Thank you for all your efforts in putting together this past weekend's Showcase Producing Bootcamp. I've been going over my notes to mine all the nuggets of wisdom and it is overwhelming - in a good way. I found all the presenters to certainly be very knowledgeable in their subject matter, and though some were better than others at delivering their information, I gained something from everyone.... This is the second TRU program I've taken part in and I've really enjoyed them. I hope to do more. ~Donald Tongue

Thanking you profusely for the Producers Boot Camp Weekend. The common thread throughout the weekend was, to me, "What Are The Goals of your show" and 'What Do You Want to do with (and for) your show". The presenters you chose were on point and clearly had their stuff together. I REALLY gained an enormous amount of knowledge from Patricia Klausner - she's a Star. I'm sure I'm not alone in my sentiment. I would love to maintain communication with her and John Lant was a riot (in a good way). He reminded me of a comrade here in Charlotte who does almost the same thing theatrically - including having a truck. I'd like to stay in touch with him also. Great weekend once again, Bob, and thanks for the inclusion. Please keep me in the loop for Everything TRU does in the future. ~Bryan Daye

Thank you for including me in yesterday’s session… it was illuminating and productive… I believe there were at least few interested in my piece (4 asked me to send them my script). ~Lon Blais (The Boy on the Bureau)

Thank you for inviting me to attend my first ever Speed Date as a Producer. It was truly a blast and  I enjoyed meeting all of the writers and other producers and hearing all of the various pitches. I heard a few great pitches and some great ideas that I hope will find a production someday. It's an excellent exercise for them but it is also greawt for me to learn how to improve my own pitches and see what works well and what doesn't. ~Nolan Doran, producer (Head Over Heels, The Secret Life of Bees)

Thank you so very much for a wonderful time. I loved everything. You are a terrific host. ~Polly VanRaalte

 

Excellent time last night. Very enjoyable group of people. Everything was good. Service, food, interactions. Desserts were scrumptious. ~Fran Sisco

 

Just a brief note to express my heartfelt appreciation for the fabulous TRU Audition Weekend! Not only was the acting and singing talent on display overwhelmingly wonderful, I also met many new theatre agents, writers, directors, and producers with whom I am now in contact. It was a feast for the eyes and ears, and being such generous hosts, you even fed us well!! One of the great good blessings of New York City is the glut of acting talent, and as a playwright I've always felt it miserly to write plays for less than seven actors (though given the murderous economy of the theatre, this is not always wise, ha!). Now I have your amazing booklets to remind me whom I might contact for future readings and productions and possibly for Passing Parades [note: this is one of the plays in our upcoming TRU Voices Series] Thanks for a great experience! ~Fengar Gael

 

Wanted to let you know we called in Justin Clark (Saturday morning audition) and he will be doing a staged reading of a new play, Echoes in the Garden  by Ross G. Hewitt on June 10th as part of our Corner Stone Reading Series. ~Cheri Wicks, American Bard Theater Company

 

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the repeated success of TRU's audition weekend.  ~Catherine Lamm, Players Theatre Short Play Festival

Thank you everyone for allowing me to participate in this awesome showcase. It's the most organized event hands down. You guys are so friendly, professional and accommodating! ~Michelle Hartley

 

I had such a great audition experience and can’t wait to do it again next year! ~Julia Ennen

 

I can’t tell you how much FUN the auditions were!  You all compelled, supported, and guided us to as relaxed a performance as we could have hoped.  It was a great pleasure to have had that much professional exposure at our fingertips and I greatly appreciate all the efforts made on our behalf. ~Nancy Sinacori

 

Today’s session proved to be everything you said and promised – and then some! Everything was smooth from check-in through ‘check-out’. Everyone was cordial, concerned, confident and competent. I’ve never participated in any event like this before which was so well run and well organized. ~David Lamberton (AEA)

 

