Hi Friends,
Every year I give myself a few very tough challenges. That’s code for New Year’s Resolution. Each year, I manage to achieve them. Mostly because I push myself very hard to achieve them but because I truly to enjoy hitting the goal. For the 2013-2014 theatre season, I decided that I was going to really throw myself in the theater festival scene. What does that mean? Well, I have already produced and directed in many festivals but I never really got the chance to see the other shows. That’s festival life. If you are part of a show that is in a festival, the chances to see your fellow participants is low. The desire and zeal to support may be there but the time just seems to escape once you come up for air. That and you are dead tired. Then why do it? What are the benefits of being a part of a large theatre festival?
The answer presented itself to me. Over the last couple of years, I have shifted to PR. This new paradigm has allowed me to be a part of a show as well as support other shows. The shows tend to have a shorter run time, they have don’t have the usual weekly schedule or maybe the 2/4/10 week run. The shows are also spread out over an area of town or within one location, and they represent a multitude of genres. Since my homebase is New York City, I have participated in many festivals including The New York Fringe Festival, The Samuel French One Act Festival, The Strawberry Festival, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, The EstroGenius Festival, and NYMF (New York Musical Theatre Festival). I also visited Chicago for its Fringe Festival and look forward to visiting more cities that have fringe festivals.
Besides the reasons I have mentioned, there are also some other great benefits. Cat Parker (Artistic Director, Articulate Theatre Company) has directed for The Dorset Theatre Festival, Planet Connections, and Midtown International Theatre Festival. She said that being a part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity “was a cost effective way to do a ‘soft launch’ production for her new company”. Plus the festival’s mission is for each production to give back to the community. A producer also doesn’t have to worry about space and marketing.
Kelly Monroe Johnson (former Artistic Director of the Arizona Shakespeare Festival) has directed for The New York Fringe Festival, Planet Connections, and The Secret Theatre’s Festival. In his experience, he learned a “great deal about NYC theatre and how/why festivals work” as well as made a ton of connections with actors and designers. “I learned how to produce and direct in a crunch and on a low budget. Also, learned what should be in a budget if you want your play to stand out.”
Some wonderful successes have come out of festivals including Urinetown, Next to Normal, and [title of show] to name a few. There’s nothing like seeing a show in its infancy grow. There’s also nothing like spending a summer show hopping. The energy and excitement that pushes you from venue to venue or from festival to festival is really invigorating. It’s also very inspiring if like me you are a fellow artist. You have x amount of time to produce a show that means the world to you. You also have to produce it under extreme measures. I think that’s wonderful. It’s a rite of passage. If you have been in a festival, you can do anything. If you have supported a festival, thank you for making dreams come true.
Here is a wonderful list provided by Ken Davenport on festival around the world as well as a recent post I wrote.
Live, Love, Learn,