This intensive program presents a comprehensive look at the many aspects of commercial theater producing. Throughout this course – which meets over fourteen Monday evenings from January 27th through May 4th – you’ll meet some of the most successful producers on Broadway as well as theater owners, Tony Award®-winning creatives, executives from Broadway’s top advertising and marketing agencies, and members of the theatrical legal community. This discussion-based and interactive course will introduce you to cutting-edge developments in commercial theater, provide you with a well-rounded understanding of the ins-and-outs of producing, and offers indispensable networking opportunities.
- Getting Your Theater is a discussion of theater agreements and getting the all-important venue for your production.
- Creative Paths and Building Teams dives into the process of moving a production forward and choosing personnel, including creative and marketing teams, to get to Broadway. It also explores different developmental paths and what might work for your show and why.
- An important topic for any producer is Dynamic Ticketing, the art of ticket inventory management to maximize grosses.
- There will be several sessions about How to Raise Money from investors and what you need to do to keep good relationships so you can return to them time after time.
- A general manager will explain Budgets, what the different parts are and how to make the most of the money you raise.
- Several sessions will deal with The Legal Aspects of Producing, focusing particularly on front money agreements, offering papers, and the author’s agreement.
Admission is limited to 27 participants who must be nominated by a working member of the professional theater community.
Applications and due dates TBA.
1 – 27 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:25PM Introduction and Course Overview
Tom Viertel, Commercial Theater Institute
Charlotte St. Martin, The Broadway League
8:25PM – 8:35PM Break
8:35PM – 10:00PM How to Produce
David Stone, Stone Productions
2 – 3 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:15PM Development Paths and Creating Teams
Marisa Sechrest, Altair Entertainment
8:15PM – 8:25PM Break
8:25PM – 10:00PM Author Agreement and Underlying Rights
Jason Baruch ,Sendroff and Baruch, LLP
2 – 10 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:25PM Royalty Pools
Sally Campbell Morse, Dodgers
8:25PM – 8:35PM Break
8:35PM – 10:00PM Front Money and Co-Producer Agreements
Michael Sinder, Law Offices of Michael Sinder
2 – 17 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:25PM Offering Papers
Steven Chaikelson, Columbia University School of the Arts
8:25PM – 8:35PM Break
8:35PM – 9:50PM Creating Your LLC
Sarah Galbraith, Galbraith & Co., Checks and Balances
9:50PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
2 – 24 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:15PM Budgets
Nina Essman, 321 Theatrical Management
8:15PM – 8:25PM Break
8:25PM – 9:40PM Hadestown Case Study
Mara Isaacs, Octopus Theatricals
9:40PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
3 – 2 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:15PM Care and Feeding of Investors
Steve Baruch, Scorpio Entertainment, Inc.
8:15PM – 8:25PM Break
8:25PM – 9:40PM The Mechanics of Investing
Amanda Harper, Foresight Theatricals
9:40PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
3 – 9 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:15PM Getting Your Theater
Nick Scandalios, Nederlander Producing Co. of America, Inc.
8:15PM – 8:25PM Break
8:25PM – 9:40PM Dynamic Ticketing
Brian DeVito, RCI Theatricals
9:40PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
3 – 16 – 2020
SKIPPED
3 – 23 – 20
7:00PM – 8:15PM A Conversation with Jack Viertel
Jack Viertel, Jujamcyn Theaters
8:15PM – 8:25PM Break
8:25PM – 9:40PM Diversity Panel
Arvind Ethan David, Prodigal Entertainment
Kendra Moore, Disney Theatrical Productions
Jackie Bell, Bell Arts Entertainment
Crystal Chase, AKA
Nella Vera (Moderator), BFV Management
9:40PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
3 – 30 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:30PM Advertising
Liz Furze, AKA
8:30PM – 8:40PM Break
8:40PM – 9:40PM Press
Leslie Papa
9:40PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
4 – 6 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:15PM Insurance
Bob Owens, The Owens Group
Jean Dennehy, The Owens Group
8:15PM – 8:25PM Break
8:25PM – 9:40PM Early Career Producing
Rachel Sussman
Christine Rae, HHWTS Productions
David Schwartz, Think System Productions
Tracey Knight Narang
Tom Viertel (Moderator), Commercial Theater Institute
9:40PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
4 – 13 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:15PM Touring
Orin Wolf, NETworks
8:25PM – 9:40PM The Team Behind Jagged Little Pill
Eva Price, Maximum Entertainment Productions
Vivek Tiwary, Tiwary Entertainment Group
4 – 20 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:15PM Working with Not-for-Profits
Neil Pepe, Atlantic Theater Company
8:15PM – 8:25PM Break
7:00PM – 8:15PM Script Development
Mandy Greenfield, Williamstown Theatre Festival
9:40PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
4 – 27 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:15PM Audience Development
Tory Bailey, TDF
8:15PM – 8:25PM Break
8:25PM – 9:40PM Settlements
Sammy Ledbetter, BFV Management
9:40PM – 10:00PM Class Group Discussion
5 – 4 – 2020
7:00PM – 8:25PM Why Produce at All?
Kevin McCollum, Alchemation Productions
8:25PM – 8:35PM Break
8:35PM – 10:00PM Graduation Ceremony & Group Discussion
Tom Viertel, Commercial Theater Institute
