Opportunities for early development of new works. A unique series of 4 different workshops designed to offer guidance and networking for writers, directors and everyone involved in making theater.
Writer-Producer Speed Date
"Thanks for hosting a very successful event and giving me the chance to participate in it. The feedback I got was very helpful." ~George Pfirrmann (The Death of Love)
“I actually enjoyed myself last night – all that hard work getting it wrong in the run-up to pitching was totally worth it!” ~ Martha Pichey (Ashes & Ink)
"Thank you for organizing such a great event last night. We had a wonderful time giving our pitch for SNOW WAY OUT to each of the producers and trailing producers at the speed date, and we came out of the event feeling very confident about our pitch and ourselves. It was a very informative evening, and I think we made some exciting connections, too. We hope we can attend another speed date in the future. This was a hit!" ~ Becca Anderson & Julian Blackmore (SNOW WAY OUT)
"TRU Speed-Date taught me to pitch fearlessly - with fun and fantastic results!" Dr. Sue (Reel Romance with a Twist!)
“Enjoyed process. Felt uncomfortable at first, but got good reactions, which made it more fun. I appreciated and took Bailie’s advice, which was good. Got a chance to talk with/meet producers – some gave advice, many showed interest. Very positive experience.” ~ Claude Solnik (Victoria Woodhull)
"I brought my play Adam Then to a TRU writer/director speed date with uncertain expectations.... Before the speed date even happened, the TRU team helped me craft a logline and pitch document that crystallized the play's plot and theme and, at the speed date, caught the attention of a producer. With his advocacy and support, my director and I organized a developmental staged reaching at The Drama League, for which TRU served as fiscal sponsor. I doubt we ever would have gotten this far without TRU!" ~ Terry Milner
"It was such a constructive, informative exercise, and we had a lot of fun. You, Mary Kate, and every person we met was kind, gracious, and generous with their time and feedback." ~Adam Blotner & Jenny Pinzari (Trump: A Tremendous American Musical)
"A couple of the producers even told me to call so-and-so at such-and-such 'and tell 'em I sent you.' I wasn't expecting such positive results. Plus, the event got me to hone the way I talk and write about my show - the improvements will, I'm sure, help me as I contact other producers and theaters. A highly positive experience." ~Mike Takiff
"The experience was amazing (aside from when I threw up right before meeting the producers - just kidding). Nerve wracking but very helpful. Kind of like theater Shark Tank." ~Gwyn McAllister
Director-Writer Communications Lab
"I absolutely loved the experience. Learned a lot about how to make that crucial writer-director relationship work. Much as I enjoyed watching the interactions that went well, the ones that didn't go so swimmingly, including my own, were actually the most useful: The better to see the pitfalls that may occur in a real situation. Your “prologue,” along with Ken's, Ric's and your post-interaction analyses, were insightful and compassionate." ~Gary Plotkin
"I found it helpful and illuminating in a number of ways.... It made me aware of the necessity of a lengthy and focussed discussion before any commitments are made. To be honest I didn't know exactly what to expect. It was, therefore, useful both to talk through the issues raised by my own play with a director like Cate and to observe other couples going through the process of discovering whether they could work together or not. It was also moving to witness unexpected dramatic moments in the course of the day. And finally the presence of two such knowledgeable and successful Broadway producers as Ken [Waissman] and Margot [Astrachan] commenting freely on the proceedings was a huge bonus." ~ Dennis Porter, playwright
"What a fabulous Lab that was! No drama - everyone seemed to match up so perfectly! I know I did. I'm eager to continue my conversations with Anna [my writer] - we really hit it off and she's fantastic." ~Cate Cammarata, director
"You created a wonderful space for us writers. And, personally, it could have not gone better for me and the relationship I hope to have started with Mark [my Lab director]. He gets my words written on paper and that's fantastic." ~Jonathan Citron, writer
"Thank you for the incredible workshop this past Saturday. It really turned out well and I met some incredibly talented people. [The writer] and I have really hit it off and have decided to keep working together on her script." ~Kevin Lambert, director
How to Write a Musical That Works
"I just wanted to take a moment to say how grateful we are for the opportunity to perform an excerpt from Oswald for you. The feedback we received was truly invaluable and we are so very thankful to everyone on the panel who took the time to offer their expertise and insights. Our experience with TRU continues to be amazing and we thank you all so much." ~Josh Sasanella & Tony LePage
"Just by presenting one song at the last workshop, it was greatly improved by the specific comments the panel made. The main character's need and "want" was made so much clearer to the audience just by the way the panel suggested I highlight it musically. So many thanks for that!" ~Tom Dudzick
TRU Practical Playwriting
"This workshop was filled with Diana Amsterdam's deep guidance for structuring a play good enough for producers to want to invest time and money, Patrick Blake's real-world strategies for connecting with producers who are already inundated with scripts, and Gillien Goll's ability to prepare us emotionally and spiritually as well as pragmatically to speak about our stories not as robots but as human beings producers want to listen to. Last thing I wanted to do on a sunny Saturday in May... but every minute resonated with value!" ~T. Anntares
"Great workshop, today as always. Wonderful panel and terrific presenters. I learned so much in such a short space of time." ~Pat Lin
