVALA

is the founder of Screwvala LLC and has over ten years of experience in Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property, and Litigation. In his Entertainment practice, he works with clients engaged in the legit theater, book publishing, motion picture, and music industries. He regularly counsels clients on production financing, locating and clearing rights, and copyright issues. He negotiates and drafts contracts on a wide range of issues, including financing documents, acquisition agreements, talent agreements, collaboration agreements, publishing and recording contracts. His Litigation practice emphasizes complex litigation matters in Federal and State courts in a diverse range of areas, including Constitutional issues, copyright infringement, and securities fraud.

Erach’s articles on copyright law have appeared in the Journal of the Association of Recorded Sound Collections and he has spoken on or moderated panels at the CMJ Music Marathon, PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, and TRU.
BAILIE SLEVIN

is the founder of Financial Wellness Companion, Entertaining Finance, and is the current Sales Trainer at MediaRadar. She has made a study of language and how people communicate value, be it screenwriting, playwriting, sculpting, performing, painting, or commercial sales. Bailie helps to translate the creator’s passions to others in a business setting. With her15 years in the personal financial planning industry, Bailie developed a niche in the arts and freelance communities, specializing in working with people with an uneven income. She has also spent significant time in the theatre industry as a stage manager, general manager, and producer. She is a Life Purpose Life Coach and a New York Mental Health Peer Specialist. She lives in New York City with her rescue pup, Lorelai.
TOM SMEDES

is a Tony Award winning Theatrical Producer and General Manager with experience spanning twenty-five years. He is currently producing the new musical The Bandstand directed by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler. Recently, he produced Terrence McNally, John Kander and Fred Ebb’s The Visit starring Chita Rivera. He was also a producer of Terrence McNally’s box-office hit It's Only a Play. Other producing credits include McNally’s Mothers and Sons starring Tyne Daly, the Tony Award winning Peter and the Starcatcher on Broadway and National Tour, and the Tony winning Pippin on Broadway and National Tour. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a supporter of the Broadway Production of Matilda. He was also a Co-Producer and General Manager for the off-Broadway premiere of Natasha, Pierre and the Greay Comet of 1812. In addition, he produced the Tony nominated Play Next Fall on Broadway and [title of show] at the Lyceum Theatre. Tom is also one of the producers of the musical revue, Naked Boys Singing! off-Broadway after 13 years having played nearly 4,000 performances making it the second longest running off-Broadway musical. Other productions in New York include Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead; The Women of Lockerbie, with The New Group; the one man show entitled 21 Dog Years: Doing Time@Amazon.com, written and starring Mike Daisey at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre prior to its international tour of London, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and Sydney and People Are Wrong at The Vineyard theatre.
CHERYL WIESENFELD

Following a career in publishing, Cheryl began her theatre producing career in 1998. Broadway: The Great Society, The Heidi Chronicles, All The Way, Rocky, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, A Steady Rain, Legally Blonde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, ‘night Mother, Caroline or Change, Elaine Stritch At Liberty, and Hedda Gabler. Off Broadway: 10th Anniversary Exonerated, Play Dead, In The Continuum, Shockheaded Peter, Talking Heads, The Exonerated, The Waverly Gallery. Film: Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me. Current: Ain’t Too Proud- The Temptations musical. Upcoming: The Harder They Come. Cheryl has produced shows that have spawned national and international tours and sit down productions, regional productions, and London engagements which have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars. Cheryl has won numerous awards for her productions including the Drama League, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, New York Drama Critics Awards and 4 Tony Awards. She has been honored by Theater Resources Unlimited with “The Spirit of Theater” award in 2007, and The Houses on The Moon Amplify 2015 Award for her support in championing the unheard voice. Her board commitments: Theater Resource Unlimited where she co-founded the TRU mentorship program. The program to date has mentored over 200 commercial producers and self producing artists. Cheryl is on the board of Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, and is on the Honorary Council of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven Connecticut. Cheryl continues her mentoring work and speaks at universities, on panels and for different organizations. She is in her second year of curating a theatre program with the title - Theatre that changes OUR World- at The Quick Center at Fairfield University.
THERESA WOZUNK

Credits include The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess (Associate Producer 2012); Liberty A Monumental New Musical (2010 AEA Workshop; 2012 Developmental Production Warner Theatre/Torrington, CT; 2014 Off-Broadway Premier / Theatre 80 St. Marks; 2016 Off-Broadway remount/Club 42West - opening July 4th)