MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: The Mission Theatre Closes (Even The Best Productions Can Go Under) - Part I

Uhhhh...what happened?

Recently I listened to this WGN segment discussing how TJ & Dave's "theatre inside a theatre" The Mission was closing at the end of the month.  I was sad to see that another performance space dedicated to the artforms I love close, but at the same time I thought, "Wow.  It took this long for it to  happen?"

Let me explain.

iO Chicago Expansion Doubts

When iO Chicago lost its well-worn space in Wrigleyville (the tourist magnet of a neighborhood located around Chicago's beloved Wrigley Field), I was very dubious about its future.  I had heard owner Charna Halpern had plans to go even bigger with her theatre beyond the two theatres that operated in the old space with 4 stages, a huge bar, and a lounge that tied it all together.  With the economy on a rebound and the fact that Chicago's popular comedy scene has been beyond a saturation point where everyone was struggling to draw audiences, the thought of having a new sprawling comed-o-plex seemed to me to be the wrong thing at the time.

Then I heard about having a seperate theatre called The Mission located inside the iO building. My first reaction was, "Uhm, sooooo, basically it's a stage where TJ & Dave decide what productions go on it?  Is it really a separate theatre or is it just an extension of iO with TJ & Dave programming it."  I thought it was a horrible idea.  The Mission was going to use the same ticketing system/box office iO, was located at iO, and surrounded by iO community.  Sooooo, how isn't this an iO endeavor?

TJ & Dave themselves are household demi-gods of the improv community and are respected actors in their own right but other than the frequent Sonic commercials showcasing their talents, who outside of our make-em-ups bubble knew these guys by name?  The TJ & Dave lore would be enough to draw those of us in-the-know but actors alone cannot keep a theatre running.  I found this arrangement really odd and unnatural.

Believe it or not, I was actually rooting for iO and The Mission to be successful.  Having more opportunities to produce original work was good for everyone in the scene and even though there were doubts on my side, I obviously am not operating at a theatre-owner level (yet) so there are probably economics and politics beyond my purview that could contribute to its success. 

I Was Proven Wrong - For The Most Part... 

Everything iO had planned for pretty much came true.  The space was gorgeous, the bar/lounge was incredibly comfortable and inviting, and the stages were superb.  The place was alive with activity both from a training and production perspective.  People really liked being there and loved calling it home.  However, one area never seemed to get a buzz was The Mission. I never heard anyone else talk about The Mission.  With everything else going on in that building, I had no reason/want to go check out a Mission show.  My feeling was that either it was doing so well that a non-disclosure Fight Club-like rule had been implemented or people had yet to really discover it. My curiosity never got the best of me to go check it out.  I couldn't even tell you what the mission of The Mission was.  I just chalked it up as "TJ & Dave's theatre".

After listening to excellent and very candid interview,  it looks like The Mission suffered from the same problems many improv/sketch-related productions:

• Lack of cohesive marketing/confusing brand identity.
• Trying something "new" in an over-saturated market.
• Not having the buy-in from the non-actor community.

It was refreshing to hear discussion regarding the business side of theatre for a change.   This painful but needed part of the industry is an often looked over aspect of many black-box productions.  In Part II, we'll delve into each of these issues affecting all of us starting from The Mission's vantage point.

Asking Questions In Improv

DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS!

That axiom was drilled into my head during my training a billion times.  It was a "rule of improv" that I worked REALLY HARD on following.  The spirit behind the rule was that basically questions in a scene require additional effort to work and most of us are not well equipped to handle that additional thought expenditure on the fly; thus, the scene goes downhill quickly.  Questions also put into jeopardy the reality that has been established in the scene depending on the line of questioning.  Again, if you don't have the skill in playing with questions, the scene will go downhill as actors get confused and  waste time on stage trying to figure out what's going on.

A popular improv game called "Questions Only" forces participants to speak their dialogue using questions only.  It's very popular on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"  Two teams of people send up a player to begin a scene based on a location provided by the audience.  As the scene progresses, the first one to make a statement (vs. a question), ask a question that doesn't make sense, or do nothing at all loses.  The winning team's player stays on stage continuing as the character they were playing before and the losing team sends up a new player and establish a new scene.  The new scene exists in the same world created through out the game.  Easy enough, right?

Wrong.

Most of us who improvise suck at this game because of our training to avoid questions like ebola.  The true goal of the game is to actually lead the conversation somewhere with questions.  Questions must be specific and have a direction.  Asking things like "Who are you? What do you want?" don't really  push the scene along because they require the actors to first agree to what the reality the scene is going to exist in and then determine wants, needs, & relationships.  That's a lot of valuable time as a viewer to suffer through.  Instead, just like in our standard statement-driven scenes, if the actors start out pretending they already know each other and know what they want, the reality is cemented quickly and the game of questions can truly be heightened.  For example, if the location is a train and we're watching two actors:

Conductor: "May I see your ticket?" (establishes "who" - one is a train official, the other a passenger)
Passenger: "Oh, I need one to ride the train?" (<--establishes "where")
Conductor: "Didn't you read the terms and conditions when you bought it?" (<-- establishes "what")
Passenger: "Where were they posted?"
Conductor: "How the heck did you get on this train?!" (<-- establishes "why")
Passenger: "Did you know how lax your security measures are?"
Conductor: "Do I look like the NSA., buddy?"

Passenger: (in fear, starts looking around): "WHERE'S THE NSA?!!!"

...

Even though there were a lot of questions, the scene breaks down as follows:
Who - Conductor and Passenger
What - Conductor is confronting a stowaway

Where - On a Train

Why - Conductor is doing his job

Notice in this scene, we didn't ask where we were or what the scene was about.  We implied what it was in our questions.

This game is VERY hard and requires a lot of practice.  I have people in my groups who have worked years in improv and still suck at it. it definitely requires a lot of reps.

So, don't be scared of asking questions in your scenes.  Do your best to have those questions go somewhere and you won't be considered a pariah on stage ;-)

Show 'Em What You're Workin' Wit'!

I was at a show recently to take in the finer points of classic theatre.  There was a pretty decent crowd in the seats and a lot of buzz going on about how good the show was.  It got a couple of good reviews, had a large cast, and been adapted for modern sensibilities.  The lights dropped and the play began.  As the play went on, I noticed nobody recording nor snapping action shots from the show.   I then pulled out my trusty smartphone and started snapping away (I'm cursorily involved in their promotional efforts).

