Auditions

Actors are so nervous at auditions… and as a producer I have to laugh and shake my head.  The fact of the matter is that producers are far more nervous about auditions than you are.  Look at it this way:  if you blow an audition, you simply don’t get the gig and move on.  But if we blow the audition, the whole show’s a disaster.  We want you to be good.  In fact, we’re desperate for you to be good.  The show depends on it.

I was fortunate to have some fantastic auditions for this project.  And I’ve found there are things you can do to get better work out of your actors.  So I present to you a producer’s list of audition tips:

1.       Try to get a reader that’s a decent actor.

2.       Get the sides to your actors as EARLY AS YOU CAN.  As an actor, I’ve auditioned for shows where I got the sides exactly 1 day before the audition.  This is idiocy.  How can you except great work with only one day to prepare?  I like giving my actors at least a week and a half.  I know it’s not what’s commonly done.   But I want to be better than what’s commonly done.

3.       Send them the full script.  It only makes their work better.  If you’re embarrassed to send it, then you’re not ready for production.

4.       Writers may argue “but if I send them the full script they can pirate it!”  Nonsense.  And if you’re at the level where you’re worried about piracy then you don’t need my advice.

5.       Sometimes, when you send out the full script, you’ll get a few replies stating “due to unforeseen circumstances I won’t be able to make the audition.”  What they really mean is “I read the script, and it's not for me.”  Don't be alarmed.  This is a good thing.  You don’t want to hire an actor that doesn’t believe in the material, and this process weeds them out for you.

6.       Be super kind and supportive when they come in the room.  Actors are so nervous at these things, and they’ll do better work if you put them at ease.

7.       Don’t ever hold “open auditions.”  This leads to chaos.  Chaos leads to bad work.  Always schedule individual appointments.

8.       Don’t over book the day.  Rushed auditions never go well.  I like to give each actor an 8 to 10 minute timeslot.  This will turn into 15 minute timeslots after all the cancellations.

Contracts

Few things in life are absolute, but at some point in your production, you will encounter a written contract that you have to sign.  And most likely you’ll encounter more than one.  What to except and how to deal with them is an important aspect of theater production.

Contracts can be a little confusing, but you shouldn’t be intimidated by them.  My good friend Nick (who is a lawyer) explained it to me like this:  “There’s no special legal jargon that makes a contract official.  A law firm doesn’t have to write it to make it official.  A contract is simply a written agreement between two parties.  However, it’s important for a contract to be written with very specific language to protect both parties from unforeseen events.”  The specific language part is important because exceptions can and will come up.

Take a contract with the theater for example.  The basic gist is that you’re going to give them some money, and in exchange they’ll let you use their space for the show.  Sounds simple, right?  But what if they don’t lock their doors and your wardrobe gets stolen?  What hours are you allowed to be in the theater?  Are other productions allowed access to the space at the same time as you?  What are you required to have in terms of insurance?  What are you allowed to do in terms of set construction?  There are a LOT of exceptions that can come up, and it’s important for specific language to be in the contract that covers anything that can possibly happen.  That’s the advantage of having a theatrical lawyer look at a contract.  It’s their job to know about these exceptions, and make sure language is included that will protect your interests.

But more importantly, only deal with people you trust.  You want to deal with people whose interests are in line with yours.  You will save yourself a lot of headache if you follow that simple rule.  If they trust you (and you trust them) it will never come to the point where you’re arguing over contractual semantics.  And if you’re producing off-off Broadway this becomes doubly important, because you probably don’t have the money to afford a good lawyer.

Memoirs of a Photoshoot

A lot of shows don’t use photos to market themselves.  

That puzzles me.  

Statistically speaking, photos are far more effective than illustrations (any book on direct marketing will tell you that).  A good photograph gives the audience a sense of who your actors are and what their energy is like.  

Not to mention that most actors are good-looking people.  Why not take advantage of it?

