Producer Edmund Gaynes Launches New Division of West End Artists with TV Exec Jennifer Kranz

Veteran theatre producer, Edmund Gaynes (the critically-acclaimed Zero Hour (Drama Desk Award), Danny and Sylvia, Cougar The Musical, Rain Pryor's Fried Chicken and Latkes and the long running Black Angels Over Tuskegee), has announced a new production division of his company, West End Artists, aimed at creating new projects for Broadway, Off-Broadway and key theatre markets across the country. Gaynes will work with former television executive Jennifer Kranz, who comes in as Director of Creative Development.

"Women buy about 80% of the tickets on and off Broadway. Having worked on some of the most successful mass female-oriented entertainment businesses over the years, Jen has 15 years of marketing entertainment to women and knows all the nuances of developing projects that resonate with this key audience. She has an incredible understanding of the commercial dynamic and how people respond to material," says Gaynes.

Kranz has logged tenures at media companies such as Time Warner, NBC Universal and AMC Networks, working on networks such as USA, Syfy, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network and WE tv.

Kranz is equally thrilled. "Ed knows everything there is to know about producing theatre. He is a true pro, a great collaborator and - quite literally - an anointed 'Legend of Off-Broadway' from the Off-Broadway Alliance. He has built quite a business over the years. Theatre is a huge passion of mine and I look forward to working with him to identify projects worthy of investment or lead-producing and developing new material."

Ms. Kranz will continue to consult to the TV industry and the Broadway industry in which she advises producers on story and character development to increase the likelihood of women responding to their projects. She is also part-time Producing Artistic Director of the not-for-profit theatre company, Parity Productions.

Mr. Gaynes has been on the New York producing scene for many years as lead producer, general manager and owner of two off-Broadway theaters - the beloved St. Luke's Theatre and Actor's Temple Theatre and in Los Angeles, the Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Center, the Avery Schreiber Playhouse and the Brickhouse Theatre. Gaynes also runs a successful domestic licensing company, and as well as is an in-demand producer and speaker on key industry panels. His latest theatre project with producers Robert Page, J. Todd Harris and Mike Smith - London's acclaimed The Mikvah Project, by Josh Azouz comes to New York in 2017. Gaynes' productions also include Zero Hour (Drama Desk winner and Lortel nominee) The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith (Drama Desk and Lortel nominee), Picon' Pie and Bein' with Behan, which was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award. He produced the West Coast premieres of Marry Me a Little and Starting Here, Starting Now and was nominated for four Ovation Awards, Los Angeles' highest theatre honors, for his productions of The Taffetas and Songs the Girls Sang. Gaynes also produced the National Tour of Gilligan's Island: The Musical playing coast to coast.

The new production arm of West End Artists will focus much of its efforts on musicals and has several projects in development, which are currently under wraps.

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