This scenario is VERY common in theatre shows.  It shouldn't.  Here's one of my philosophies:

"You must ALWAYS be doing something even if you're doing nothing."

Document Your Journey

I was part of a theatre company that for a number of years had only done 2 runs a year.  Now, that doesn't sound too bad until you realize that out of 365 days of opportunities, we only showed the public our hard work only 8-12 times.  I would meet up with friend and colleagues at different times and would hear things like:

"Oh, you guys are still around?"

"What are you guys doing?"

"When's your next show?"

"I couldn't tell you the last time I saw one of your shows."

This feedback got me thinking, "Cot damn it! We've been working hard all year! Our efforts are summed to people only by our shows.  People think we're sitting idly by until we have a show.  Let's take them along for the ride!"

I began taking and posting pictures of every single thing we were doing: rehearsals, meetings, phone calls (yes, phone calls), prop shopping, etc.  I encouraged my colleagues to do the same (hardly anyone did it).  My ensemble started questioning my motives behind such an influx of media coming out.  Was it to satisfy my narcissism?  Was I getting paid to do so?  Was I more interested in promotion than working?  No (well, mostly no).  I instinctively knew that if the theatre company didn't do that, we might as well not exist in the public eye.  We had to show them that even if we weren't performing, i.e. "doing nothing", we still needed to show them the prep work behind our outings, i.e. "We actually *are* doing something!"

Generate A Buzz

Another item that I too often see groups miss out on is having media when press asks for it.  I see requests for:

• Group photo
• Action shots
• Logos
• Video clips

By documenting your process, you can knock out all of these items pretty easily when asked for it, because you have been doing it the entire time!

Hire A Pro (If Possible)

We're all capable of whipping out our phones and snapping a ton of blurry pictures to share with the world.  If your team has access to a professional videographer and photographer, hire them!  In a best case scenario:

• You get someone who knows what they're doing and will be able to get your quality shots of your work.
• It frees up your cast & crew from having to worry about this.
  
  Note: I would STILL encourage them to snap a few pictures here and there just to supplement what the pro would be giving the group.  It's a way of tiding the people over with some instant gratification until the pro media is posted up.

Offer to pay these people *something* for their effort.  Pass the hat around and collect a few bucks from everyone in the cast and crew.  Offer them free tickets to the current or future shows.  Bake them cookies.  Detail their car.  Take care of your media people as they can help make your production seem even more professional just by doing their job.

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You work hard for your art.  Show everyone what you're working on.  If you've got additional ideas as to how to keep interest in your art, comment down below!

The Rule of Two

Some of my beginner improv students recently saw a 3 team improv show at a well-known Chicago blackbox theatre.  I asked them what they liked/didn't like about it.  The best comment I heard was:

"Well, it was kinda weird being, you know, one of 4 people in the place that weren't performing."

Play For Something!

When you're playing in a theatre, you want butts in seats.  Not only do you want them there for financial reasons but also to give the actors on stage something to play for.  Some additional comments were:

• "It must be hard to play your best when you don't have the audiences' energy to feed from."
• "Actors broke character when they'd look out into the crowd and see nobody there.  They didn't take it as seriously as they would've with a full house."
• "The only one laughing at anything was me because, well, I felt like I had to."

These are all fantastic observations.  I've seen (and been in) shows where practically nobody shows up and they are the *BEST* shows of a given run, but those shows are few and far between.  The odds are against you pulling off those types of "miracle shows", because we as artists draw the vibes from our audiences. When people walk into a nearly empty theatre, their first thoughts are,

"Oh my.  Nobody's here.  This show is probably gonna suck."

I'm not saying they're right; I'm just saying that's a popular thought. Many of us are susceptible to half-assing our efforts on stage and not playing well for small houses because,

"Well, why should I give them everything if nobody's here to watch it?"

How do you combat this?

The Rule of Two

How do you know you have a good house?  The most quoted rule of thumb I've heard is:

"As long as you have more people in the audience than on stage, then you've got a good house."  

I disagree.  My rule is

"As long as you have twice as many people in the audience than on stage, then you've got a good house".  

Here's why.

If you have 30 people in your cast and you have 31 paying patrons in the audience, you've satisfied the generally accepted minimum of attendees but the audience is going to say "Man, they sure do have a lot of actors in this thing. I would think more people would be here to see it."  An 80 seat blackbox theatre with 31 people in it for a 30 person production is going to look a bit pathetic.

However, if each actor had least 2 people to come out each night to see them, then the audience is going to look proportional for the amount of talent on stage.  Back to our example.  If you have 30 people in your cast with 60+ paying patrons in an 80 seat theatre, you're increased the probability of having a very fun, entertaining show.
 
So, when you invite people out to see your show, work a tiny bit harder to get ensure you've got your minimum 2 people come out.  Give yourself (and your team) something to play for.

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P.S.    I do realize I am ignoring some factors such as seating capacity and extreme numbers of cast members in the production (1 or 2).  A one-man show having 2 people in the audience in an 80 person venue isn't exactly a success to most.   My rule is for productions that have 5-20 actors on stage in totality.

Hey D*ckhead - Be Grateful

I recently got the chance to march with ComedySportz Chicago (CSz) in the Chicago PrideFest 2014 parade.  Having never been on the other side of the parade partition, I was stoked to be a part of a Chicago staple.  I also was stoked to just be part of the CSz inner family for a little while.  Lots of love was shown by all involved.  It got me so gooey on the inside by the experience that I started realizing just how many more people were truly involved in me being there:

• CPF people for organizing the event.
• The businesses who paid/got invited to be in pride
• The media covering the story to make it even bigger and better by having people come out.
• The City of Chicago workers who approved the permits, arranged the emergency personnel to be on standby, provided logistical paths on the busy streets of Chicago for the parade, etc.
• CSz people who organized our contribution donated their time, money, effort, and vehicles for the cause.
• The people who stood by on the parade path and yelled, screamed, and acted nuts in support of Pride.

...and a litany of  others I'm probably not aware of.  I was so grateful I thanked as many of the police officers standing along the parade route for the job they were doing.  It was cool to watch their bored, hardened faces light up at a simple "thank you".  It made me wonder how often they truly hear that in their daily lives.  My guess would be not a whole lot.

