TRU Boot Camp - Money13

Theater Resources Unlimited
TRU PRODUCER BOOT CAMP
Raising Money for Theater:
Who, How and When to Ask
Sunday January 27th, 2012, 10am to 6pm

Theater Resources Unlimited opens up the possibilities for tomorrow's productions with an all-day intensive workshop about many crucial aspects of raising money for theater. Faculty this year will include producers Kristin Caskey of Fox Theatricals (Bring It On, Caroline or Change, Red)), David Garfinkle of Hello Entertainment (Ghost the Musical, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark), Nelle Nugent (Stick Fly, Time Stand Still, Amadeus, Nicholas Nickleby, upcoming Trip to Bountiful), Patrick Blake (The Exonerated, Play Dead), Cheryl Wiesenfeld (Porgy & Bess, Legally Blonde, A Steady Rain, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, The Exonerated, Play Dead); Jane Dubin (Peter and the Starcatcher, The 39 Steps, The Norman Conquests), Meredith Lucio (Porgy & Bess, The 39 Steps); producer/investor Neil Danoff (Lucky Guy, Matilda, Glengarry Glen Ross revival, Evita revival, The Addams Family, Spring Awakening); plus attorney Erach Screwvala; organizational oonsultant, coach, producer and artist Andrew Frank; financial advisor Bailie Slevin; and accountant Walter Gowens, CFP, EA.

While we're waiting for the economy to heal, we need to find ways to go through our day to day business. For producers, that means finding the money and resources to bring your projects into production. We invite you to come acquire some basic tools and information that will help you to function effectively in these hard times and the better days that are surely ahead. From pitching techniques and presentation skills to legal requirements and effective business planning, plus a wealth of first-hand experience from more than a half dozen producers who are currently active in the Broadway and off-Broadway worlds, we promise you an informative, empowering and inspiring day.

Click here for Curriculum

Click here for Faculty Bios

Click here for Application as web page

Click here for Application as Word Document (preferred)

The Players Theatre, MAINSTAGE THEATRE,
115 MacDougal Street

Cost: $175
- $25 off for all current paid TRU members -
- EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT: additional $25 off before 1/21 -

Our curriculum and instructors are as follows
(subject to change due to availability of speakers):

Sunday January 27th

9am - registration and check-in, coffee and cake/bagels
9:45am - introduction of room (registrants)

10:00 to 10:40 - "Commercial and Not-for-Profit Asks: Defining the Differences" - with attorney Erach Screwvala. We will define terms, then focus on the not-for-profit side: the legal paperwork and structure that is necessary in order to ask for donations, and the responsibilities to your donors, plus the ways in which not-for-profits and commercial companies can work together.
10:40 to 11:20 - "Commercial Financing: Formalizing Your Ask" - with attorney Erach Screwvala. The required paperwork and structures at every level of development, from front money agreements to private placement to Federal filings. And the limitations placed on asking.
NOTE: accountant Walter Gowens will be on hand to answer any tax related questions that come up duirng the legal presentations.

11:20-11:30 - BREAK

11:30 to 12:15pm -"How To Present Yourself to Investors"- with financial adviser Bailie Slevin. We will take a look at a basic money raising pitch both from your side and the investor’s side, learning how to speak the same financial language, exploring how to best communicate your proposal to your target audience.
12:15 to 1:00 - "How to Make Your Best Pitch: Asking Anyone for Any Amount for Any Purpose" - with fundraising consultant Andrew Frank, producer (Lombardi), former Director of the Cultural Institutions Unit at the NY Department of Cultural Affairs, founding Artistic Director of Manhattan Theatresource. GETTING the money is what it is all about but HOW you go about the process makes all the difference. It takes simplicity, focus, structure, organization, and follow through to make it happen. This section will concentrate on "winning language" and "successful steps" to get the support for your creative projects.

LUNCH - 1:00pm to 2:00pm

2:00 - 2:45 - "Making Your Case to Investors: Why Is This Show Likely to Succeed?" - Kristin Caskey, president of Fox Theatricals (Caroline or Change, Red, Bring It On, Thoroughly Modern Millie)
2:45 -3:30 - "Cultivating and Maintaining Investor Relationships" - Nelle Nugent (Stick Fly, Time Stands Still, Ghetto Clown, Amadeus, Morning's at Seven, The Elephant Man, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Dracula)
3:30-4:00 - "Acquiring the Rights and Raising Money for a Branded Property" - David Garfinkle of Hello Entertainment (Ghost the Musical, Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark). Negotiating the rights - and the added expenses of development - for a high-profile work. The pitfalls and pluses of using a name brand to leverage your ask. The tricky balance of bringing in partners and maintaining your position.

