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Edd
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| Joined: | Sat Jun 10th, 2006 |
| Location: | Denver, Colorado USA |
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Posted: Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 02:41 pm |
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edd: Karen Weeks is the producer of AYBT, a professional Theatre Company in Boston. Everything you want to know about how a producer picks a play, what they?re looking for, if formatting is all that important, or how important is a good cover letter, set requirements, the most producible number of actors, a good synopsis or resume, etc. she has made herself available to help put you ahead of the game when submitting your plays. Welcome, Karen. I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us. Paul, Paddy and I are very pleased to be your hosts and I am confident that our members here and those who read the transcript of our interview will leave with important information to help them move along that rocky and seemingly endless road towards production. Would you mind saying a few words before we begin?
Karen Weeks: Thanks Edd. I am proud to be here representing AYTB. Just a little bit of background, we have been in Boston for about three years and we try to produce new plays each year as well as pre-published works. My role as managing director to make sure the theatre stays running :) and of course to help staff the shows and pick scripts along with Braden as well as a team of readers we have on board.
Kate Betts: Hi Karen, I recently had my first full-length play in London's West End - produced by Sonia Friedman productions at the New Ambassadors Theatre - where it ran for 7 weeks. I would like now to see if there would be any interest in the play in the US. As a producer, how would you advise I go about this in the first instance? (I don't have an agent - does this matter?)
Karen_Weeks: Especially for writers, I don't think an agent is necessary (we sometimes shy away from scripts that an agent has submitted). My suggestion is to find out what companies are currently accepting scripts, find out what they accept (ie full script or just scenes or a pitch) and then send it out to companies that match your play and style.
Braden: The biggest problem is writers that send scripts that are in NO way what the company is interested in. For example, we don't do family musicals so don't send one to us. That can be avoided by doing basic research on a company by going to their website. (Note: Braden is Karen’s husband and co-producer. –edd)
Karen_Weeks: One other bit of advice. Have a kick ass cover letter that tells a little bit about the script, the history of production, some of the logistical stuff, but more importantly why it fits with the theatre and why they should do it.
poosner: Hi.
Karen_Weeks: Hi.
poosner: I went to grad school in Boston, Emerson. I loved watching theatre there. I want to know what gets a producer's attention. If there is no star attached to a project... or if there hasn't been a production yet...
Karen_Weeks: Especially in Boston, we don't expect a star to be attached, especially at our level (at the Huntington or ART maybe, but that's it). Actually, world premier is very attractive to most companies because it is a selling point. Marketability is VERY important when selecting scripts.
edd: Karen, is Braden here with us?
Karen_Weeks: Yes sir.
edd: Introduce yourself, please
Braden: Hi all, glad to be here. I am the producing director of AYTB. I am an actor/director who also writes. I have had a few plays produced and worked in L.A. in creative development on films such as Sideways and House of Sand and Fog. So, I've worked with a lot of writers. Is that a good thing? You decide. :)
edd: You bet that's a good thing.
Paddy: Although I deal very well with rejection, the think I find difficult to deal with, is theatres that say, we are very interested, it looks good, I think we can do this play, we are so excited...even a phone call or two, and then..................nothing. What kinds of things are going on behind the scenes when this happens? I think I might be an all or nothing, prefer no to maybe person.
Braden: A lot of times budget may be a factor. We have never given false hopes to writers (that's because I understand the fragility of the writer's self-confidence, been there done that). Sometimes it is merely timing. A company has all of the desire to produce it but money or space gets in the way. Never consider anything a done deal until there is a contract. That is the only sure thing a writer can get.
Paddy: Thank you, Braden.
Karen_Weeks: Just to add on to that...often we will get a script that we LOVE and we of course want the writer to know the positive feedback. However, we are trying to put together a season so when all the ducks line up, that script may not be right for us at that time. It doesn't mean we changed our opinion, it just doesn't pan out for that year. But we try to always stay in contact to let the writers know where we stand on a script.