            So we had a photoshoot and got a lot of good shots (and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters).  But it was hectic, and I learned a lot about what to do and how to better plan for next time.  I figure I’d share my experiences with any would be producers out there:

•  However long you think you’ll need to set things up – add about 20% more time.
•  If any set pieces are being moved via elevator, make sure to call beforehand to find out if said elevators are currently in operation (yeah – this one cost me a good 45 minutes lol).
• Having a good photographer who has experience with these sorts of shoots is VITAL (thankfully I did).
• Having good helpers with a can-do attitude is VITAL (thankfully I did)
• Feeding your staff is VITAL (thankfully I did J)
• If you’re constructing any sort of set, make sure you have a clear and specific plan on how to do it.  If you don’t, you’ll waste a lot of time.
• If you need liability insurance, make sure you find it well in advance or you will wind up paying out the nose.
• Sit down and talk to the hair and makeup artists, and let them know exactly what you want before they start working on the actors.
• If someone upsets you, take a deep breath and calm down before handling the situation.  Lashing out at someone never helps things, and 9 times out of 10 it was a simple misunderstanding.
• However long you think you’ll need to set things up – add about 20% more time (I’m not kidding on this one)

Wearing Different Hats

                In smaller productions (like mine), you will often find yourself wearing multiple hats.  In this particular show I’m wearing three.  I’m a writer, an actor, and a producer.  This is a lot of work, and while I feel I have the experience (and drive) to handle it, you have to be very careful and set up very specific boundaries.

                If you’re going to produce and act, then you need two things:  a good production manager, and a good director.  It’s very important that the other actors don’t see you as “the boss” during rehearsals.  The relationships you have in real life will carry over to the relationships you develop on stage, and unless you’re an authority figure in the play, this can be very very dangerous.  If you’re having a creative problem with one of the actors – get your director to handle it.  If you’re need to talk business, tell the production manager what needs to be said, and have him(or her) do it.

                Now if you’re going to write and act, that’s a different can of worms entirely.  The problem here is that when you write, you’ll usually have a specific vision for how things are supposed to be said and done.   This is great for writing, but terrible for acting.  Acting is all about experimenting and exploration.  If you come to rehearsal with preconceived notions of how things should sound and look, your performance will be completely flat.  You have to approach it like you would a script written by a different author, and be willing to try things that you didn’t intend.

Treat Them Nice

Almost everyone who works in the theater has one thing in common.  Unless you’re Brad Pitt (and Brad, if you’re reading this, that’s not a dig – I’m a huge fan), you’re most likely overworked and underpaid.

Theater is one of those industries where there just isn’t a lot of money to go around.  But in spite of all that, we work longer hours and we do it with a smile on our face.  I’m blown away by the work ethic of those around me.  It’s one thing if I work hard.  After all, it’s my baby, and I should work hard.  But to see someone else working like that in support of my dream?  It’s inspiring.  It makes me want to knock it out of the park.  Because not only does the audience deserve it – my cast and crew deserves it as well.

So why am I saying this?  Because if people are working this hard for practically nothing, the least you can do is treat them with some kindness.  They’re going the extra mile for you.  As a producer, you should go the extra mile for them.  Little things like saying “thank you” (or providing food and water at table reads) go a long way.  We’re not in this for the money.  Sometimes all we want is a little appreciation.

Having Fun

There are very few iron clad rules in theater.  But one thing I know for certain:  if you’re not having fun, neither is the audience. This sounds simple and obvious, but as with anything simple and obvious, there’s a real art to making it happen.  

Is the play you’re doing dark and emotionally draining?  All the more reason to crack jokes on set.  It’s not considered rude or disruptive.  On the contrary, it’s stimulating to the creative process, and relieves tension from yourself and the others around you.  The best actors I know are absolute clowns on set, and are a lot of fun to work with.  I can promise you they’re not doing it by accident.

If you find that you’re getting frustrated (whether it’s at a meeting or in a rehearsal) then take a break and do something silly.  Enjoy yourself.  Have a conversation with someone you like.  After all, if you’re not having loads of fun, then why are you doing it?  For fame?  For money?  Those are terrible reasons.  Do it because you love it :)

Time Flies

I remember when I was a kid.  I remember sitting at home waiting for my favorite cartoon to come on.   The wait would seem like an eternity.  And waiting for school to end was like slow moving water torture.  Time would not fly fast enough.  When I got older things changed a little.  Instead of waiting for cartoons, I’d wait for my paycheck or on an upcoming vacation.  In both cases neither seemed to arrive fast enough.

Since I’ve gotten into production, I don’t really have that problem.  In fact, it's the exact opposite.  I don’t have enough hours in the day.  Time goes by like a flash of lightening.  So plan ahead.  Give yourself more time that you think you need.  Especially if this is your first time.  I guarantee you you’ll use it.

