TRU to Present 'An Intriguing Though Unfinished Opera Reimagined For Today: Treemonisha'

A dependable haven for artists in isolation, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is now in its fourth year of non-stop weekly Community Gatherings this Friday, having offered to date over 150 conversations and unlimited camaraderie since April 17, 2020. TRU hosts their Community Gatherings every Friday at 5pm ET via Zoom, to explore the creation of art and theater in the time of COVID-19, and to ensure that these crucial conversations continue going forward as theater reopens. Ask questions, bring answers, be part of a community - it's an opportunity to network with theater professionals and talk about how we kept theater alive during shutdown, and what we are doing now, going forward.

To receive the Zoom invitation for future meetings, email TRUnltd@aol.com with "Zoom Me" in the subject header. These gatherings are free for TRU members, non-members are asked to make an optional tax-deductible donation - or consider joining TRU at truonline.org/membership to support the organization during these challenging times.

9/1 - An Intriguing Though Unfinished Opera Reimagined for Today: Treemonisha. In the room: playwrights Leah-Simone Bowman and TRU's very own Cheryl L. Davis who gave Joplin's Treemonisha a recent makeover. Ragtime legend Scott Joplin never got to hear his only opera performed, though it was resurrected and orchestrated 50 years after his death. Now a resurgence of interest - and perhaps a cultural awakening - has led to a series of new versions of the opera. Why is now the time to take a new look at Scott Joplin's ambitious break from ragtime? How did our two gifted speakers divide the writing duties and form a successful collaboration? Was it tricky respecting the past while finding relevance for today? Who initiated the acclaimed new version that played Toronto in June? And how does this century old work resonate for today's audiences? Visit https://truonline.org/events/treemonisha/ to register and receive the zoom link.

UPCOMING:

9/8 - Harnessing the Beast: Using A.I. to Your Advantage. In the room: Stephanie Grayson, content marketing leader/advisor/strategist. A.I. is currently at the center of union conflicts and other impassioned conversations these days. It's easy to want to damn it and dismiss it, but it is unlikely that it will be going away. Stephanie will talk about how other industries use A.I. for business, and how it has helped generate marketing strategies across industries. We'll consider how A.I. Marketing/Pitching/Promotion efforts apply to theater pitching, support effective marketing on a budget, glean insights inbound and/or outbound to help generate more effective marketing or fundraising, create copy drafts to get the word out about your show, and help you do smart networking as well as smart ticketing. Don't fear it. Use it. Click here to register and receive the zoom link.

Future guests will include Barbara Pasternak of TheatreworksUSA; Sherry Eaker, formerly with Backstage and now producer of the Bistro Awards; the In Fine Company producing team of Sue Gilad and Larry Rogowsky; award winning director and writer Richard Maltby; and motivational coach Chelsey Shannon.

Check back at TRU's web page for the 2023 schedule: truonline.org/tru-community-gathering.

Videos of past Community Gatherings may be viewed on TRU's YouTube channel atyoutube.com/channel/UC43rsChi4fA23dNLeloaF_A/. And a new podcast series, TRU Talks About Theater featuring 2023 Community Gathering conversations is now available wherever you get your podcasts; or tune in at ElectraCast: https://electracast.com/?s=Theater+Resources

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, a thirty-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of the arts. Membership includes self-Producing Artists as well as career producers and theater companies.

TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, opportunities and productions; presents weekly Community Gatherings; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught by prominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop business skills. TRU serves writers through the TRU Voices Play Reading Series, Writer-Producer Speed Date, Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab.

Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by the Montage Foundation, The Storyline Project and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation.

For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit truonline.org.