Hello Friends,
We’re pleased to introduce you to Jim Hoare, the Director of Licensing at Theatrical Rights Worldwide, a former teacher for thirty years, and, without a doubt, a Mover & Shaker.
TWT: First things first, can you explain to our readers a little bit of what happens at Theatrical Rights Worldwide?
JH: TRW (Theatrical Rights Worldwide) is a licensing company acting on behalf of the authors and copyright owners of musicals in making available the live, stage rights to their shows. We represent musicals from Broadway and Off-Broadway, as well as shows originating in regional theatres and elsewhere. It is our mission to cultivate and introduce new work along with extending the production life of musicals to all theatrical marketplaces. Some of our best sellers are MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT, ALL SHOOK UP, CURTAINS, THE COLOR PURPLE and PINKALICIOUS.
We license productions to a broad range of customers, including elementary, middle and high schools; colleges and universities, community, civic and religious organizations; summer stock and dinner theatres; regional and residential theatres and opera companies; youth theatres, cruise ships, casinos, hotels, and producers of touring and Off-Broadway productions. In short, our customers include anyone who wants to experience and share the joy of live musical theatre.
As agents for the authors, TRW grants live stage production rights. It is our responsibility to ensure that those rights are administered in a manner consistent with the laws governing the usage of copyrighted materials. We also provide the authorized performance materials required to rehearse and present these musicals, in addition to innovative products aimed at helping the artistic and commercial value of your presentations.
TWT: Of all the shows that TRW has the rights to, is there one that is closest to your heart?
JH: I am a fan of all of the shows in our catalogue. But if I had to select one title that I would like to direct, it would probably be FLIGHT OF THE LAWNCHAIR MAN by Robert Lindsey-Nassif and Peter Ullian. Besides having a beautiful and catchy score, the show has a sweetness and sense of humor that I appreciate. My next choice would be either STRIKING 12, by Brendan Milburn, Valerie Vigoda, and Rachel Sheinkin, or FALLING FOR EVE, by Joe DiPietro, Bret Simmons and David Howard – both for the same reasons as FLIGHT OF THE LAWNCHAIR MAN.
TWT: You were a teacher for over thirty years before working at Theatrical Rights Worldwide. What advice would you give to young educators?
JH: When working with young actors, expect the best. If you expect the best, more times than not, it is exactly what you will get. Of course there will be times when you will be disappointed. But I’d prefer to be occasionally disappointed, instead of aiming low and always hitting my target. However, expecting the best does require that you know your students’ potential, and that you are able to provide achievable goals (and roles) that challenge growth without doing harm.
- Don’t ever select a title to direct just because it’s the next new hot release, or because you always liked that show – or even worse, you were told to direct it by an administrator because they think it will sell tickets. The secret to a successful high school production is to select a show that is the right fit for the students you have at the time. If you cast students into roles that they cannot successfully achieve, you are not only setting yourself up for a bad production, it is a grave disservice to those students. When they are teased or criticized for poor performances (that they could never achieve), the blame lies not with the student, but with the director who miscast them in the role.
- Build a team. In some schools, being the theatre director can be an exhausting, lonely, and almost impossible job. You cannot do it all alone – and if you try, you will eventually burn out. If you are a new teacher/director who is wearing too many hats at first, then select a small, achievable musical and do it well. Then build on that success by creating a production team. An ideal situation is to have other faculty members assisting with music, choreography, sets, props, costumes, lighting, sound, tickets, publicity, etc. But if they are not available, involve competent older students, parents, alumni, friends, or perhaps someone from a local community theatre.
- Keep balance in your life and maintain a good support group away from school. Many theatre teachers/directors (especially if they have two or more shows in their season) actually have two full-time jobs. They are full-time teachers, with all classroom, grading and supervising responsibilities – and they are also running a theatre company, with the responsibilities of obtaining performance licenses and materials, balancing the books, renting supplies, and entertaining the community. All teachers are observed a few times a year by an administrator or supervisor. But Performing Arts teachers are observed by the entire community, administration and school board at every performance. So a word of warning – the dedication and drive to produce beautiful and successful productions can quickly lead one to overwork. If you come to the realization that the majority of the emotional support in your life is coming from people under the age of 18, it’s time to take a break (and time to ask for some help). As I said, keep balance in your life, and pay close attention to those in your support group when they tell you to take a break. They are probably right.