Personally, I thought I’d need about three months to produce the play once the script was finished.  I gave myself six.  So far six has turned out to be just the right amount.

Personal Health

Acting and writing is hard work.  Throw a production on top, and it gets even harder.  For the last three months I’ve worked 16 hours days, six days a week.  That’s a burnout schedule.  But I still keep going.  No I’m not superman, but I take care of my body and that’s what gives me the strength to work this hard.

Good health is particularly important for actors.  Acting is a performance-based craft, which means it’s highly dependent on concentration and energy.  I like to compare it to sports. Sports figures don’t play well when they’re sick, and neither do actors.  So here are my tips to stay healthy while producing a show:

1. Eat right.  Eating right is so simple, and it blows my mind how little people pay attention to it.  Stick to fresh fruits, whole grains, fresh vegetables, and healthy meats like chicken and fish.  Stay away from processed foods, dairy, and sugar.  Particularly sugar.  Refined sugar (and this is a direct quote from a doctor) is the worst thing you can put in your body.  It’ll congest you, sap your energy, and destroy your concentration. It also keeps you up at night.
2. Exercise regularly.  When I run and work out, my concentration improves.  Concentration is a key component to great acting.
3. Sleep well.  Good sleep habits improve concentration.  We’re all different.  I need 7-8 hours to feel 100% the next day.
4. Stay away from booze and other mind altering substances.  Yes I live in New York City, and yes, I like to have a good time, but there is a time and a place for it.  That time and place is not waist deep in 18 hour days producing a show.
5. Do relaxation exercises.  Every day.  Less stress means more energy.  I like to do mine in the morning.

Nothing I’m saying is revolutionary.  This advice has been around for the last thousand years.  But it takes discipline.  And that discipline comes from your commitment to great work.

Insurance

In the realm of independent production insurance is often an afterthought.  It takes a big chunk out of an already small budget, and it’s an extra stack of paperwork on top of an already large pile.  But you need to have it – for your protection as well as the protection of the people who are working for you and patronizing your show.  What if during rehearsal an actor trips and breaks his leg?  What if the theater catches on fire and someone in the audience gets burned?  As a producer, you are liable for damages.  Doesn’t matter if it was an accident.  They will be coming to you for the hospital bills.  And if you don’t have insurance then you are SOL .  Not to mention that on a humanitarian level, I care about these people and want to make sure that their needs are taken care of.

With that said, there are a few different types of insurance that you need to be aware of:

• General Liability Insurance – coverage is usually between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000.  Basically, this is that insurance that covers random freak accidents that happen during production.  EVERY PRODUCTION SHOULD HAVE THIS INSURANCE.  Period.  In fact, most theaters won’t even let you in without showing them a general liability certificate.  As far as cost, it depends on how long your production is, but expect to pay between $300 - $400 for this coverage.
• Worker’s comp/Volunteer insurance – This is insurance that compensates your employees (or volunteers) if they get hurt on the job and can no longer work.  This insurance makes sure they get paid for lost wages.  Worker’s comp insurance depends on how many employees you have, but volunteer insurance usually runs around $175 a year.
• Equipment/Inland Marine coverage – this insurance covers you in case the show’s property is damaged or stolen.  For example, say the moving truck gets in an accident, and your $5,000 set it destroyed.  This insurance would compensate you for the losses.  Unfortunately, this insurance is rather expensive.  The actual premium depends on how valuable your property is, but most insurance companies charge a minimum of $500.  Sometimes the theater requires you to have it to protect themselves from possible liability, but unless you have some extremely fragile and valuable set/wardrobe pieces, I’d forego this insurance.

Organization

When I was younger, I had the good fortune of working for a very successful restaurant called Nobu 57.  For those of you who don’t know the name, Nobu serves high-end cuisine to a rich and famous clientele.  They make a lot of money.  Whenever I encounter a successful business model, I always take a closer look, and one thing at Nobu stood out – organization.  The place is run like a clock.  You will never find someone standing around doing nothing.  You will never find someone who doesn’t know what to do.  They waste very little resources.  They run it like a machine – almost to a fault.

Organization is at the cornerstone of any successful business model, and off-Broadway productions are no exception.  In fact, it’s even more important at the Off-Broadway level as we have fewer resources to work with than our big Broadway brothers.  This is all common sense, but it amazes me how rare it's actually put into place.  Think about it.  How many times have you been standing on a set doing nothing?  How many times have not known where to be or what to do?  As an actor, I’ve experienced this a lot, and I imagine it’s even worse for the tech crew.