Thank Your Everyone In Your Production

Just like my experience above, the same rule applies to your theatre productions.  There is no *ONE* person that makes or breaks a production.  It truly is a team effort.  Thank each and everyone one of the people you encounter along the way.  Even if that person did something relatively trivial like standing around a door to make sure nobody came backstage, thank them anyway.

Producing is a very thankless job when it should be considered just as important as the ultra-talented actor on stage singing her "I Wish" number downstage.  There are people who handle contracts, fundraising, costumes, props, transportation, set design, lighting, sound, musical duties, stage management, audio & video recording/editing, marketing, directing, and multiple other things that aren't outright noticeable when watching the show on stage.  However, without those people, those actors on stage wouldn't be where they are soaking up the limelight.

So, don't be a d*ckhead when you're part of a show.  Thank your cast & crew top to bottom the whole way there.  Support your success by recognizing and appreciating those who helped make it possible.

5 Stupid Excuses To NOT Promote A Show.

How many times have you spent precious months finding a great venue, assembling a competent crew, director, and cast, rehearsing your show, drawing up expensive posters/flyers, blasting announcements on social & traditional media just to play to nearly empty houses each night?  If you're in independent blackbox theatre, this unfortunate scenario plays more often than not.

As we all should know, *promotion* is just as important piece of an overall production as any other.  However, I've commiserated with my fellow producers over many heavy drinks and cheesecakes at the local restaurant as to just how badly people forget this when they're part of a show.

I started asking myself, "What reasons would someone have to *NOT* promote their show?"  I promote absolutely everything I'm a part of.  Perhaps it a lack of shame, pride, or self-respect, but my philosophy is "why be a part of something that showcases my talents just to not let anyone know I'm actually doing so?"

Here are five reasons given to me by multiple sources obtained in a very non-scientific way - crowd-sourcing:

• "The show's not very good."
• "I'm in a bunch of shows at the moment."
• "That's not my job."
• "I've only got a small part in the show."
• "I don't know how."

...and here's my response to each one of them. Let's go!

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The Show's Not Very Good

This by far is the most common reason I've come across (especially amongst actors).  It's difficult to pinpoint just what makes a show "bad".  Perhaps the material isn't that strong or the director's difficult to work with or the actor feels the set is subpar and cheap; there are a million reasons as to why a production may not be very good - so - why add to that?

Here's what I mean.

If you're in a show that isn't very good, there are probably others in the production that may feel the same way.  Sitting on your heels lamenting its inadequacies isn't going to make the production any better.  You not feeling it's a good production isn't going to magically go away especially when *NOBODY* shows up to your show due to your disengagement.

Be a part of the solution.  Go up the chain of command and begin making your concerns known.  Be constructive.  Don't just list out everything wrong with the show and not have solutions for them.  I believe throwing stones at your glass house of a production is only going to send very sharp shards back your way.  Be ready to commit yourself to having a successful production not only for that run but for yourself.  Those in charge should also be ready to welcome anyone willing to help things better for everyone involved.  Make the show better by *being a part of the solution* to make it better. 

At this point, you should have no reason to not promote the show.  If you're spending time, money, and energy to be part of an artistic showcase, give yourself a reason to want to make the experience worthwhile to share with the world.  Otherwise, you should be honest with yourself, quit immediately, and stop wasting everyone's time for something your heart's not into. 

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I'm In A Bunch Of Shows At The Moment.

 

There are so many things wrong with this excuse so I apologize if I go a bit on a tangential rant as a take another antacid to soothe my Producer's Ulcer.  This excuse is normally followed up by a variation of "I don't want my people to get exhausted by seeing so many of my shows and then end up coming to none of them."  What this really means is:

• "This show is not as important as the other shows I'm in.  It's not worth my time to promote it."
• "I'm over-committed and, thus, me promoting the show is too much to be asked for."
• "I really like to doing dress rehearsals a lot for empty houses.  Promoting the show would negate that part of theatre life I enjoy!"

What producers are looking for here is ownership and equality of promotion, i.e., *promote ALL of them at the same level*.  If you're pushing people to come to one of your many projects, push for them to come all you're involved in.  If you don't promote one, don't promote any.  If you want to target which people come to which shows to alleviate overwhelming them, strive to have generically same number of potential attendees for each production.

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That's Not My Job.

B*TCH!!! IT IS YOUR JOB!

You are part of a unit.  You can't be JUST the stage manager or JUST the director or JUST an actor.  If you don't do it for the greater good of the production, then do it for yourself - because when you actually engage, you're really always doing it for yourself.

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I've Only Got A Small Part In The Show. 

The cliche of "There are no small parts, only small actors" rings true when I hear this.  What you're really saying is "Unless I have a significant role to play in the show, the show itself is not good enough  to see on its own merit; so, therefore, I'm not going to waste time on promoting this."

As most actors should know, even if you have a not-so-featured role in a show, you should try to *ROCK* that part to the fullest.  By doing so, sometimes it's the best, most memorable part of a show!  And if you don't promote the show and people don't see it, how can you capitalize off it?!!

Don't miss out on an opportunity to showcase those 3 lines of dialogue.   Feel free to add a disclaimer about your involvement in the show to those friends and family you do invite to the show.  When marketing to a great audience, no need for disclaimers.  Get the butts in the seats so that when you make your cameo entrance, a lot of eyeballs saw that!

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I Don't Know How

You know how to operate a web browser, phone, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, bulletin boards, and the local water cooler but cannot fashion a method to tell anyone about your show?!  C'mon...

OK.  Let's say you truly don't know how to promote a show.  Take it upon yourself to ask others how to do so (you're reading this blog, right?) and begin executing your plan of promotion.  If you just give this excuse and have no follow through, it comes off unprofessional and disingenuous to others. Step your promo game up!

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There you have it, folks.  Invest time into promoting yourself by promoting your productions.  I hope it leads to full houses and more success down the road!  No excuses!

How To Handle Reviews (Especially Bad Ones)

Alec Baldwin posted up on HuffPo an opinion piece regarding how Broadway has changed.  After reading it, I felt I had to share some advice to my fellow producers as to how to deal with reviewers and how to deal with the consequences of having been reviewed.