- Add variety to your season. In addition to the great canon of American Musical Theatre, there are wonderfully creative, new or lesser-known musicals available for licensing. Theatre students and their communities should be exposed to both. I especially enjoyed introducing my students and community to new or lesser-known works. Trust that if you do good work, an audience will come.
TWT: Is there anything you miss about being in the classroom?
JH: Not really. Thirty-one years was fun, challenging, and enough. I’m a person who likes to be present wherever I am, and right now I love being present at TRW. The people here are great and I really enjoy what I’m doing.
TWT: What advice would you give to students in high school and in college that are planning on studying theatre, dance, art, and/or music?
JH: Pursue what you love for as long as it still fulfills you and makes you happy. When it no longer makes you happy, find something else that does, and do that. Don’t pursue the arts to prove something to someone else, do it because it makes you whole.
A parent once asked me, “How can I discourage my daughter from pursuing musical theatre as a career?” I responded, “You didn’t light the fire that is in her and neither did I. We have no right to put it out. It will either grow or go out on its own.” A wise director once told me, “Nothing is as painful as not pursuing the thing that you want most to do.”
TWT: Here at The Write Teacher(s), many of us work with “at-risk” youth. These students are recovering drug addicts; struggling drug addicts, teenage parents, and almost all of them come from broken homes. The struggles, demons, and anger that our students face is often a hindrance to their progress in school and life in general. Do you have any words of wisdom to offer these students?
JH: First of all, you may want to speak with Torrey Russell at Broadway in the Hood – A Source of Joy Theatricals, in Las Vegas, NV, www.broadwayinthehood.org. This is exactly what Torrey does, and I hear that he is masterful at it. Broadway in the Hood’s recent production of THE COLOR PURPLE received wonderful reviews and comments.
My personal advice is to believe in hope for a better future – to accept help when it is offered, and to always move forward – even if those steps forward lead to the occasional step backward. I have seen the arts transform students’ lives because of the healing energy of participating in a creative community focused on a positive goal. I also understand that it is a struggle, and that the short time spent in the creative community of theatre is not a permanent solution if the student must return to a destructive community each night. Teaching theatre, like directing, requires us to create an environment free of fear – where everyone feels comfortable enough to play.
TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs in schools are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts?
JH: First I would direct them to EdTA’s report, a New Look at High School Theatre Programs: the 2012 Survey of Theatre Education in United States High Schools, http://schooltheatre.org/blogs/advocacy/2012/11/new-look-high-school-programs-2012-survey-education-united-s.
Many people like to say that students who study the Arts do better on their SATs. While this is statically true, I’m not sure whether studying the Arts makes students brighter – or are brighter students studying the Arts because they are an important part of their lives. What is undeniable, in my opinion, is the importance of studying the Arts in a student’s life. While there are many studies showing that Arts Education benefits a student’s ability to think globally, become a better problem solver, gain more confidence in social situations, etc., my favorite justification is the simplest one. If a student has even one class that helps them look forward to getting up and going to school in the morning, it is a good thing. For many, the Theatre, Chorus, Band, Art, or Stagecraft class is that class.
TWT: Here at The Write Teacher, we believe that art drives life, and theatre transforms lives. Would you agree or disagree with those statements? Why?
JH: I wholeheartedly agree because it is the truth.
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie and play?
JH: I don’t have “favorite” movies, plays, books or musical artists. But I’ll mention two that I really enjoy. I love the film, Cinema Paradiso, and one of my favorite plays is Our Town.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
JH: My greatest teacher is my mother, who always encouraged us to see the big picture in life, to value a sense of humor, and to enjoy telling stories. My most memorable high school teacher was John Seidenschwang, an Art and Scenic Design teacher, who once told me, “You can’t teach creativity. What you have to do is to BE CREATIVE yourself, and then invite your students to join you in the process.” In high school I was blessed to join John in his creative process as his student, and again, years later as a faculty member at a school where John had become its new principal.
Thank you, Jim!
Live, Love, Learn,