So how do you implement good organization in your production?  The answer is in the planning, and the answer is in the details.  Take something as simple as a promotional photo-shoot.  Get the actors, get the photographer, and shoot the pictures – pretty simple, right?  Wrong.  If you approach it with this kind of mentality, the shoot will be a disaster, and what should have been a five hour job will turn into nine or ten.

Begin by asking yourself detailed questions about the event.  What’s a good location?  Do we want to have the set in the photos?  If so, how are we going to transport it?  If we’re going to transport it, who’s going to be doing the heavy lifting?  How much time should we allocate for setup?  How long will it take to break it all down?  How’s the photographer going to get his equipment there?  How are your actors going to get there?  What will they be wearing?  How will you get their wardrobe to the shoot?  Does the location have facilities for the actors to get dressed and put on makeup?  All of a sudden, you realize that something as simple as a photo-shoot requires a lot more planning, and if you think on these questions before hand, the end result is going to be that much better.

After you’ve answered said questions, begin to make a timeline of how the events should unfold that day.  Be liberal when you create this timeline – especially if you are planning something that you’re unfamiliar with.  If you think a task will take 25 minutes - allocate 35.  The last thing you want in a creative industry is for your cast and crew to feel pressured – it will show up in the work.  Once you finish the timeline, make sure everyone involved has a copy – that way everyone knows what to expect and where to be

Letting Go

I’ll admit it.  I'm a control freak.  If I could clone myself a dozen time to work on each and every aspect of the show - I’d probably do it.  I’ve always bought into the philosophy that “if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.”  This project means a lot to me on a personal level, and no one is going to treat it with the same level of care and commitment as I will.  I obsess over the smallest of details.  As a writer, I once spent thirty minutes deciding upon a single word.  That’s a half hour of work for one measly word.

And I’m telling you, as someone who aims for nothing less than perfection, you have to let it go.  You have to trust the people around you to do the job you hired them to do.  For one, talented people are not going to stick around if you’re telling them what to do all the time.  Everyone wants to feel like their contributions are valued - especially those who are good at it. 

And you know what?  When you do let go, the results will often surprise you.  Case and point:  I was working with my director (Jake Turner) and lead actress (Ydaiber Orozco) in an early rehearsal.  Jake asked me to do something that was totally different than what I had in mind when I wrote the script.  Jake has my complete trust and respect so I did what he asked.  And you know what?  It was a brilliant choice.  His idea was better.  If I had been stubborn and insistent I never would have found it.

Cutting Costs

Off Broadway shows don’t have a lot of money to work with.  Off-off Broadway shows have even less money to work with.  And when you produce a play, money evaporates at the drop of a hat.  At some point in the production, you’re going to have to make cuts – but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it.

The wrong way is to make a cut that will take away from the overall quality of the show.  For example:  if an actor needs a prop, article of clothing, or a particular set piece because it affects his behavior – that’s something you don’t want to cut.  It affects the overall integrity of the show.

One of the best ways to make a budget cut is to examine your game plan and look for unnecessary overhead.  A prime example was our promotional photography.  My idea for the photoshoot was thus:  put the set on an actual stage, and have someone take pictures of the actors doing the scenes.  So anyone who visits our website can get a glimpse of what the play will be like.  Good idea, but it incurs a lot of costs.  Renting a theater in Manhattan is very expensive.  To block one out for the whole day (even a cheap one) would be at least $500.  Plus my set is stored in Jersey City, so I’d have to rent a UHaul to move it.  With bridge tolls and gas fees a UHaul costs $200.  Then I have to pay the photographer which is another $600.  I also have to provide food for everyone, and with NYC grocery prices that’s 80 bucks.  In addition to the cost, moving a set from NJ to Manhattan is a logistical nightmare and I have to worry about getting stuck in traffic, having enough muscle, etc etc.  On top of all that, the storage facility closes at 7:30PM so the window I have to do this in is very slim.  My plan would cost at least $1,500 and a lot could wrong that day which would make the cost go up even further.