I'm so glad I made it even though it was a bit harrowing. I've been contacted by 3 different organizations already to read for plays and audition. And they ALL sound WONDERFUL!  I'm so glad I just did this despite fears, doubts and all the other things we throw in our way.  I feel like I've been given a door to walk through, and now it's up to me. ~Beth Barry (AEA)

 

The response has been a bit overwhelming, which I find shocking after going to (literally) thousands of EPAs where the person sitting behind the table never even bothers to look at you while you're auditioning. By the end of the day I had booked two readings for two new plays. Not bad for two minutes of work!! ~Larry Daggett (AEA)

 

I really had fun on Saturday as it was my first time performing for a live audition.~Yvette Dingwall

 

I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for holding a fun and safe space for actors to audition and all the work you do to set us up for success! Everyone was so encouraging and kind. Everything was organized and thoughtful. I can't wait to do it again next year! ~Tyler Rambali

Thank you Bob for putting this workshop together, I love doing them and learning from them.  Making new connections is what it is all about and that in such an invaluable gift we get from participating.  Thank you all again for the great day! ~Katherine Ray, director

 

Just wanted to say thank you to you and your awesome team (Gary, etc as well as our coach Sami) for not only offering events such as the PITCH Speed Date event but also for facilitating it so tremendously well. We felt very much taken care of, felt we were in good hands and in a safe environment to learn from the experience, as well as so appreciative to have the opportunity to share our show and story with 11+ producers and hone our pitching craft. So worth every penny of our membership and second of the event! ~Peter Davenport (Storming Heaven the musical)

I want to say thank you for inviting me to the Speed dating event. It was a terrific evening and I learned some invaluable things! I also made some very good contacts and will be able to follow up with a few people. I so appreciate that you do this ~Hilary Chaplain (The Last Rat)

 

A pleasure meeting and working with you all yesterday. I really learned so much about how to Pitch successfully. ~Jerome Brooks, Jr. (Committed the musical)

Thanks very much for a fantastic day! ~Fran Sisco

The panel on Diversity in Theater  was fantastic. THANK YOU for casting such amazing players (Tonya Pinkins is a kick-ass !) and for leading what could be a controversial heated discussion in a clear and organized way. I learned a lot. I agree with both Tonya and Bob and feel we need to tackle this problem from all sides: personal and  political. Of course we need to challenge a system that places profits before anything else. But in the meantime we have to keep going.... Look at the history of the off broadway movement that started in the sixties: writers and actors gathering in coffee shops (Caffe Cino) and storefronts (La Mama) to read and perform their work since it wasn't being given a voice in the big Broadway theaters. It wasn't easy then and it's still hard now but somehow we have to find a way. ~Nina Howes

Thank you so much for having me last night at Theater Resources Unlimited. The group was absolutely lovely! As you could tell, I enjoyed the stories from my fellow producers. ~Brian Moreland, speaker

 

Thank you for last night!  It was very interesting, valuable and enjoyable.  I will check your website for more. ~Napua Davoy

 

 

I wanted to let you know about The Bohemians, a comedy I wrote, opening at Theater for the New City. I met Hamza Zaman at a TRU event - and he's directing. So in a way, TRU made this production possible. Thanks for holding events in which people can meet and, as in this case, collaborate. ~Claude Solnik

 

In the short time I've been a member, TRU has contributed to me in several ways. Thank you for supporting writers who need a leg up in the wild world of show production. ~Ruth Fennessey Moss

I really want to thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart. You and TRU have been so instrumental to my growth as a person and a theater professional. I've learned so much about producing and I've met so many helpful people in the welcoming community that is TRU. Thank you for inviting me to panels and events since I was 17 years old and for offering me significant learning opportunities that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to afford, thank you for offering me this internship, and thank you for being so supportive and encouraging of me and my endeavors over the past nearly 3 years. TRU will always hold a very special place in my heart as the organization that gave me tools and a true (pun intended) theater community, and that taught me I wanted to be a producer. I want to make sure you know that I will always be there to try to give back to you and TRU when I can. I plan to be involved in TRU for a long long time, and I definitely want to participate in the Basic and then Master PDMP classes as soon as I'm in NYC year-round. ~Natalie Lifson