4:00-4:15 - BREAK

4:15-5:00 - "Crowdsourcing and Social Media" - with Kathryn Jones of VirtualArtsTV on livestreaming and crowdsourcing; Meredith Lucio (Porgy & Bess, Rooms: a Rock Romance, The 39 Steps) on social media; and Brian Meece, founder of Rockethub.com
5:00-5:45 - "Surviving and Thriving: War Stories from the Commercial Trenches" with producers Patrick Blake (The Exonerated, In the Continuum, Play Dead); Neil Danoff (Matilda, Lucky Guy with Tom Hanks, Glengarry Glen Ross revival, Evita revival, The Addams Family, Spring Awakening); Jane Dubin (Ann, Peter & the Starcatcher, The 39 Steps, The Norman Conquests); Meredith Lucio. Moderated by Cheryl Wiesenfeld (Porgy & Bess, Legally Blonde, A Steady Rain, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, The Exonerated, Play Dead)

5:45-6:00 - keynote speech by Cheryl Wiesenfeld - "Why We Do What We Do"

6:00-7:00pm - RECEPTION

Cost: $175
- $25 off for all current paid TRU members -

CLICK HERE for Application
CLICK HERE for Faculty Bios
Click here for Application as Word Document (preferred)

You may send a check to:
Theater Resources Unlimited, 309 W. 104th Street 1D, NYC NY 10025.

On-line payment (Paypal or credit card) at www.truonline.org/store.html
You may pre-register and hold your spot by emailing trunltd@aol.com

The Players Theatre Mainstage,
115 MacDougal Street (below West 3rd Street)

Click here for an on-line article about the 2011 Boot Camp at theaterlife.com

Click here for a NY One on-line feature about 2009 workshop!

Here's what attendees had to say about the day:

Kudos…a great seminar! Very good to excellent speakers, moved well. ~Rod Gill, '11

It was a terrific educational experience. Great presentations by all. ~Chris Massimine, '11

It was fantastic! ~Lauren Class Schneider,'11

Great seminar! ~Bruce Lazarus, '11

Thank you for an absolutely wonderful Boot Camp . I thoroughly enjoyed it, took so much away, and look forward to staying involved with TRU. ~Megan Kolb, '11

It was a fun, informative day and a great opportunity to meet people! ~Laurence Holzman, '10

Yesterday was fantastic. I look forward to be more involved with TRU as I continue this journey of becoming a producer. ~Eric Ruben, '10

Yesterday was very intense (a good thing). I left very depressed. Then I got mad. And now I'm ready to just get going. I think it is all part of the process of hearing information and having questions answered you didn't even know you had! That in itself is helpful. It was very insightful. I'm very grateful for the opportunities that TRU provides. ~David Flora, '10

In addition to the informative and interesting program it was fun to be in the theatre with 55 people as obsessed with the theatre as I am. ~Sheila Steinberg, '09

The most valuable 8 hours I've spent in my theatre career. ~William Roetzheim, '09

TRU consistently delivers extremely useful insights and information to develop smarter producers. ~Lary Brandt, '09

TRU is always true to their word when they say their workshops are the best in town! Excellent information is always provided and I can put it to practical use the next day. ~Michael A. Pizzi, '09

We learned so much and left feeling uplifted, not only about what we were doing for our company at present, but about what we could do in the future. We felt honored to be part of such a wonderful community of artists and business people, and that will stay with us long into the new year; it was a perfect springboard for the work that awaits us all. ~Bob Combe, Annie Wolf; E Phoenix Idealis Theater, '09

What a fantastic workshop you put together last Saturday. Not only did I obtain valuable information but met a lot of wonderful people as well. ~Fred Rohan, '09

I thought the workshop was terrific! I had no idea how ignorant I was about raising money. So many thanks to you and all the terrific presenters - not to mention the lovely and talented attendees I met there. ~Pam Tate, '09

Your workshop was probably the most valuable one I've ever attended. ~Toni Wellman, '09

The speakers at TRU's Boot Camp for Producers offered such important information, so effectively, that my knowledge of how to raise money for both commerical and non-commercial projects was significantly enhanced. I want to thank TRU for its consistently excellent work in helping Producers and Theater Artists. ~Janet Conrad, '09

Thanks for yesterday - very informing and well put together. Keep up the good work - you are making a diffference - Frankel was great as were many of the others. ~Doug Claybourne, '09

I felt the Producers' Boot Camp was the single best TRU event you have opened up to individuals. ~Catherine Gropper, '09