So after thinking about it I came up with a new plan.  I decided that instead of renting a theater in Manhattan, I would shoot the photos in Jersey City.  And I got lucky.  I found a loft that was perfect for what we were doing, and it was on the same block that I was storing my set in.  This makes load-in and load-out SO much easier, and I save $200 since I don’t need a UHaul.  Plus, space in Jersey City is a lot cheaper than Manhattan, so I saved a nice penny on that too.  And if that wasn’t enough, grocery prices are slightly better in NJ so I’m saving even more money!  All I have to do is throw up a black drape as a background, and it looks exactly like a stage.

Building a Set

How to build a set.  Or in the case of off Broadway, how to build a set for cheap.  At the Broadway level, there are companies that will design, build, and load-in your set all for a flat fee.  This could run you $10,000 for even the most basic of sets (to well over a million for something as complex as Spiderman) so for shows like us this isn’t really an option.  You have to build it yourself.

Never ever ever pay full retail price for a set piece.  Nine times out of ten someone is trying to throw away the very thing that you’re looking for.  Our set is more or less a studio apartment, which means we’ll need a stove, kitchen sink/cabinets, bed, dresser, bookshelf, and so-on and so-forth.  If we bought this stuff brand new, it would have cost us upwards of $4,000.  That’s a seventh of our budget.  Instead, we scoured craigslist for people trying to get rid of old furniture and saved a ton of money in the process.

When getting furniture for free, there are some logistical issues that you need to be aware of.  Where are you going to store it?  How are you going to transport it?  If you know someone with a truck and have access to a large warehouse, then you’re in great shape, but for those of you who don’t you’ll need to rent a UHaul and you’ll need to rent a storage space.  A UHaul will run about $150 for the day (you might as well budget $200 if you plan on feeding the people who’ll be doing the heavy lifting), and you can get storage space in Jersey City for $100 a month.  I choose to store my set in Jersey City for a few reasons.  One – it’s way cheaper than New York.  Two – I have very easy access to it via the Path Train.  And three – there are a lot of workshops in Jersey City that you can use to help build things and fine tune your set.

Something to keep in mind when building a set is the weight.  You want it as light as possible.  Anything heavy needs special attention which eats away time and money from your budget.  Also keep in mind that you’re going to have to throw all this stuff away (or find a place to store it) when you’re done.  So get creative.  Just to give you an idea, we got an old stove and realized it was too heavy.  So we ripped it apart (and I mean we literally dismantled the thing), and attached the face, top, and sides to a light wooden frame.  The result looks just like a stove, but weighs about a quarter of what it used to.

All in all our set cost about $1,500 to store and build.  An excellent price considering what it adds to the production.

Marketing 101

I think marketing is the biggest area that off-off Broadway could be improved upon.  It just isn't done very well at this level, and I can tell you right now, if your entire campaign revolves around Facebook and inviting your friends – then you're probably in some trouble.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t use Facebook.  It’s totally free, and it’s a great way to let friends and family know about the show.   At the end of the day though, that’s not the primary group you want to be selling tickets to.  I can illustrate this better with the following example:

A friend of mine is a comedian.  Every time I see him, he gives me a post card for his latest comedy show.  They’re really nice postcards.  I imagine they cost around $1 each.  He’s given me about ten or so.  That’s $10 worth of marketing materials.  And do you know how many times I’ve seen his show?  Once.  And it was a free ticket.  $10 of marketing material for a zero dollar return.  That’s a failed marketing campaign if I ever saw one.  Now, my friend is actually a really good comedian.  I can’t stop laughing when I’m around him.  So why did this fail?  He was marketing to the wrong person.  As much as I like him, I'm just not interested in a comedy show.  It’s just not my thing.  If someone doesn’t like comedy shows, don’t spend money trying to convince them otherwise.

The same applies to theater.  The reality is most of your friends simply aren’t interested in theater.  If they show up it’s because they like you and want to show their support.  So while you should use free things like Facebook (and email) to market to your friends, don’t waste money on expensive postcards.  They're either going to support you or they're not.  So that leaves us with two questions.  Who should you market to, and how do you go about finding them? 

One of the great things about New York City is that we have a built in community of millions who love theater, and are willing to buy tickets on a regular basis.  THAT is who you should market to.  Most of these people want to see your show, you just have to let them know about it.  Market to people who require minimal effort and spending to convince.