Paddy: Thank you, Karen...the stay in contact part is important.
DWolfman: With the popularity of long one acts like ART and no set intermission pieces like DOUBT, is the two-act still the way to go?
Karen_Weeks: We have done both (two act plays and full length pieces with no intermission). I think it's whatever fits your piece the best. Don't worry about how many acts a play has, your story will determine that for you.
poosner: I wanted to look up your theatre on line while we're having this chat to find out what kind of theatre your company does... what did your last season look like? What does your company specifically look for in the first ten pages of a piece to know if you can/want to do a play?
Braden: Our last season consisted of The Fourth Nail (a play that dealt with a man grappling with his past and anger towards being a child of rape and his vengeance upon the man who was his father), TAPE, a play by Stephen Belber, and Death & You which was a series of one-acts about death by a local writer. This season we did Edd's play The Moon Away which dealt with, among many things, identity. Next is Still Life, which looks at the effects of war on a man and his family and friends, and the Suckers (written by me) which examines the voice of advertising in our values and ideals. That's the first part to the question. In the first ten pages we look for a voice: Does the writer have a unique style and is it coherent. Next, we try to determine if the content is something that will hold an audiences attention. Are the characters identifiable? Lastly, if I was watching this, would I care what comes next. The play should be topical. I do not mean current in it's setting but that the play's content is reflective of the thoughts and issues of the world in today's society. That really helps a play's chances to get produced.
smmcfadden: If one of my plays has been produced by a small non-equity theater or has been produced as a script-in-hand production, may I still suggest to a larger regional theater (equity or non-equity) that they can still produce the "world premiere"?
Karen_Weeks: It all depends what your contracts have said. If there was no mention of the script-in-hand production being the "world premier" you can definitely still sell it as such. However, if the script in hand was the world premier, you can't re-sell it as a world premier just because it's a bigger venue. And now a days with the internet, a company can confirm the history of the play very easily, so be honest with the next company you send it to. Tell them you had a script in hand production for two weeks, but it was (or was not) the world premier. Does that help? Based on what you just wrote, it doesn't sound like a hard sell. As long as everything is true to the world you have created, than the audience will go with it. Just write a good cover letter with the emotion behind the play and if it's a well written script, people will go with it.
thain: Hi Karen & Braden - I'm based in the UK. I'm curious to know what your theatre's "average budget" is (any subsidy?), and the length of your "average run". Also, roughly what percentage of the plays you premiere go on to further productions.
Karen_Weeks: Thanks Paul for creating this forum!
thain: my pleasure
Braden: We don't give out budget. I can say we pay writers, actors, directors, and certain staff. We have been told that we are one of the fair independent theatres in Boston and pride ourselves on that. We have had productions that have garnered interest in being taken further but it has gone no further than initial talks.
Karen_Weeks: Oh, our average run is three weeks.
thain: Any subsidy ?
Karen_Weeks: We are in the process of becoming non-profit. we basically get the upfront funding we need and then rely on ticket sales to do the rest as of right now. Hopefully that will all change soon!
thain: thank you and good luck.
Karen_Weeks: Thanks.
edd: K and B, What is the value of a good cover letter?
Karen_Weeks: It's everything, it's why we put a script on top of the pile. Honestly, Edd's cover letter put his script on top of the pile because he told us why it fit our search, our company, and our season. We will read all plays sent, but a good cover letter automatically gains our interest and makes us want to read (versus having to read it).
Katoagogo: What new plays and playwrights would you recommend we become familiar with either by reading their work or seeing their plays?
Braden: Wow, dude, not an easy Question!!! Stephen Belber is an interesting playwright and Martin McDonagh ("Pillowman"). There are so many new playwrights out there. I suggest that the best thing to do is read anything. Old or new. Tennessee Williams (one of my all-time favs) is still teaching me new things everyday in my writing. Same goes with Arthur Miller and Anthony Shaffer (which I'm sure I misspelled). Themes and style should be observed not just what is current.
msdirector: I'm Arlene. As you can tell from my user name, I'm not a playwright, but I am a director/dramaturg who works extensively with playwrights all through the development process. My question is this... when a playwright has been collaborating since the first readings, staged readings, workshops, etc. of a play with a director, is it okay to submit their name with the play submission? How do you determine who will direct a play and do you, or other theatres, welcome play submissions for which the playwright has a preferred director?