Getting Reviewed In The First Place
Press releases are the key to getting reviewed.  I would also venture to say that you should ask one of your colleagues to write a small review on your behalf.  I'll leave it up to you as to whether you want them to be honest or biased; either way, you can still get a little bit of "press" during your run that may get picked up elsewhere.

A lot of the time, a reviewer comes out based on merely title alone.  I feel the show I wrote El Mari-ChiChi:A Robert Rodriguez Burlesque for Gorilla Tango Burlesque got reviewed due to the multiple pop culture references in the title - basically boiling down to "boobs", "Robert Rodriguez", and "Desperado".  My Brat Pack: The Musical got reviewed for the same reason.  Have a kitschy title and you may well be on your way to getting someone to come out and write about the show.

How To Deal With The Reviewer
Many of the times, I'd find out about the reviewer coming to the show the day before or the night of by the theatre.  TIME TO FREAK OUT?!  No.  The cooler you are about this the better.  Do the following to make sure you've done everything you can to influence the odds in your favor to get a good review:

• Ensure the reviewer has two complimentary tickets (comps).  Many reviewers don't like going to see a show by themselves.  Call the box office as soon as you find out they're coming to set this up.  Reconfirm that the tickets are available once you arrive to the theatre.
• Do not contact the reviewer to discuss any show particulars prior to the show.  It looks like you're trying too hard.  If you wish, drop them a quick, brief email letting them know you've set their comps up and that you look forward to reading what they thought of the show.  That's it.  No more!
• If you can afford it, comp them on some concessions.  Let the staff know who the reviewer is, what they look like (try to find out as quickly as possible), and that a certain amount of what they want is either free or will be purchased by the production.  Let this be a surprise to the reviewer once they go up and get a drink or some snacks.  It'll hopefully buy you some brownie points towards a good review.
• Let go once they arrive.  Hopefully the talent put into the show will be apparent and be judged fairly.  There's nothing you can do to get a good review beyond what I mentioned above.  If the show sucks to begin with, no amount of free M&Ms and beer will change their opinion(ok, well, maybe with enough beer...)

To Tell Or Not To Tell - That Is The Question
Generally there are two rules of thoughts regarding telling the cast you have a reviewer in the audience.  On one hand, many actors have never been reviewed and allow their performances to be affected because they are either scared about how they're going to be perceived on stage or overcompensate to make sure the reviewer writes about them.  On the other hand, it may motivate the actors to put on a better show and draw a more supportive crowd.  As a producer, you want all of your shows to be the consistent night to night.  Talk to the director and get their thoughts on how the actors are going to deal with the news of having a reviewer in the audience.  If they think the cast can handle the news and it would only help the production, then it's probably ok to let them know the reviewer is there.

If you choose to not tell your actors about the reviewer, be aware the decision could come back to haunt you.  Some actors get upset not being told every minute detail about what's going on with the production.  You may get accused of "hiding things" from the actors which isn't good for morale.  Luckily, I don't believe anyone has every come back to me with this but I've always been cognoscente of the possibility.

Dealing With The Aftermath
So, the reviewer came, the show went on like it was supposed to, and now you're scouring the internet looking for the review.  Be prepared for what you might find.

If the review turns out to be not bad (yes, "not bad"), you can probably share the article.  By "not bad", I mean that the reviewer wrote something that doesn't completely destroy the chance of someone coming out to see your show based on that review.  If you say "eh, not bad" after reading it, it's probably okay to share with the others.

If the review turns out to be good, SHARE THAT WITH EVERYONE AD NASEUM!  Good press is good press so take advantage of it!  See if you can use that good press to land more shows or an extension of your current run.

If the review turns out to be bad, you may want to leave it alone and allow the others to search for it on their own.  Depending on whether or not you told them about the reviewer, it may not be found until your run is over.; this case is atypical unfortunately.  I've had actors forward links of bad reviews to the entire cast attached with angry verbiage like "THIS IS SOME BULLSH*T!" or "THEY DIDN'T EVEN WATCH THE SHOW WE PUT UP!".  Be prepared to provide words of encouragement and civility to the cast so that the review doesn't destroy morale. I'm not saying you should blindly contradict anything they say about your show, but rather be prepared to take those comments in and process them. 

After your review, you may want to think about changing your show to either expand on the good things mentioned or "fix" the bad things swimming around in your head.  My advice is to make almost no changes to your show as far as content, casting, blocking, and direction.  The show is what it is.  However, if you determine you may need some pick-up rehearsals to improve the execution of the show, that'll probably make for a better show.  Changing things at this point to appease one person's opinion is fool hearty and will probably result in an inconsistent show at best.

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As entertainers, we want everybody to like our work.  Not everybody will.  Produce a show that speaks to the facts of your vision instead of playing to somebody else's opinions.

Got any other useful tips handling the review process?  Let us know down below in the comments or hit us up on Twitter (@nvgdesign) with your ideas.

When You Need To Know Who's Who In What

Civilians (non-producers) tend to like to give me their thoughts on what they think improv is all about: 

• It's stand-up comedy. 
• That Drew Carrie show thing, right? Whose Line? I watch it all of the time on TV. 
• Where you make EVERYTHING up! 

Contrary to popular belief, there's a lot of structure around improv shows.  We spend an inordinate amount of time learning how to create different pre-determined forms and structures in which we improvise the content.  As part of these forms we have to also think about the production of the show itself.

To have a successful show, we need to be able to execute the forms in a show within the timeframes we're allotted.  We also need to consider who else is playing on the same bill as they could have a form similar to the one we wish to present.  We also need to consider what kind of crowd we're playing to.  Are we playing for a "bar" crowd?  Does the audience want more "refined" humor?  Factor in all of these items, the percentage of improv that's being executed in the overall production is actually in the minority compared to all of the preparation just to set up the conditions to improvise on stage.

Most of the time, I know the answer to most of the important details going into a show:

• Who's producing the show?
• What time is the official call for the teams?
• What's the location of the show?
• Who's on the bill?
• What's the after-show activities?
•  What promotion will be done by the host and what needs to be done by the participants?

When I don't know this information, I find performing a little bit nerve-racking.  i'm typically the point man going into shows so my actors come to me asking me all of these questions.  If I don't have a ready answer, they tend to get in their heads which in turn puts me in my head because I'm now worried if I'm going to get a good performance out of my actors and worried as well if I'm going to be out of my head enough to perform well.  ARGH!

