Ask My Frends - Producing at Fringe Follow Up

Incase you haven’t read Jamie’s first post please go back and do so. I asked Jamie Galhon to do a follow up post about what it was like after Capital Fringe. What she liked and learned from her time as a producer. Jamie is a Georgetown Grad and now works in the Artistic Department at Arena Stage. Don’t let the work artistic fool you though. She is very business savvy and will be producing huge hits all over town really soon.

Skywriter: The Fringe Redux

"Skywriter came and went. The Fringe madness peaked and subsided, and I and the rest of The Angry Young Theatre Company lived to tell the tale. Lessons learned, challenges overcome, and a little sweet success as well. So, here goes...

When I last blogged, we were heading into our one two-hour technical rehearsal, getting ready to open, and praying that the Zip Car pick-up truck we rented would be big enough to fit our set. Luckily, the set arrived in one piece (albeit not without some extensive rigging and one slightly terrifying and point-and-laugh inducing trip across town), and tech went as well as one could hope given the circumstances. We opened to a good sized house; our venue had 60 seats, and were pleased to see the seats continue to fill as the run went on. We ended up selling out 3 of our 5 total shows, thanks largely to our amazingly supportive friends, their word of mouth, and some good press. All told we ran at an average 94% capacity, not adjusting for the comps in each house. This totally met, if not exceeded, our initial goal of 60% capacity throughout the run. Then again, when we made that goal we didn't really know what to expect, or what we were doing for that matter.

Looking back, I wish I had found a way to get those first two shows sold out. Having full houses to kick off the run would have more or less ensured success the following weekend. After all, everyone wants to go see the shows that are selling out, even if they don't know the content. When the tickets were tallied and we got our check from Fringe (a pre-set % of the total box office), we were able to recoup all direct expenses. At the start of this endeavor, everyone in the company had agreed to give their time for free (this was a true labor of love, after all), and we focused on keeping costs down throughout the process, which meant finding free rehearsal space, re-furbing materials into our set, etc., and our actors knew from the get-go that this was not a paid gig. That said, we all had our fingers crossed that we would do well enough to a.) not run me into debt, and b) pay our artists and ourselves for our commitment and hard work on the project. Thankfully, even after reimbursing company members for their direct expenses, we had enough left over to pay all four of our actors, our writer, director, stage manager, and producer (me). The money was by no means indicative of the worth or value of the contribution everyone put in, but regardless, I was proud to be able to walk away knowing we did what we could in that regard.

But of course, in the end, it really wasn't about the money (though money is nice). It was about putting up a new play that I believed in, that had something important and relevant to say to THIS community, with a host of artists I respect. It was about creating something from nothing and sharing it with the world, about having the opportunity and challenge to do so; it was about pushing myself and growing in the process, with my friends and colleagues. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat."

Ask My Friends - Producing at Fringe

We keep the tradition of “Ask My Friends” and next up is Jamie Gahlon who I worked with at Arena Stage. She is a smart young artist and business person. I am sure we will see the words JAMIE GAHLON PRESENTS very soon. She would love for you all to buy tickets or even look up more info about their show. I asked Jamie to tell us what it is like to produce a show for the Capital Fringe Festival.

“Skywriter: Power-Madness! Subject-Verb Agreement!

From the moment I saw my first Fringe show, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of; it was just a matter of finding the right people and project. I had produced a couple of shows in college and gained some experience line-producing readings and workshops in my current job at Arena Stage, but the control freak and adventurer in me was missing the fun and chaos endemic to producing, of creating something from scratch and getting to be involved in all aspects of the process from conception to death. So when my friend/colleague/playwright extraordinaire Seamus Sullivan asked if I would consider producing a show he wanted to write for Fringe this summer, I was totally on board. Seamus, a number of other Georgetown grads, and I got together, and The Angry Young Theatre Company was born.

My initial excitement wavered only slightly as I came to terms with what lie ahead; I would be producing for the "real world," we had no budget save my trusty Wells Fargo Visa, and the most exciting/terrifying part was the fact that Skywriter was a new play, an entirely different beast from a script arriving pre-packaged and prepped for distribution.

As soon as we were officially accepted into Fringe in March, we set up auditions and put word out about the show:

"As an English teacher at a troubled DC public school, Frank Fletcher deals with a host of problems; crumbling infrastructure, violence in the halls, controversial reforms, and students who aren't always inclined to sit and learn. Thanks to a traumatic accident, he also believes himself to be a superhero named Skywriter who spends his nights patrolling neighborhood rooftops. When a new student teacher uncovers his secret identity, Fletcher must reflect on whether his heroic alter ego is a dangerous delusion or a much needed force for good in the city."

We were incredibly pleased with the response to auditions and ended up with four fabulous actors, Ricardo Frederick Evans, Christopher Michael Todd, Genevieve James, and Lynn Bandoria.

I spent the next couple of weeks madly crafting contracts, navigating Equity waters to obtain the necessary waivers, searching for rehearsal space, and getting as precise a production calendar as possible given the info that was steadily arriving from Fringe. In many respects, the blessing and curse of Fringe is the pre-ordained structure. Pro: You get a venue, name recognition, and a built-in promotional network. Con: We will have a two-hour tech and must limit the show to an hour. Thankfully, Seamus and our director, Hunter Styles, have both been aware of such constraints and have done an awesome job preserving the magnitude and substance of the show without allowing the scope to careen out of control.

By the time we were cast, Seamus had a rough first draft, but it was clear that in order to do the show justice, we would need to get a development process in place. We partnered with the Artists' Bloc as a part of their Modern Scribes program and set up three readings during April, May and June. We used our cast when they were available, and after each reading, Artists' Bloc staff helped to facilitate a non-critical feedback session based on questions generated by Seamus. It was truly incredible to experience the evolution of the script, sweeping changes and minute adjustments alike.

Seamus set the script in early June as we finalized our press pitches and listings and sent our marketing materials to print, albeit later than we had hoped (isn't that always the way?). We began rehearsals just over three weeks ago, and though it's hard to believe, we head into tech this week, and Fringe is fast upon us. Today, we had a preview performance at Big Monkey Comics on 14th Street, and though the space was unconventional, it was incredible to see a sampling of what's to come, and it was great for our cast to get some practice in front of an audience before the real deal begins THIS Saturday!

As I type, I have just sent the agenda for our last Production meeting, finished finalizing our strange tech week schedule (which includes practicing our 15 minute load in and load outs, God help us), and am trying to understand the minutiae and costs of the wondrous world of ZipCar. Do you know exactly how big the back end of a pick-up truck is or how to secure a rolling chain link fence in said pick-up? Neither do I, but I will by the time this is through.

Outside of the thrill of creation itself and the fun of working with a team of artists I deeply respect, the most rewarding part of the process thus far has been to be a part of something I believe has potential as a tool to affect positive social change in our city, to incite reflection on the state of DC Public schools, and, ideally, to serve as a catalyst for action that moves beyond the theater lobby. Skywriter begs us all to examine who we as a society choose to make superhuman and to seek out and recognize the superheroes who walk among us every day."