The panel was phenomenal,  so much information. And they really know their stuff! ~Ellen Rittberg

 

I was absolutely humbled by the panel, your obvious expertise and unbelievable generosity.... Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement. I eagerly look forward to participating in more panel discussions and the privilege of networking with such wonderful Industry professionals.  ~Franklin West

Good panel last night. ~Yvette Heyliger

 

Great gala! So glad you said what you said at the top of the show about voting. It must be said whenever we have the attention of so many people. It's our lives we are talking about. Loved all the entertainment. You and [director] Jonathan Cerullo put on a great show! ~Joan Ross Sorkin

 

Your event was spectacular.  Couldn’t believe how good the food was!  Could believe how good the talent was!! ~Granville Burgess

 

As always, the TRU tribute was a beautiful event. ~Michael Colby

I very much enjoyed your TRU Love Benefit.  The talent and the presentations were great, and TRU indeed has been doing important work in nurturing the theater community. ~Yuet Hung Fo

Well done! Enjoyed the day and the networking. ~R.K. Greene

 

Thank you for letting me attend as a Trailing Producer yesterday. It was incredibly instructional for me, and I learned a lot! ~Denise Peterson Huza, producer

 

Thank you so much for organizing this event and for the opportunity to participate as a producer. I enjoyed it so much, and left feeling inspired and encourage as well. You’re doing something really special, and may all that good energy come back to you in spades. ~Julia O’Brien, producer

I've been running into different people involved in theater in many ways. One way or other, they seem to know about your group - have been involved, are involved or at a minimum are aware of it. I think in theater, everyone tends to get very involved and focused on their projects - often passionately. And that's a good thing. But the result can be a kind of fragmentation, if not isolation. I think it's great that you're connecting people with so many backgrounds who work on so many levels from Broadway to Off Off. I hope other people tell you that they appreciate what you do. I wanted to at least let you know. Someone on your email list with whom I went to high school, who's now involved in theater as a director and actor, saw the recent Grace is Good listing. We got in touch. I'm sure there are lots of cases of people connecting through your group. ~Claude Solnik

I must express my gratitude to you and your wonderful organization. I have been the happy beneficiary of your incredibly informative programs, seminars, speed dates, and pitch fests over the years. There’s a reason I keep coming back for more; the proof is in this pudding! Through your programs I’ve gained clarity, confidence, and the practical knowledge needed to inch my way forward in this wonderful, fun, exciting industry. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Please feel free to quote this!  I mean it, and I mean it! - Diane Uniman

Because of your help and the countless you aid, I have been able to find my roots as a producer.... As I gear up for my coming production in February, I'd like to take a moment to thank you for the work you do with TRU. I would not be in this place in my career without your work. ~Yaakov Bressler

Thank you for your personal support and for all the wonderful connections/opportunities I have had with TRU in the short time I have known you. You are a good soul with a great organization. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. ~Michelle Ackerman

Volunteering at TRU is fantastic! I’m learning so many cool things I had never even realized went on behind the stage. ~Meredith Hornick

Including me in your efforts within the theatrical community in The City gave me yet another ‘in’ to the community I consider my home away from home. Thank you. ~Jeff Riebe

I have met and worked with many 'kids' that have gone through at least one, if not more of your workshops. They ALL speak so highly of them and what they learned about the business and themselves. I believe what you are doing is valuable and needed for the next generation moving to the city and entering this business we call 'Show.' Keep up the good work and know that what you are doing is paying off with quality people, that are excited and embracing whatever life has to bring them. ~ Sam Viverito