TRU BOOT CAMP FACULTY
	PATRICK BLAKE (Surviving and Thriving) is a writer/producer based in New York and San Francisco. In New York theater, he is one of the producers of Play Dead! at The Players Theatre, he has produced In the Continuum at Perry Street Theatre, Noah's Archive, Joe Fearless, The Exonerated (Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Court TV's Scales of Justice Award) and The Soap Myth at Southstreet Seaport. He also produced Dirty Works at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He was Executive Producer for the short film, The Igloo, and the feature film Mr. Smith Gets a Hustler. He is the Director of New Play Development for Dog Run Repertory.
	KRISTIN CASKEY (Why Is This Show Likely to Succeed?) As president of Fox Theatricals, Kristin is responsible for booking the touring shows in the U.S. Bank Broadway Series at the Fox Theatre. She has been a producer with New York based Fox Theatricals, a division of Fox Associates, for more than 12 years and served as producer on more than 15 plays, musicals, national tours and West End productions for Fox. Highlights include Red, winner of the 2010 Tony Award® for Best Play; Legally Blonde the Musical, currently playing in London’s West End; Thoroughly Modern Millie, winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Tony Award winner for Best Play Revival; Death of a Salesman, Tony Award winner for Best Play Revival; Caroline or Change, Olivier Award winner for Best Musical; The Seagull; ’night, Mother; and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Kristin recently opened Traces in New York City as well as Bring It On: The Musical which she developed for Universal Studios and Beacon Pictures. She chairs the marketing committee, serves on the governance committee and is on the Board of Governors for the Broadway League, the national trade organization for the Broadway industry.
	NEIL DANOFF (Surviving and Thriving) is an investor and producer whose Broadway credits include the upcoming musical Matilda, Lucky Guy with Tom Hanks and the musical Allegiance. Current shows include the revivals of Glengarry Glen Ross and Evita. Previous Broadway shows: The Addams Family (TONY nominated), The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino, Spring Awakening (8 TONY awards including BEST MUSICAL), The Wedding Singer (TONY nominated) and Brooklyn The Musical. Off-Broadway credits: NEWSical (Drama Desk nominee), I Love You Because... and Once Around The Sun.
JANE DUBIN (Surviving and Thriving) is a TONY Award-winning producer and the President of Double Play Connections, a theatrical production and management company committed to supporting emerging artists and playwrights in the creation and development of new works. Jane is a graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute's 14-week (NYC) and O’Neill Center Intensive (CT) Producing Workshops and past Director of TRU’s Producer Development Program. Productions: Peter and the Starcatcher, winner of 5 TONY Awards; Ann, starring Holland Taylor, (upcoming Lincoln Center, February, 2013); The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (London); The 39 Steps (OB, Tour); The Norman Conquests (TONY Award, Best Play Revival); unFRAMED by Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, Groundswell (the New Group); Beebo Brinker Chronicles (2008 GLAAD Media Award for Theatre). Ms. Dubin is a member of the Broadway League. She is on the Board of Directors of Houses on the Moon Theater Company and a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is co-curator of the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center New Play Reading Series. Currently, she is co-producer of Hudson River Rising, focused on presenting events in Westchester in February, 2013 for One Billion Rising - the 15th Anniversary of V-Day. Before embarking on her career in theater, Ms. Dubin spent over 20 years in the financial services industry. Trained as an actuary, she was a Managing Director at Equitable Capital Management Corporation and then principal of a private investment firm. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Rochester with a BA in Mathematics and an MS in Public Policy. She has an MBA in Finance from NYU. DoublePlayConnections@gmail.com
	ANDREW FRANK (Asking Anyone for Any Amount for Any Purpose) is currently the executive director of Making Books Sing. Prior to joining Making Books Sing, Andrew was the Director of the Cultural Institutions Unit at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. His background in theatre includes work as a producer, writer and director. Most recently, he was Associate Producer for Lombardi on Broadway. His writing and directing work has been seen at numerous theaters in New York and regionally, including Dodger Stages, The Duke Theatre on 42nd St, The Berkshire Theatre Festival and Glimmerglass Opera. Andrew's writing credits include the historical musical revue The Greenwich Village Follies, the musical Sidd based on the Hermann Hesse novel, and two highly acclaimed dance/theatre pieces Isadora . . . No Apologies and In Search of a Goddess. Andrew is the Founding Artistic Director of Manhattan Theatre Source.
