NYC Mayor's Office Offering Free Panel Addressing Careers Backstage in the Theatre

The Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (MOFTB) and The Living Room for Artists/ Summer Play Festival (SPF) offer free open panel discussion to address careers backstage in the theatre. Saturday, April 8 at Theatre Row, New York City.

Free registration now by e-mailing message@film.nyc.gov (details follow).

On Saturday April 8, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (MOFTB) and The Living Room for Artists/ Summer Play Festival (SPF) will present a panel entitled "Careers Backstage: An Overview of Job Opportunities Within Theatres." The panel is the second in a series of four addressing careers in theatre management, theatrical production and support and acting. The program is intended to educate New Yorkers about the diverse job roles in the industry, and connect them with resources, organizations and opportunities in the field.

The free panel will be moderated by Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, and will include Michael Hurst, Managing Director of The Public Theater, Amy Jacobs, General Manager at Nina Lannan Associates, Gene O'Donovan, President of Aurora Productions Inc., and William Russo, General Manager of Playwrights Horizons.

This panel will take place on Saturday, April 8 from 10:30 am-12:00 pm at Theatre Row, 410 West 42 Street. Interested parties may register by sending an e-mail to message@film.nyc.gov by Wednesday, April 5. Seating in the theatre will be available to registered guests on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests should arrive for the panel by 10:15 am, and should plan to remain after the panel for refreshments and networking opportunities.

"New York City's theatre community strengthens the social, cultural and historic fabric of our City as well as our local economy, drawing tourists and aspiring stars from around the world," Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting said. "Through this panel series, the City is supporting jobs in theatre by helping New Yorkers gain the knowledge, skills and connections they need to find employment and move up within the industry, strengthening our City's creative community which makes New York the entertainment capital of the world."

"I am delighted that the Mayor's Office has partnered with us to support and encourage young people to seek out careers in the theatre -- one of the city's most vital and economically important industries," said Arielle Tepper, Founder and Executive Producer of The Living Room for Artists / Summer Play Festival. "By bringing together some of the biggest players from Broadway and off-Broadway who can share their extraordinary experience, the panel series will not only demystify the process of producing theatre, but give useful, candid information that will support a new wave of artists and creative entrepreneurs."

Additional panels will be announced over the course of 2006, addressing jobs in acting and theatrical production. Information will be available on www.nyc.gov/film.