I tell the civies about these thoughts and they come back with "Well, it's improv right?  Just improvise!"  Perhaps that's a valid point.  It should be about improvising but producing is much more about planning for the expected and unexpected.  In these scenarios, the more planning and communication performed, the better.

What are some of the details you need to know going into a performance to make you feel comfortable to give your best?  Share you ideas int he comments below or hit me up on Twitter at @nvgdesign.

P.S.  In a future blog, I'm going to explore how improvising can be an important tool to keep in the back pocket of aspiring producers.

Everything Is A Networking Opportunity

Ever heard that "it's a small world in theatre"?  It's true.  You can be in a major metropolitan city or small town and eventually, you will know just about everybody "in the scene".  It's important that you maximize every interaction you have with people so that you can take advantage of your relationships to make something happen when the time is right.  It'll make your personal journey to success a lot easier if you learn to do so.


When I first started acting, it was a side hobby that was just for fun.  While people in my Intro to Improv classes were talking about how they would be on the Second City Mainstage in less than a year, I made a pact with myself to continue acting as long as it was fun.  It made me relatively cavalier about how I interacted with my peers because I didn't really care about what I said or what I did; the consequences of my actions were irrelevant because I wasn't planning on doing it long-term.  However, things changed after year one. I decided that I really liked this and wanted to continue doing it. I then decided I needed to go onto the next level of classes to get more training.  This is where I found I was now a player in "the game".

The Game
The theatre scene requires two major skills - on-stage & off-stage.  The on-stage skills are the ones most people think about and work to hone. We take a million classes, workshops, and seminars to be the best actors we can be.  We try to incorporate everything we read, hear, and say into our work.  We work hard on keeping our bodies, voices, faces, and minds in shape so that they're available to us at a moment's notice.  These are all important and are the skills other people see 80% of the time.  But you also need the off-stage skills.  These include skills in business management, communication (written and verbal), psychology (understanding people, situations, and how to react to them), and general professionalism (being on time, learning your lines, responding to emails, contributing to the production's promotion, etc.)  These are the ones no one teaches nor emphasize as being just as important to your overall career as the "real acting" skills.

Another (in)famous saying in theatre (or entertainment in general) is, "It's not what you know.  It's who you know."  This cliche sums up the game quite succinctly.  Off-stage skills can be used to further your career.  Since you never know who may be casting what project, you have to assume that everybody you interact with will potentially be on the other side of the long audition table at some point.  This includes all of your directors, teachers, actors, stage crew (set builders, tech people, lighting people), box office concierges, producers, caterers, and even patrons you encounter along the way.  Everyone of these people can influence your next move!  Do your best to interact with EVERYBODY and make a good impression with each of them. You can't make everybody like you but you can at least try to have everyone know you, and once they know you, hopefully you made a good impression on them to keep you in mind for future opportunities.

I recently treated a workshop with a famous director as an audition for future work.  I paid $50 to spend three hours with this person which I wouldn't normally get access to.  I dressed up for the audition and brought all of my skills to the front for those three hours.  I made a great impression and now have a regular correspondence with her.  I've even helped make it possible to have a private session with this director to get even deeper into the line of work I've been dreaming of in June.  Guess what I'm going to do for that. Treat THAT time like an audition as well :) Yes, I may not get the job I'm looking for directly this way; however, I am keeping hope that I'll be remembered when someone is needed for one of their productions in the future.

Playing The Game
Here are some things you can do yourself to distinguish yourself from others when working your off-stage skills:

• Take advantage of your Facebook/Twitter friends.  If you have a chat feature, chat with the people on the list.  It can be a simple "hello".  There is a reason why you're connected with these folks so use the technology to keep your presence in their minds.
• Attend other people's shows and make sure they know you were there.  Even if you leave early, at some point, let them know you got to see their show and what you thought of it.  Be honest (but cautious) about your feedback.  If you need help telling someone you didn't enjoy their show, hit me up on twitter (@nvgdesign) and I'll give you tips as to how to say something honest while staying positive.
• Make it a point to connect to everyone in your classes in some manner (even if you don't necessarily like them).  Keep your ears open for things you can relate with your fellow classmates on (sports, fashion, TV, etc.)  I wish I had followed this in my early days of improv because many of those people have gone onto bigger and better things for which I sometimes wish I were a part of.
• Promote shows/classes/workshops you believe in that you're not a part of.  Show that you can support others off-stage as well as on-stage.
• Jump on opportunities to be involved in productions you want to be a part of.  I recently jumped into teaching some workshops by butting my way into a conversation some of my castmates were having with a producer a few weeks ago.  I made no apologies for it because I KNEW it was the right opportunity for my group. 

Brown-Nosing Vs. Schmoozing
I've run into a lot of people who know me merely for my schmoozing techniques.  They also say, "Oh, I didn't even know you're an actor!"  Yes, I'm a professional brown-noser; not in the traditional sense, which is usually the case.  To the contrary - brown-nosing is insincerity used to make personal gain. I only give out compliments to the opportunity gatekeepers that I believe in to parlay into building a relationship that can go two ways.  The person I am engaging gets a qualified person for the job they need to fill and I get to enjoy the opportunities presented to me.  There's no shame in doing so.  Everybody wins.

Go out into the world, my friends, and make your opportunities grow by leaps and bounds!  Let me know what techniques you have found useful in furthering your career off-stage in the comments below.

Inside A Producer's Rant

A few days ago I exchanged email with a fellow producer who was having a lot of trouble getting a production up and running and asking for a little bit of moral support while dealing with Herculean roadblocks such as flaky actors, unsupportive management, and a ton of drama.  Here are some excerpts from the note.

Contracts Are Good

...Have actors sign contracts.  They are effectively worthless unless you enforce them.  If you're paying them, withhold paying them until after the last show.  Have penalty provisions in the contract that account for those occasions where they miss rehearsals due to things in their control (no-call/no-shows, flakiness, etc).  It's an incentive to show up to get paid.

Establishing Communication Path From Producer to Talent

...I have a contract with the producer as well stipulating what the general communication workflow will be.  Always have provisions that the producer will speak to the cast through the director and not directly unless both parties agree. 

