TRU - Career Paths to Producing: Company Manager, General Manager, Publicist, More November 18, 2009

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU), Audience Extras and Back Stage present the industry panel Career Paths to Producing: Company Manager, General Manager, Publicist, More on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 7:30pm at The Players Theatre Mainstage, 115 MacDougal Street (below W. 3rd Street), NYC.

Unless you happen to be very rich, it’s hard to jump in and produce a commercial show first time out. You have to build a career and reputation, and gain important skills along the way. Not to mention the fact that a producer is the last person to get paid on a project! So how do you even afford to become a producer? We’ll look at various career paths that can earn you a living and teach you what you need to know to succeed. And we’ll also consider the shocking fact that there are very few African Americans and persons of color on this path. Why?

Panelists will include Shirley Faison, executive director, National Black Theatre; Tiffani Gavin, Sr. Director of Licensing for Theatrical Rights Worldwide, former executive producer at Clear Channel Entertainment, former company manager ("Blue Man Group"); Jamillah Lamb, producer ("Platanos and Collard Greens"); Tom Smedes, producer ("Ace the Musical", "[title of show]", "Naked Boys Singing", "Dog Sees God"), general manager ("Altar Boyz", "Musical of Musicals"), company manager ("Show Boat"); Lauren Yates, assistant general manager with Martian Entertainment ("Rooms", "Naked Boys Singing"), former company manager ("Riverdance", "Bring in de Noise Bring in de Funk").

Doors open at 7:00pm for networking and refreshments, panel starts promptly at 7:30pm. FREE for TRU members; $12 for non-members. Please call at least a day in advance for reservations: 212/714-7628; or e-mail [email protected]. The panel will be co-moderated by Sherry Eaker, editor-at-large of Back Stage.

Official Website: http://www.truonline.org