Just Read

I met with a graduate student yesterday from Julliard. She asked if I had a moment to talk, and of course I made time. She was very smart, and in the conversation she asked if there were any books I would recommend. Well, of course there are. Some of them are even listed just a little way down on the right side of this blog. So I thought I would cover some of them.

For beginning producers, I recommend CTI’s Guide to Producing Plays and Musicals. It is easy to read and understand, and they have a great index of terms. Many of the great producers and managers of our time write about their specialties. Fast and easy read.

For more advanced people, there is Donald Farber’s Producing Theatre. It is full of legal information, but everything you will have to know. It is not the easiest read, but push through and read it all. You will learn a lot. I had the pleasure of meeting Donald in his fabulous NY apartment, and I have to say I was so impressed.

For the marketers out there; you should read Purple Cow by Seth Godin. It talks about how to make your product or company different and stand out. Easy read and full of “out of the box” thinking, which I love.

The last book is What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis. Brilliant. My best friend told me he makes all his employees read it. If you are into social media and want to hear some of the ideas that Google used to rise to the top, you should read this.

Call me a nerd, but I love books about theatre, business and marketing. I say read them as much as possible and you will have an edge on your competition. What other books do you like? Leave other books in the comments section.