Flakes Exist In More Than Just Cereal

I've been struggling also with flaky mofos.  ... We need to figure out how to allow actors to "own" a part of the productions they're in.  Money seems to help. Credit or partial ownership helps too..

With that said, I am changing my auditions a bit.  There are plenty of actors that can act circle around me but don't have the professionality that I do and need.  So, I started last year adding stuff to my questionnaire asking them why they auditioned, what they wanted to get out of the experience, what would force them to leave the production, etc.  Almost all actors were thrown off by the questioning.  Even with that questioning, I got a lot of duds in productions but it did help me zero in on who was "down" and who wasn't.  In future version, I may even ask for references that I can call if I don't feel comfortable with them so I can gauge their commitment...

Building "Ensemble" For Successful Productions

A skill I sorely lacked last year was techniques to foster "ensemble".  We have to make these actors not only accountable to the production team but to each other as well.  Can we get them to like each other??  Even better, can we get them to want to spend time with each other?  Think of all of those exercises we did in our intro classes to work on building a group-mind and working together - there was a reason for that.  It wasn't only to get out of heads when performing but it was also to create a safe-zone to play.  A lot of actors get caught up in their own hype ... and feel that "everybody wants them" and that they should play the field.  To a degree, yes, you should but not at a detriment of your commitments.  So, it's even more important now to build the ensemble from the beginning.

...Book a "hang out night" with the cast, do team building exercises at the top of each rehearsal, remind them to check in with each other, etc...

Believe In Yourself - Cuz No One Else Will

...Don't let [other's] BS dictate to you your value and worth...I personally struggle with this very thing.  I automatically assume that eveyone thinks I'm a dick in the community when in fact I've gotten some of the best references and glowing reviews from people who I've butted heads with.  It's strange... I take my rep and legacy very seriously but at the same time, I can't control people.  So, gotta let 'em think what they want about me and move forward.  I will prove them wrong in the end.

The best thing you can do against the haters is succeed.  Just be successful.  Whatever that means to you, do it.  Haters can't argue success.  I've got 1000 anecdotes about this very subject in my tenure. lol. 

I got a lot of thanks from my colleague and felt that they got the help needed to know that this particular production in this small, crazy, close-knit world of theatre wasn't the first nor the last to run into problems stemming from management all the way down to talent. The important thing is to know that there are ways to place the odds in your favor for future productions.

Nothing's guaranteed in the end but the diligence needed to bring you closer to success.

Changing Our Name (Only Slightly)!

As much of the nature of the graphic design services that are performed here deal with theatre production, we've decided to showcase the expertise that can be found here by adding "& Productions" to our name.  We are now Nelson Velazquez Graphic Designs & Productions!

We successfully held our first webinar on producing blackbox theatre show last week with Producing Productions Pronto.  We've schedule another one in the next 6 weeks, so, sign up!

Introducing our First Webinar! Producing Productions Pronto!

Producing Productions Pronto Webinar March 16th @ 4 - 7 PM Space is limited to 10

$50

The Producing Productions Pronto webinar is designed to arm YOU - the producer - with all of the tools you need to properly plan and execute a successful theatrical production.  With a special focus of producing quality shows in blackbox theatre settings, this workshop will cover:

• Establishing and executing budgets
• Picking the right venue for your show
• Setting up and running auditions for actors
• Help in choosing a director
• Promoting your show online and away from the keyboard
• How to properly run your production from opening night to closing night.

Saddled with first hand experience and guest speakers from local theatres, this webinar will in a few short hours give you everything you need to be on your way to begin setting the stage to create your art!

For more information, click here!

Biz Marquee

When looking at places to do your show, start thinking outside the (black)box a little bit.  For example, Chicago has many old, venerable theatres that at times were major hotspots back in the day to see theatre or movies.  Many of closed down for some reason or another - unpaid taxes, owners trying to sell the place, etc.  These types of locations are prime places for you to put up your show.

If you live somewhere like this, do your homework and find out who owns the place.  It may be a bank or a real estate holding company.  Heck, it might even be a private owner who's forgotten about it.  See if you can make an appointment to check out  the interior and the amenities that come with it.  If it looks like it'll work with your budget, begin formulating your plan to bring the place back to life.  There may be city ordinances, local politics, and a lot of money involved in doing so - just be prepared for it.

Assuming you've got this far, use this opportunity to engage the media with your story.  The headline could read:

"Local Thespians Revive Glorius Theatre Long Forgotten"

Make up your own headline (and improve on mine).  This will give you valuable press that you can use to promote your show and the fact you're taking on this theatre "renovation" project.

Last of all, if the theatre's got a marquee - USE IT!  People love seeing their names/projects in lights!  It just makes your entire effort that much more professional and formal.

Computing Comps For Your Company

In the age where there are so many avenues of entertainment - the Internet, cable TV, movies, festivals, cellphones - trying to get butts into blackbox theatre seats has become even more difficult.  For the patron, that requires them to have to buy tickets, physically have to travel and be somewhere for a while, semi-disconnected from the collective social media hive mind, interpret what they're watching, and then travel all the way back home when all the while many of the alternatives are much easier to perform (but much less satisfying :) ).  Productions have to think of increasingly more creative ways of getting people out to see a show and one of those ways is by offering free tickets (comps) to the show for people to take advantage of.

Comps are an interesting animal.  Comps can be considered as cryptozoological creatures - they don't exist until they're actually redeemed.  Their population is determined by your budget; their habitat is determined by temperament of those receiving them; their diet consists of the production's bottom line, i.e., profit margin.  If you projected within the run of your show that you'd have 40 comps for various reasons and only 5 get used, it's like you never had them to begin with.  But if you had all 40 comps show up, you quickly realize just how detrimental they can be to your show's financial success.  Imagine if 40 Sasquatches showed up to your cryptozoology convention at the same time - PANIC!

It's important to realize as a producer that comps have benefit and cost.  It's also incredibly important to determine what the comps policy for a given show is going to be.  Determine the following items:

• Who gets a comp?  An agent, manager, or media?
• How many comps total can you afford to give before your projected bottom line is affected?
• How many comps do the actors, directors, stagehands, producers, etc get?
• How much lead time do you need to make sure those comps can be honored professionally?