Now that I have completed my first year at TRU, I wanted to thank you for all that you have done to make this a great year for me! The panels and the networking equal new relationships and new knowledge and all and all a powerful year. I thank you for each and every time I had a question or a request that was answered graciously and thoroughly – I know you must get a number of inquiries each day, but you made it seem like mine was the only one and no trouble at all. And most recently, thank you for [talking] a somewhat "wobbly" producer through her first moments of making the producing dream a reality through the Dream Up Festival.  That afternoon was invaluable; all the information generously shared!  You didn't know it, but I walked out of your apartment zinging.  Thank you again for a bountiful experience. ~Denise Gray

I was so impressed with the audition experience, both the prep meeting before and the day of. It was such a good drill to get organized. I'm hoping to attend the speed date producer meeting in July .... As a newcomer to the biz I have a lot to learn and TRU is going to help me! So I might as well support you all too! ~David Hancock

Great workshop! Wonderful people participating, both deeply knowledgeable panelists, and generous directors. I will continue to talk up your programs as well as attend as many as I can. My best to you and your true passion, the arts and theater. ~Ina Chadwick

I was very grateful for the information provided by Jessie Shinberg concerning my script submittal, Hitched.  We are in rehearsal now for a September opening in Maryland and I will be keeping all comments in mind as we work toward that goal. ~Earl Lewin, writer

 

 

I had a spectacularly great workshop. It's true, along the way, I had a couple moments of uncertainty, but now I'm clear that I learned a ton and I got what I came for. I'm putting it to use already. [Music director] David Wolfson also did a great job. Great skill, talent and professionalism. I was privileged to have lunch with Peter Filichia. What a fascinating man. Oh the people you meet at a TRU workshop! ~Jack Phillips (Taking Care of Mom)

Many times I thought “this is crazy, don’t do this” but something made me just keep taking one more step forward each time and I’m so glad I did. I was blown away by my team. (Music director] Nevada [Lozano] was exactly the right person to connect me with – thank you so much!!! And I really loved meeting Skip [Kennon]. I think we’re kindred souls. And of course Cate – loved the discussion of the Poetics, and getting to see all the presentations. ~Deborah Henson-Conant (The Golden Cage)

 

Thanks for putting together the Writer-Producer SpeedDate and for making it a teaching and learning experience. 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)

Thank you for me having me as part of the Speed Date this past Sunday! It was definitely nerve-wracking (never pitched anything before), but I had a great time doing it. ~Zev Burrows (The Pledge)

Quite an amazing event. Thanks for organizing it. ~Granville Burgess (Common Ground)

Great event yesterday – glorious chaos! Just as when I pitched as a writer, I found the whole experience of getting "thrown into the foxhole" to be exciting, invigorating and very beneficial. I think writers need to hone these sort of "survival skills" to navigate the battlefield. ~Mark Butler, trailing producer

Thanks for an amazing Speed Date yesterday, well done! ~Markus Potter, producer

I thoroughly enjoyed the Speed Date. Learned a lot about pitching. The producers were very incisive and knowledgeable. One thing that encourages me is that many of the writers were my age or older. Whenever I go to film-related events, I’m 20-30 years older than most other people.~Philip Reissman

 

TRU VOICES PLAY SERIES

What a night! We were all thrilled with the outcome of the reading, and there was some interest from some of the panelists to continue discussion about the play's next steps, so we're very excited about that opportunity. Thanks very much, and congratulations on your great series! ~Frank Avellino, producer (Jasper)

TONY PARTY/Fundraiser

Thank you for the most amazing TONY party! I had the best time. Food was delish and the cakes were out of this world! ~Valerie David

It was great! ~Janie Steele

Thank you for a fabulous Tony Awards Party and Fundraiser! ~Ed Medina

It was a GREAT event and I had an absolute blast! Congratulations to you, Gary and the entire TRU team. Thank you again for the tickets I won to Gettin' the Band Back Together. I'm excited to see it. ~Lee Adhemar Feldshon

Enjoyed the party last night! ~Ann Harson

I had a terrific time at the party! ~Andrey Wax