'UNDERSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY' TRU Panel Held Today at Actors Temple Theatre

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents the TRU November Panel - Understanding Off-Broadway: Defining and Achieving Success tonight, November 14, 2017 at 7:30pm (doors open for networking at 7pm) at Actors Temple Theatre, 339 W. 47th Street, NYC. For more details, visit truonline.org/events/understanding-off-broadway.

Off-Broadway was born in the 1950's as an alternative to the commercialism of Broadway, and a more affordable means of getting works (and artists) seen.TRU's July panel looked at the challenges presented by the economic realities of today's off-Broadway. Most of us are well aware of the difficulty of financially maintaining a show in the current economic environment. Perhaps we need to re-evaluate the purpose of off-Broadway. In this much-requested follow-up panel, we will focus more closely on producing models that are working, as well as examine how to best use the 100 to 499-seat theater presentations as part of a development plan, or as a way to increase visibility for your theater company. We will include the periodic performance model and the cross-promotional opportunities they offer, strategies for front-loading audience through limited runs, and consider how not-for-profit companies work and thrive within the off-Broadway paradigm. Are there still ways to make use of this essential component of our theater culture? Can it provide a useful step in a development plan for new works, and a fertile ground for creating important works of theater? And who is the off-Broadway audience?

Speakers will include Peter Breger, entertainment attorney and chairman of the Off-Broadway Alliance; Charlotte Cohn, actress/writer/producer (Church and State, Handle with Care, Rated P for Parenthood); Jack Cummings III,founding artistic director of the Obie Award-winning Transport Group (Strange Interlude, Inge in Rep, Lysistrata Jones, Once Upon a Mattress, The Audience, Normal); William Franzblau, producer (Sistas, This One's for the Girls, Evil Dead the musical, ILuminate, Jewtopia; on Broadway Wonderland, Say Godnight Gracie); Meredith Lucio, producer (Tony Award-winning Porgy and Bess, Rooms: a rock romance, The 39 Steps, Bedlam Theatre's St. Joan/Hamlet; upcoming: Absolutely Filthy).

Doors open at 7:00pm for networking and refreshments, roundtable introductions of everyone in the room will start at 7:30pm - come prepared with your best 30-second summary of who you are, and what you need. Free forTRU members; $12.50 in advance or $15 at the door for non-members. Please RSVP at truonline.org/events/understanding-off-broadway. You may also reserve by phone at least a day in advance (or much sooner): 212-714-7628, or by e-mailing TRUStaff1@gmail.com. For more details, visit truonline.org/tru-event-category/monthly-panels.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, a twenty-five year old 501c3 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, goods and productions; presents the TRU VOICES Annual New Play Reading Series and Annual New Musicals Reading Series, two new works series in which TRUunderwrites developmental readings to nurture new shows as well as new producers for theater; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program whose mentors are among the most prominent producers and general managers in New York Theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop the business skills they need. TRUserves writers through a Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab; programs for actors include the Annual Combined Audition, Resource Nights and "Speed Dating" as well as actor workshops.

Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislatureand the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, 9th district former Council Member Inez Dickens; and with support from the Montage Foundation and the Friars National Association Foundation.

For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit www.truonline.org or call 212 714-7628.

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