Once you've determined those items, make sure to communicate the policy to the group.  Typically telling them earlier in the production is best vs. doing it the day before opening night.  The sooner they come to grips with what they're allowed to do with their comps, the easier it'll be to honor them.

However, expect to hear some grumbling from those in the production who don't agree with your policy.   I've determined that an education in what it takes to produce a show is the quickest way to keep these grumblings from becoming issues down the road.  You don't need to fully disclose the financial information about the production, but make them do some quick calculations in their head just to get them off your back.  For example, a simple educational lesson could be the following:

"Hey, do you know it costs me X dollars per night to put this show up?!  Multiply that number by the number of show times and that's what we pay to the theatre.  Then add on top of that what it costs for actors, directors, stagehands, props, set design, rehearsal space, and promotion.  Then divide that number by the ticket price.  That's how many paying customers we need by the end of the run just to break even.  Now you want me to allow more people than you've been alloted in for free?  If you had to pay that total amount, would you let people in for free?  I rest my case.  Oh, by the way...you're at places!!!"

If you're an enterprising producer, you'll find ways to make comps work to cover their own costs.  If you're not, it's just best to avoid them :)

How To Promote Your Show - Things Are Gonna Get Flyer!

What a lot of independent theatre in Chicago is like...

You're a hard working producer.  You spent so much time putting together your show behind the scenes (and sometimes in front of them) to put on something people would actually pay money to go see.  The only problem is...

NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT THE SHOW!

To remedy this stiuation, here's what most theatre folks do:

1. Put together a graphic to correspond to the show.
   
   
2. Create a Facebook event and invite all of their family and friends even if they're out of state.
   
   
3. Print up a ton of postcards to pass out.
   
   
4. Spam everyone on Facebook, twitter, and e-mail to come out to the show hoping that enough begging and pleading will get them out to your show (begrudgingly).

 
The end result is that you've alienated your friends and family, ticked off out-of-towners with your Facebook pleas, and have a trunk full of flyers that eventually get trashed.   I've been a part of this scenario too many times to count.

Let's talk specifically about the most dreadful but ncessary form of promotion - flyers.

Should You Even Get Them?
The answer is "it depends".  If you care about your show, want a competitive chance of attracting audience members, and have a budget to print them up, then YES - GET THEM!  However, if you have a one-off show, don't have the money for them, or just aren't interested in having butts in the seats come curtain time, then you can stop reading this blog and visit this site instead.

If you're still reading, you've chosen to put up an actual professional production.  Good for you!  Think of flyers as your promotion card to supplement the "word of mouth" promotion your production needs to foster.  The best thing you can do when talking to someone about your show is to have a flyer handy to whip out after they ask more about it.  Not only does it feel good to hand someone something you've made and represents your show, but people who receive them think, "Hey, that cat's got his promotion together enough to hand me a glossy flyer! Maybe I should check his show out..."

Where Should You Put The Flyers?
Targeting where you put them is ideal in this situation.  Typically, people do not want to travel more than 30 minutes to see your show.  Being Chicago, it's at least 30 minutes to get anywhere so you've got a daunting challenge ahead of you.  Not only do you have to get random people to want to see your show, you have to make it so great they get over the idea of having to travel to your show.

Make sure you put your flyers at the venue if possible.  Believe it or not, people mess this up.  Many theatres in town have a place to put promotional material.  Make sure if you're having a show in their venue, EVERYONE WHO PASSES THROUGH THERE KNOWS ABOUT YOUR SHOW!  If you can make a poster from your flyer to post, even better.

Hit up all of the theatres and talent agencies in the the city that will allow you to promote your show.  Avoid coming off as unprofessional by dropping off flyers without permission in these places.  Ask someone there who seems to have authority to answer your question first for permission and then drop off your stacks.

Ask local business around the theatre if they will accept your promotional materials.  Many of them probably get hit up for it all of the time by other productions so walk in with a kind, cool demeanor and ask as adorably as possible.  Who know - they might let your show go up on their window just based on charms alone.  See if they would be willing to perform a cross-promotion with your group to entice them to have your material in their business.

Think about who you're targeting to come see the show.  Where do they hang out?  What kinds of business do they frequent?  What diversions do they enjoy?  Make sure you have flyers at all of those places.  Coffee shops and bookstores are a staple of many theatre goers.  Try flyering outside (or even inside) events that are similar to yours if possible.  The more planning you do at this stage, the easier it'll be to target where your flyers end up.

When Should You Put Up The Flyers?
You should plan to have these postcards around at least 6 weeks out from opening night.  Keep a list of establishments you posted flyers in revisit them every two weeks to make sure your materials are still there.  If they're not, ask the people working there where you materials have gone.  Hopefully they will say, "Our clients picked them up as they walked out the door!"  The truth is they may have thrown them out.  Again, build a repoire with business carrying your promo material to avoid this unfortunate case.  If they continue throwing your stuff out, cross them off your list.  Don't waste your time or money with them.  The longer the postcard is available, the better off you'll be.



Flyering is only a small part of your overall promotion strategy but it's one of the most personal and time-consuming.  Make sure your promotion team is motivated to passing them out and hyping up your show.  Do it long enough, you will definitely see a lot more smiling faces at your show!

E-Mail Marketing - Does It Really Work?

YES! It does! 

With the advent of "Web 2.5" (we're still in the middle of 2.0 and starting to head to a new revolution of 3.0 but are not quite there yet ;-) ), it's become a lot easier for people to use new social media tools to promote their shows and event.  Facebook & Twitter are by far the most use but there are other technologies such as Google+, Bebo, tumblr, MySpace, and LinkedIn gaining traction and providing even more features that give producers tools to reach many people across different demographics and interests.  With all of these tools, the one that I find to still be most effective at getting people to come see shows is good ole fashion e-mail.

The problem with social networking tools (we'll use Facebook as the example) is that they've become way too easy for someone to invite a ton of people they do not have a connection with.  It's a little too easy to add 500 Facebook friends to an invitation and send it out when many of the invitees don't live in your area to come see a show.  You can create a fan page and let people know about your show but along with all of the other noise on the timeline, your post may go unread or just be skipped over in favor of watching someone elses' YouTube video of someone falling off a roof.  You either get labeled as a spammer or just fade into the online noise.

