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Self-Producing a Play

Introduction

Playwrights, actors, and directors looking for work in an increasingly tough market need a calling card. That one production that you can invite potential agents, employers, or managers to come see. But how does one get that initial production? Well, increasingly the answer comes back: Self-production.

This course will teach the first-time producer - or even a seasoned veteran - the tips to getting a top-notch production without maxing out all of their credit cards. Whether an Equity Showcase or a non-union gig, you will learn how to choose a play, book a space, audition a cast, fill the seats, and still pay all the bills.

The initial self-production is a daunting task, so we will break it down into its component parts by following an actual live production of my own show, Benny's Four Rooms, that I mounted a couple of years ago.

Students will be able to follow along by planning their own productions, reacting to bumps along the way. At the end of the course, the process will have effectively already been achieved, and the next self-production - the real one - should seem much simpler.