	DAVID GARFINKLE/HELLO ENTERTAINMENT (Acquiring the Rights and Raising Money for a Branded Property). David is producer and chief executive officer of Hello Entertainment, theatrical production company. He was the producer of Ghost the Musical in London's West End (developed since inception) and Broadway, the founding producer of Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark, as well as The Immigrant (Drama Desk nominations Best Book and Orchestrations); three-time Tony winner Hinton Battle's Hinton Battle: Largely Live; Anne and Emmett. He has been an adjunct professor at Duke University, leadership in the arts; and Columbia Film School. David founded and was managing partner of the Entertainment & Intellectual Property Group law firm.
WALTER GOWENS, CFP, EA, is the President and founder of Prudential Vanguard Financial Services, Inc.. He offers to you the benefits of more than 30 years of experience gained from positions in accounting, finance, budgeting and investments. He has worked in industry and Wall Street as well as for the Internal Revenue Service and in the non-profit sector. He received a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from Indiana University and Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University. He is an Enrolled Agent, Certified Financial Planner, listed in Who's Who In America and a member of the National Society of Accountants and National Society of Tax Professionals. Additionally, he has spoken on topics concerning financial and tax issues before numerous groups and has been interviewed for television, radio, newspaper and magazine
MEREDITH LUCIO (Crowdsourcing/(Surviving and Thriving) ) is the executive producer of Wild Bird Productions, Inc. In addition to being the Program Director of the Producer Development and Mentorship Program for Theater Resources Unlimited she also has produced both on and off Broadway, recenlt winning a Tony as with Rooms:a rock romance, The 39 Steps and the Tony Award winning Broadway revival of Porgy and Bess. Meredith also writes a theater blog at www.TheaterZen.com. Follow Meredith @TheaterZen (twitter) and www.facebook.com/TheaterZen.
	NELLE NUGENT (Investor Relations) is a professional Producer. Broadway, for The Nederlander Organization: My Fat Friend, Sherlock Holmes, Habeas Corpus, London Assurance. Broadway and Off-Broadway for McCann & Nugent Productions, Inc: Dracula, The Elephant Man, Mornings at Seven, The Gin Game, Otherwise Engaged, Night and Day, Home, Rose, Piaf, Nicholas Nickleby, Amadeus, Mass Appeal, The Dresser, The Lady and the Clarinet, The Glass Menagerie (Revival), Painting Churches, Total Abandon, All’s Well That Ends Well, Pilobolus Dance Company, Pacific Overtures (Revival), Much Ado About Nothing, Cyrano De Bergerac, Leader of the Pack, The Smell of the Kill. For The Foxboro Company, Inc.: Sly Fox (revival), A Mother, a Daughter and a Gun, And Then There Were None, American Buffalo (Revival), Little House of the Prairie, Time Stands Still, Ghetto Klown, Stick Fly. Upcoming: trip to Bountiful with Cicely Tyson. Television: Produced 16 Movies of the Week for CBS, TNT, Showtime, ABC, NBC, USA, Lifetimes and SciFi Networks. Also independent films: Jane Doe, Getting In and Master Harold…And the Boys. Other: Co-Founder, Producers Guild of America, East, Currently Executive Committee; Member ATAS, Member League of American Theaters.
	ERACH SCREWVALA, ESQ. (Commercial Financing: Formalizing YourAsk) is the founder of Screwvala LLC and has over ten years of experience in Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property, and Litigation. In his Entertainment practice, he works with clients engaged in the legit theater, book publishing, motion picture, and music industries. He regularly counsels clients on production financing, locating and clearing rights, and copyright issues. He negotiates and drafts contracts on a wide range of issues, including financing documents, acquisition agreements, talent agreements, collaboration agreements, publishing and recording contracts. His Litigation practice emphasizes complex litigation matters in Federal and State courts in a diverse range of areas, including Constitutional issues, copyright infringement, and securities fraud. Erach’s articles on copyright law have appeared in the Journal of the Association of Recorded Sound Collections and he has spoken on or moderated panels at the CMJ Music Marathon, PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, and TRU.
	BAILIE SLEVIN (How to Present Yourself to Investors) is currently a financial advisor with Forest Hills Financial Group on a mission to bring fiscal health and responsibility to the entertainment community. Member of AEA, League of Professional Theatre Women and The New York Coalition of Women in Arts and Media. Bailie has stage managed, general managed and produced shows and events off-off Broadway, Off Broadway and Broadway that have won IT Awards, OBIE Awards, Drama Desk and Tony Awards.
	CHERYL WIESENFELD (Surviving and Thriving) Broadway: The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess Tony Award); A Steady Rain; Legally Blonde; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Caroline, or Change; ‘night, Mother; Elaine Stritch: At Liberty (Tony Award). Off-Broadway: Play Dead; In the Continuum; Shockheaded Peter; The Exonerated; Talking Heads; The Waverly Gallery. Ms. Wiesenfeld was the recipient of Theater Resources Unlimited's 2007 "Spirit of Theater" Award for her ongoing generosity to young producers in the New York community, as well as her selfless support of the work that TRU does. She is one of the founding Mentors in the TRU Producer Development & Mentorship Program, and to date has mentored over a dozen aspirants, including guiding one production to win four Audelco Awards, and helping another production find success in regional theaters.
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