E-mails provide a touch of personalization.  You as a producer have to work a bit to get someone's email address.  The communication between sender and receiver is literally 1-to-1.  The conversation can be customized to be relevant to the person being invited.  E-mail also has the added advantage of having an "old school" charm to it.  Just think about how excited you get when you get a personal letter from someone on actual sheets of paper.  You know someone had to put in an effort to put that together and you tend to appreciate it more.  E-mail can convey a similar feeling if done properly.

Have I convinced you to use email?  Good!  When sending your emails to your adoring fans, family, and friends, follow these simple tips to make them effective:

• Get permission to email your list - you don't want to be labeled as a spammer because once you're labeled as one, nobody will read your emails and will try to opt-out of your distribution list.  It's a good idea to have a double opt-in feature where once they sign up for your e-mails, they receive a confirmation e-mail with a link confirming who they are.  This reduces complaints and spam filtering.
  
  
• Send emails in multipart for maximum readability – Combine the best of plain-text and HTML email by sending in Multipart. For devices that don’t support HTML, they will show the message in plain-text. Conversely, if a device supports HTML, they will show it in HTML.  Make sure your show details are easily read and understood in plain text first then make them a bit fancier in the your HTML message.
  
  
• Keep the message brief and on-point - People typically want the gist of your email to be summed up in the first two paragraphs.  Leave out the extemporaneous stuff for the end or even on a webpage or blog somewhere if they want to read more.  Communicate what your show is about, who's in it, where it is, and what time it goes on right up front.  Tell them you want to see them at your show and why you think they need to be there.
  
  
• Allow someone to easily opt-out - Have a link at the bottom of your email that easily unsubscribes a user from your list.  Make sure it's clearly marked and visible.  It adds an air of professionalism to your e-mails in that it shows you care about their time and responsiveness.
  
  
• Schedule your e-mail blasts conservatively - Try to plan when you will have an e-mail blast go out.  As part of your show's marketing plan, select dates these announcements need to go out.  Try not to schedule more than two a month if you can.  The more selective you are with your email blasts, the more efficacy you'll see with each message you send out.
  
  

If you have a substantially large list, search online to review some of the more reputable e-mail marketing list providers.  If you're serious about promoting your show, be prepared to get a paid plan to make your message professional and get access to tools to make them more effective.  I personally recommend MailChimp, Constant Contact Constant Contact , and Get Response.

In fact, why don't we practice using one of them.  Sign-up for the NVDG newsletter and receive a valuable discount on your next graphic design order!

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5 Things You Can Do To Effectively Market Your Show!

You've booked the venue. You got the best director your budget could afford. You've been rehearsing twice a week for 2 months to get your original show up on is feet. You're ready to entertain the masses. Yet nobody knows a thing about all of this work, you've got rent to pay for 6-8 weeks, and a bunch of actors itching to get their time in the limelight! What are you going to do?!

Well, I'll tell ya! Follow these 5 easy tips to help get the word out:

1. Get great cast photos
   Place an ad online (Craigslist.org, PerformInk.com, Yesand.com, Chicagoimprov.org) looking for someone with experience to give you high quality photographs of your cast. If you can get pictures taken on the actual stage you are going to perform in, even better. Get some staged shots of the group as well as some action photos while the cast is performing a scene.
   
   Make sure the pictures you receive are at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) as that will allow you to use these in newspapers, magazines, and websites. Try to negotiate with your photographer to see if you can get them to edit the photos as well. Sometime they will do it for free as part of their service. Typically a lot of raw images you get need color balance, exposure correction, and some kind of editing to make sure they're at their best. Do not have them run any kind of special filters on the pictures as it could make them unusable to others looking to use them to help you promote the show. Also, make sure you credit the photographer. It gets you in good graces with them and may prompt them to spread the word about your production.
   
   
2. Pick a catchy title for your show
   This is always a fun exercise especially in the theatre world. Many groups write their own original material and don't have a definitive idea as to what to call their show until they've decided on what is going to make it into the show. Others just pick a title arbitrarily and shoe horn the title into their marketing materials. Others have the luxury of having a title as someone else wrote the material and made that decision for them (oh Rocky Horror Picture Show revivalists...you have it made!)
   
   For those of you who write your own material, if you've got the luxury of having time to tie in your title with your material, please do so. A popular title schema people use to generate title names is to take a pop culture reference (a movie, book, or TV show title) and spoof the name. For example, I'm currently in a show right now with Salsation Theatre Company, NFP entitled Textual Healing - an obvious spoof of the song Sexual Healing performed by Marvin Gaye. The material in the show deals with communication and relationships in our day and age of cellphones, texting, and social media. The title totally fits the material and has a twinkle of something familiar for people to latch onto when they see/hear about it.
   
   
3. Create an eye-catching flyer/poster
   Now that you've got your title, show logistics, and pictures, you can parlay those into a fancy postcard flyer. Again, you can post up online ads for this service. Have a face-to-face with them to communicate what you want in the graphic if possible. If not, at least talk to them on the phone. Get an estimate of how long it will take them to create your graphics and what restrictions you have when using it. There are many people willing to do the work for free or for very affordable prices (like us!). Try to find someone who has experience with marketing theatre shows as they will understand what timelines/pressures you face producing the show (again, like us!)
   
   
4. Publish a Press Release
   This is one of the easiest yet most overlooked aspects of promotion. A press release sets you apart from your run-of-the-mill productions as it implies your actually serious about what you're putting up. You will send these to anybody and everybody willing to listen/read. Your press release should include:
   
   
   • Who, what, when, where, why, and how much
     
   • Show graphic and/or cast photo
     
   • Contact information (phone number, email, and website)
     
     
   Try to keep this information limited to one printable sheet (called a one-sheet). There's no need to give extra information about your show unless it's requested :)
   
   
5. Get It Out of Your Hands ASAP
   Your press release needs to be in the hand of the press (newspapers, websites, and blogs) within plenty of time to increase the chances staff gets a chance to read about your awesome creation. Give yourself at a minimum 4 weeks before opening night to send out your press release to your contacts. I'd recommend sending it out 6 weeks in advance with a follow up email 2 weeks out from opening night. This ensures that you have considered their time to review the mountains of press releases they get every day while not being annoying about reminding them they need to come out and see/review/promote your show ;-)

That's it! Sounds easy enough, right?! Get crackin'!  There are more tips to come in the future.