Who Do You Think You Are?

This past week we continued investigating our individual values, management strengths and areas of interest. We had fantastic sessions with an assortment of professionals who took us through the analysis process of evaluating ourselves and understanding the skill sets needed for success in the world of producing theatre.

We will continue more detailed study of these subjects in the coming days. All of this will help us in deciding the type of projects we wish to produce and targeting the theatre companies that may offer us the most beneficial placements in the New Year.

The search for clarity and reflection of this nature is often a luxury when you’re full speed ahead in a working environment. Therefore, I am thrilled it is included in the course curriculum. Taking the time to review and understand myself now will strengthen confidence and benefit the decision making process in the future.

Group projects are starting to take shape. The amount of brainstorming this past week has resulted in a monsoon of creative ideas. Collaborative projects are being assigned at every turn. It is no surprise as to why. Working in theatre demands constant collaboration and teamwork. Even if you are doing a one-man show, there are probably at least a couple of other people involved on some level. It can make one nervous at first, having one’s grade at least partially dependent on other people but how about a million dollar, 100 person plus production opening on Broadway? That puts it in prospective. Just a little.

Coming up this week we meet more industry professionals, finalize themes and theses in some of these group projects and take in some new scripts at the Writers’ Night performances.

I’ll let you know how it goes. Until then, check out what’s happening at your local arts council.

Cheers!

-m 

Producing Possibilities and Southbank Sensations

The Producers-in-Training had a full week of activities at Central since I last posted.

Monday we met with Tim Jones from an organization called Future Cities. Future Cities facilitates the coming together of business, art and communities by producing events tailored to the individuals and organizations involved. These can take the form of art installations, festivals, culture sharing events and really anything the imagination can render. I had never really thought of using producing skills in this way. I am keen to learn more about Future Cities and the work they do. Luckily, Mr. Jones will be back to visit us again in the near future.

We also had a day with West End Theatre producer Julius Green. Mr. Green is a highly regarded industry professional who takes the time to educate aspiring producers like us by offering classes and workshops. He has even written a book on the subject, which I find user friendly and very informative. Mr. Green will also have an encore session later this term.

On Thursday the class met at Southbank Centre for a tour of the Royal Festival Hall and the attached galleries and public spaces. Southbank Centre was established in 1951 for the Festival of Britain, a time when the UK was recovering from World War II and the government wanted to promote the arts and sciences in Britain. The site has been through a several redesigns and updates over the years but still remains a vibrant location that draws internationally renowned artists and enthusiastic amateurs alike to their facilities. The public can attended any number of concerts, exhibits and classes programmed by the Southbank Centre or they can make use of the public spaces, where people often gather for informal meetings or impromptu dances.

Here are a few photos taken inside the Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre. This state of the art performance venue is one of the best in the world. Here it is set up for a concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra but the space can convert to many different configurations depending on the needs of the production. I am looking forward to coming back to Southbank and the Royal Festival Hall as a patron to see this amazing space in action.

We have another week of field trips and guest lectures ahead of us. Tune in next time for more Creative Producer adventures! Until then, take care and go see a show!

Cheers!

-m

The Stage of Royal Festival Hall

The Box Seats at Royal Festival Hall. Note the very special box with the crest above that is reserved for The Royal Family.

The view of the House from the Stage.

As you are coming and going from Southbank Centre, there is no doubt you are in London.

The Blog Is Back!

Well, I never thought there would be a sequel to Melanie’s Excellent Artistic Adventure but here we are starting a new adventure in London.

I just completed the first week of my new course at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. This world-renowned institution has offered me a place on their MFA Creative Producing course. Naturally, I accepted the challenge.

And what a challenge it will be. The schedule is jam packed with fantastic classes on the business part of show business. We will learn all about marketing, fundraising, legal obligations, contracts, hiring (sometimes firing), managing personnel, selecting material, booking venues and about a zillion other subjects and skills that go into creating, managing and selling a theatrical product.

Wait, what? Melanie, I thought you were an actor? Well, I am. That’s a chronic condition that never goes away. But, I have always been fascinated by and enjoyed working in other areas of the theatre industry. My history includes working in casting, front of house, play performance licensing, new play development, directing/coaching and production management. These past five years I have been doing more of those aspects and I really love it. I discovered this program at Central, which has always been a dream school of mine, and I jumped right out of my seat and applied.

So what is a Creative Producer? A producer by default has to be creative but in terms of the course, it means we will be exploring a large variety of production styles. We will cover the more “traditional” big theatre, big show styles like Broadway and the West End offer but, we will also look at festivals, guerilla theatre, immersive theatre and site specific, just to name a few. In regards to content, the course will cover new plays, revivals, performance art, musicals and more. Creativity is a must when considering all these variables.

But what does a producer do? A producer is the lead organizer of a show or event. She is responsible for finding and hiring all the team members needed to pull off the production, fundraising and budgeting and coordinating the logistics and legalities. Big job! You betcha. But a good producer is also a master delegator. She assembles a company to ensure all the jobs get done. Depending on the size of the show, the company can incorporate any number of people including production managers, accountants, designers, running crews, actors, marketing directors and everyone in between.

So what did I learn in my first week? I am going to need to buckle up and buckle down. There is a lot to do and all in a short amount of time. Lesson number one: Learn to manage your time so you can get it all done and stay sane. A very good lesson for any producer.

It’s going to be amazing…again! I’m ready! You coming?

See ya next week!
-m