Theater Resources Unlimited announces a virtual TRU Producer Boot Camp: Essentials of Successful Self-Producing

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces a new virtual adaptation of their TRU Producer Boot Camp: Essentials of Self-Producing on Sunday, December 6 from 1pm to 6:30pm ET. Learn to view your creative work from a business perspective and understand the need to think differently. Make smarter choices, not only now but for the future of your show. It all seems a little overwhelming at times, but we will break it down into easily digestible bites. Boot Camp costs $75 for TRU members and $100 for all others. To register, visit https://truonline.org/events/self-producing-2020/.

“Health and safety continue to be a priority during these challenging times,” asserts TRU executive director Bob Ost. “Still, we can use the resources available to us to support our community in staying creative and positive while isolation rules our lives. One by one we are transitioning our programs to virtual format, and celebrating the advantage of being accessible to artists far beyond the New York area.”

COVID-19 scholarships are available to participants. To apply, fill out the online scholarship application at https://forms.gle/BeGgYecFcaJUsNk18 and send a brief email to TRUnltd@aol.com requesting financial help.

“I’m just an artist” no longer cuts it when you make the move from page to paying audience – you must be the CEO of your brand!  In this groundbreaking half-day workshop we will look at how artists can successfully take on the challenging role of producer to generate their own opportunities. The ones who are most successful have to master a range of business skills, don a variety of hats, and learn to be expert jugglers.

Facilitators
Emileena Pedigo of The Show Goes On Productions, former managing producer of Midtown International Theatre Festival; and 
Bob Ost, writer-producer, executive director of TRU, will lead a terrific lineup of industry professionals. Guest speakers include: 

dramaturg/director/producer Cate Cammarata of CreateTheater.com; 
general manager/producer Lisa Dozier-King of LDK Productions (NYMF, Be More Chill, A Letter to Harvey Milk, The Crusade of Connor Stephens, Bedbugs the Musical, F#%king Up Everything, Sistas the Musical); 
production advisor/strategist and producer Blair Russell of Blair Russell Productions (Slave Play, off-Broadway’s long-running immersive Sweeney Todd) and Show Shepherd, a strategic theatrical development company;
entertainment attorney Lee Feldshon of Feldshon Law PLLC; 
marketing expert and omnipreneur Mathew Heggem; 
Dorothy Marcic of Dr. Dorothy Productions, self-producing writer (off-Broadway long-running Sistas!, This One’s for the Girls, Respect); and others TBA.

Curriculum:
12:45 – check-in

1:00 – 1:30 -“Why Are You Doing This?” with Bob Ost & Emileena Pedigo
If you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t know how to get there.
Aligning with a vision of your work.
Understanding your property and identifying your audience.
Building a Road Map and setting attainable S.M.A.R.T. Goals.
Adapting to the new virtual world: new technology, teams and audiences.

1:30 – 2:15 – “Legal Protections and Antidotes” with Lee Feldshon
Agreements: collaborator, options, contractors and more.
What you need to know when you ask for money. And what your responsibilities are.
Pre-existing and underlying rights, intellectual property protections.
New concerns in these virtual days.

2:30 – 3:00 – “Planning Ahead” with Blair Russell of Show Shepherd
Having a vision of what this play could be and how far it can go. 
Thinking and planning beyond your project (5/10 year plan).
How to plant the seeds for the next step.
The impact the pandemic has had on the development process.

3:00 – 3:30 – “Wearing Many Different Hats” with Dorothy Marcic
You are no longer “just an artist” – the different hats of any entrepreneur.
Keeping identities separate – know who you are in each situation.
Thinking in spreadsheets and understanding the business. 
Finding your team. It’s never a one-man show, even if it sometimes feels like it.

3:45-4:30 -“Knowing What You Need to Make It Happen” with Lisa Dozier-King
How your goals affect your choices (budget, venue, creative team and more).
Effective use of virtual performance for development.
The development options: table read, staged reading, showcase, festivals, cabaret and more.
How much do things really cost? How much should you pay people, & how to have those conversations? Including review of actual budgets.
The most uncomfortable ask: friends and family.
How to get help when you think you can’t afford it.
Developing leadership and management skills.
How to put together and manage your creative team.

4:30-5:00 – “Marketing, Promotion and Self-Promotion” with Mathew Heggem
Self-producing and branding in the virtual age.
Identifying your audience (Lean Startup Model).
The marketing basics: website, postcards, social media, TDF and papering.
Effective networking: creating brand ambassadors for your art.

5:15-5:45 – “Finding & Creating Opportunities” with Cate Cammarata
Producing virtually: platforms, unions and international reach.
Getting your plays out there in the world: licensing, and getting the most out of it.
Researching and booking tours.
Fringes and festivals.

5:45 – Keynote Speech

6:00 – Q&A/warmdown

*Curriculum is subject to change.

For more information, visit https://truonline.org/events/self-producing-2020/.

Theater Resources Unlimited
 
(TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, a twenty-seven-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of the arts. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.
 
TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught by prominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop business skills. TRU serves writers through the TRU Voices Play Reading Series, Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab.
 
Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by the Montage Foundation and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation.
 
For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit www.truonline.org.