3-2-1 Contract

I hired a general manager to work on Oe4K. His name is Rick L. Stevens*. It's his job to handle more of the business-y aspects of the production, which I wouldn't be able to do, given that I have a full-time job that doesn't involve plays.

One of Rick's biggest responsibilities so far has been to deal with contracts. It seems like EVERYONE has a contract of some sort. Mostly, they are Letter(s) of Agreement (LOA). Even I have one (so if I were to quit, could I sue myself for breach of contract)?

Some of the contracts involve very strict guidelines, like the Equity contracts for the actors, and the SSDC (Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers) contract for our director. There are filing deadlines, filing fees, and support materials that we need to submit (like proof of insurance). If we file something wrong, or violate the terms of these agreements, we can face penalties.

Other documents, usually the ones we've drawn up with the accompanists and with some of our business associates, are more fluid and can be negotiated between both parties. The three big things we cover in these documents are fee, rights, and billing.

Rights, as in "Right of First Refusal" is probably the most important thing we can offer someone right now. Given that we don't really have any money, no one's going to make any money from this production. BUT! There are opportunities for us to continue on, to develop the project further, and to be funded by someone who doesn't stress over every extra dollar. This is the dream we all share: a commercial Off-Broadway run. Look at some of the success stories: Altar Boyz, [title of show]. We could have national tours, trunk productions. Merchandising. An OBIE! That's when everyone would make their money and get their glory.

Billing is also interesting. It doesn't mean money, it means how you're referred to in the production. Apparently in Hollywood, titles are offered as incentives (actually, not any different than in the business world). But production information often persists long after a show closes. Titles go on resumes. Important people come to productions and read playbills. It might seem petty, but sometimes it's the little things that matter most.

Rick's done an awesome job managing these contracts and making sure we're all up-to-date and following all the rules. And I do a lot of signing on the dotted line.





*For example, Rick's contract stated that his billing would include his name written as "Rick L. Stevens".

After a long absence...

Well, no more milking those Absence puns. It's been almost two months since my last post. That's because, let's see, there was the MITF show. Then there were script re-writes for Oe4K, and then all the myriad producing responsibilities. I'm a tired puppy.

Ideally, what I'd like to do, is to add updates of things that happened over the last month. I want to talk more about Absence, about rehearsals, and the production. I'd love to devote several posts to the peacock puppet. This way, there will exist a historical record of all of our projects.

And then Oe4K... we've actually started a separate blog for the show (it's taken on quite a robust life of its own), found here: oedipusforkids.com. I'll probably not spend too much time discussing that, because there are so many voices that want to be heard. Or perhaps I'll focus mostly on the producing/business side of it. I must say, I've certainly learned a lot this summer.

Rake is planning several events this fall (obviously the best season to have a rake!). We're planning a Halloween event and will feature ourselves in the Village Halloween Parade. In early November, we're going to have a public reading or two. Finally, in December, we're hoping to plan a festive holiday production. There will be puppets.

So check back soon for "retro" posts, and for more updates as eventually my world gains equilibrium.

Absence: Final Show

This was our matinee. Also our last show. I think everyone was a little tired. While it's useful to do the shows (especially if there are only 3) back-to-back, it can be draining. The group was more mellow but in good spirits on our final day.

This show was our smallest house, though after the overflow from the night before, it seemed much tamer. We were able to restore the seating to its more manageable arrangement.

There was one minor snag: Liza's crutches were left onstage before the performance, and not claimed at the top of the show. And how is an amputeed woman supposed to get on stage without her crutches? Fortunately, Michael just casually went and got them. Crisis averted (and I don't think anyone noticed).

In general, this was an incredibly satisfying experience. My team of actors -- Sarah Doudna, Jennifer Saltzstein, and Michael Weems -- did an amazing job. I saw so much growth from them and was so honored what they did with my humble script. Chrissie Reiswig was my insanely gifted costume/prop coordinator. Sound designer Benjamin Le Clear was a rock. Jennifer Huang truly brought the peacock puppet to life. I'm so proud of all of them... their dedication and hard work was an inspiration.

Absence: Performance #2

I knew we'd have a solid house for this performance. I did not anticipate the turnout we got. The festival sells 40 seats for our "theater" (again, it's really just a big room... hence the name "Studio Series"). Because I'm concerned about sightlines, I don't like to set up all 40 seats. You can't see past the person in front of you, and if they have a really big head or you're short, you're screwed. Plus, it gets so warm: there's an A/C, but it has to crank overtime to keep things cool with the stage lights on. Thus, while I'm always excited to sell more tickets, I was really hoping to get away with about 25 seats.

We had 45 people.

There literally weren't enough chairs. Several people had to sit on the floor. Two people stood in the back by the tech table (I did not make those people pay for their tickets). The audience was practically sitting in the playing area.

It was intense.

But the actors made the best and the most of it. The audience response was enthusiastic, despite any discomfort. And afterwards, there was much celebrating.

Absence: Opening Night Recap

Schlepped many, many heavy things from my home to Midtown. Fortunately, I waited until rush hour had mostly passed. One thing that is a huge issue for urban theater practitioners is transportation. How do you transport heavy things or bulky things? We take a lot of taxis. And we buy a lot of wheeled suitcases.

We spent a lot of time configuring the seating. The theater is really just a big room, with a few risers at one end. Sightlines were definitely going to be an issue. This is not something that's a problem in a theater with fixed seating (you know, like movie theater chairs). We were able to stack to of them to create three levels of seating. It cut down on the number of tickets we could sell, but overall created a much better experience for the audience.

Because of the heat, we offered ice water to our audience, free of charge. This was, I think, a lovely idea (suggested by one of the actors) and proved to be very popular with our audience. I even made $3 in tips. Hey, laugh if you want, but that paid for the ice that night!

Overall, the show went very well. There were a few missed lines, and one or two glitches with props. But the actors turned in a solid performance; I was very proud of them. We had a great turnout, filling every seat we offered. In all, opening night was a complete success.