Karen_Weeks: We really can't speak for other theatres, choising a director is a "personal" choice. Some theatres would welcome new directors, others have their pool and wouldn't consider anyone outside of it.
msdirector: Thanks. Is there any way to know what a theatre's preference is?
Karen_Weeks: Personally, we hire Boston directors so if the director suggested is from outside the area, we couldn't work with them. My opinion, is it's always worth mentioning the history with a director, but it's very risky to say that the director has to come with the project.
msdirector: Understood. Thank you.
Paddy: I find a lot of women question whether or not a playwright's gender comes into the selection process...I, myself, can't imagine theatres having any such bias, but do you consider that when reading, or is there a kind of style that seems to come from one gender and not the other....coming from someone with a gender confused name.
Karen_Weeks: Hmmmm, there is some argument either way. Some people think the same play written from a woman's point of view may be more emotional and not as detached as a man's. I don't know if that's true or not. At the end of the day, if it's a good play it doesn't matter the gender, it's a good play.
Paddy: Thank you.
edd: Karen and Braden, I understand that you have a question for us.
Karen_Weeks: We do! We are always looking for new ways to promote writers, but can only do so many full productions in a year. As writers, how do you feel about companies wanting to do staged readings of your pieces?
edd: Everybody feel free to jump in until I yell STOP.
Paddy: I, myself, find stage readings more useful than a production. It give you an opportunity to see it on its feet, and usually produces much better rewrites.
thain: It's much, much better than nothing.
mac: i'm not a great fan of staged readings.I feel that it gyps the audience experience. That said, a staged reading is better than nothing at all.
edd: I feel pretty much as does mac.
mac: Then I'll feel as though I'm in good company ... though if you use it as a part of the editing process as Paddy indicated, I can see the value.
poosner: Staged readings are great, as long as they lead to something. If they're just being done for the sake of doing a reading, what's the point?
katoagogo: I enjoy staged readings -- I love directing them, I like seeing my plays done in them -- and I enjoy how many people I meet in the process. I've produced a number of festivals myself.
Mozz: I like the idea of staged readings, if they're by invitation only. I like to have them, and just invite a couple of writers and people I know are gonna tear it apart. Then I take what I find useful and start the rewriting process.
Paddy: Workshopping a play is an important part of the process. It's difficult to have a play produced without any imput. I think it leads to a better play, and that's invaluable.
poosner: So many writers find themselves on this hampster wheel of readings, but never get the prize of a full production.
edd: I've gotten tapes of staged readings which have helped me rewrite a better play.
MaryS: I had so many staged readings of my play it wore out the actors. But for me it was golden to what worked and what didn't. Then it's REWRITE REWRITE REWRITE. And funny, it's a play about chatrooms. LOL
Braden: I often find it is dependent on the quality of the reading.
edd: I want to thank Karen and Braden for giving us the best interview ever.
thain: Yes, many thanks to you both.
Karen_Weeks: Best ever - woo-hoo! Thank you for your great questions (and answers)!!!!
edd: I'd like you all to send your happy faces, thank yous and cheers to our guests.
Mozz: Thanks Karen, thanks Braden...thanks for the input, it was great.
mac: :D
edd: BRAVO :)
MaryS: Sorry I came in so late, but what I read was very valuable.
poosner: Thanks very much
Paddy: Thank you both, this has been nicely enlightening.
Karen_Weeks: Be sure to check out http://www.aytb.org and http://www.myspace.com/aytb ... shameless plug. Good luck everyone and feel free to e-mail us through MySpace or the website. Bye and good night. Writers are the foundation to great theatre.
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