So where do you find these people?  Well… where do you think?  What sort of publications/blogs to these people read?  The NY Times is the obvious answer, but if you're producing an off-off Broadway show you probably don’t have it in your budget to advertise there.  And while you may not be able to afford expensive print ads, you have no reason not to invite the critics of those publications to your show.  Right now, we have a list of 60+ critics who write/blog/etc about theater in NYC.  We’re inviting them all.

Inviting critics is great, but it's an indirect way to contact your audience, and it's always better to reach them directly.  So, again, where do find people who are interested in theater?  Well… they’re at the theater seeing shows of course!  Think about it.  If you’re going to give out postcards, wouldn’t it make more sense to hand them out as people exit an off-Broadway show?  If you don’t want to be that intrusive, you could just leave some cards in the lobby.  You could take it a step further, and be selective about the shows you hand these out at.  If you’re producing a musical, it would make more sense to market to people who’ve seen Wicked as opposed to Summer and Smoke.  Furthermore, you can contact the ticketing companies, and they will provide you with a large list of people who want to hear about new shows.

What I’ve described in the above paragraph is called “direct marketing,” and it’s one of the best ways to market an off-off Broadway show.  There are several good books on the subject, and you should take a look at them if you want to produce.

Choosing a Theater

To me, the word “theater” encompasses many different art forms.  It’s a live audience watching a live performance.  Sports are a form of theater.  The circus is a form of theater.  Ballet is a form of theater.  And of course, the traditional play or musical is a form of theater as well.  My point with all this is that theater can take place in many different arenas.

So where should yours take place?  It’s a question that deserves some serious thought.  Cost is obviously a consideration.  Location too.  You also want to look at the quality of the facilities.  You need a place where creative work can flourish.  That means you need a place where the actors can feel comfortable and relax.  You also want the audience to feel comfortable.  Walking into a really nice lobby with a box office is a different experience than walking into a black box in the back room of a local dive bar.

I scouted about a dozen theaters for this show.  It was kind of like a Clint Eastwood movie.  Some were good, some were bad, and some were downright ugly.  I’m not going to mention any names, but some of these places were a complete disaster.  I saw a dressing room in one that looked like a grenade went off.  Mirror was broken in several places, and there was trash all over the floor.  In another one, all the chairs were busted and uncomfortable to sit in.  You could have the best show in the world, but if they’re squirming in their seats they’re not going to enjoy it.  Another theater had poor feng shui.  The lobby was a dimly lit corridor with rusted paint on the walls and nowhere to sit.  It was kind of depressing.

We chose Atlantic Stage 2 for several reasons.  One, it’s phenomenally well-kept.  Everything is clean, everything is nice.  Two, it’s in a central location with access to every major subway line.  And three, the actual technical equipment and facilities are fantastic. It only has 99 seats, but it's an off-broadway class theater.  There is an actual lobby with a box office.  The dressing rooms have private showers.  We have a full light plot and an advanced sound board.  Audience seats are comfortable and the acoustics are great.  There’s not a bad seat in the house.  It’s a real theater.  When you come there to see a show there it’s exciting.  You expect something good to happen.

Atlantic Stage 2 is a lot more expensive.  But it’s worth it.  Creative work is going to flourish a lot more in a space like that.  And I think NYC theatergoers are aware of that fact.  I have a feeling we'll get a better turnout because of it.

Introduction

One of my very favorite Broadway producers (Ken Davenport) came up with a novel idea:  He started a blog and wrote about his day to day production activities in Godspell.  It was very educational and an absolute pleasure to read.

I’d like to do the same thing with my show.  Only there’s one difference.  Ken is a Broadway producer.  My show is going up at Atlantic Stage 2 which is a 99 seat theater in Chelsea.  I have to work within budget constraints that Broadway doesn’t worry about, so the advice in this blog is a lot more applicable to productions of that scale.  So if you want to produce a show, and you don’t have tons of cash  – you’ve come to the right place.

But before I begin, a little background on what we're doing.  It’s a new play called A Hole In His Heart, and it’s written by yours truly.  We're opening January 20^th, 2012 and performances will be held at Atlantic Stage 2 on 330 West 16th Street.

I’ll do my best to update this blog on a daily basis.  I’ll talk about marketing, development, casting, contracts, wardrobe, and anything else you can think of.  In particular, I’ll spend a lot of time on marketing (as I feel that this is one area that off-off-Broadway can really improve upon).  And if there’s a particular topic you’d like me to write about, please feel free to email or post it in the comments section.