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A Producer’s Guide to the Broadway Galaxy
While I never felt qualified enough to talk the “hows” or
“whys” of producing theatre on Broadway, after only attending 24
hours of classes at the Commercial Theater Institute’s 3-Day Program,
I now find myself asking, “Why not?”
Growing up in Japan, Broadway seemed so far away and unreachable from our
day-to-day earthy life. It is the place where stars sparkle and hope lights
up the world. For some odd reason, I dreamt of being a vaudevillian on Broadway.
I volunteered to be a clown and took all the classes available: mime, slapstick,
stage combat—I wanted to be Charlie Chaplin. I had no idea I was born
eighty years too late.
Fast-forward twenty years and I live the typical roller coaster life of a
small theatre owner. For the last 10 years, I have operated the sixty-seat
Secret Rose Theatre, the nonprofit theatre producing corporation Fire Rose
Productions and the Writers’ Lounge.
We have so many projects that it seems like I have never enough time, or even
time to communicate what kind of help I need. I often wonder, “Do I have
to do everything myself?”
After attending this conference, I concluded that, yes, you do have to do
everything yourself. No matter how big or small the production is, the seed
of an idea for the show is in your head only. It is your responsibility to
nurture and let others see the possibility and beauty of the plants even before
they blossom. In commercial theatre, you have to completely believe in your
project so that you can convince your backers that this plant will indeed
be fruitful.
Both commercial and nonprofit entities have to face the fact that the theatre
is a buyers’ market. In order to survive, we have to cater to what audiences
want to see. However, the audiences are getting savvy, and the old gimmicks
of casting a name actor in the show or putting the word “sex” in
the title do not guarantee a house anymore. As producers, we cannot afford
to just go after the moneymaking project—we cannot disappoint our existing
audience base. And if we want to experience longevity, our shows must have
quality. We must focus on nurturing good relationships with the audience,
while cultivating a new generation of theatregoers.
As a producer, I believe it is our responsibility to find a show with guts
- a show with vital principles will speak to anyone regardless of his or her
age. Sometimes we fall madly in love with a piece, and we are driven with
blind passion just to see the piece come to life. The bottom line is to produce
a show you can truly believe in.
After the conference, I realized that theatre producers do not lead lives
riding roller coasters, rather like riding camels – you have to believe
there is an oasis out there, so you just keep going forward. You have to have
the patience and you have to motivate your teams to stick with you. All that
passion and belief that your show will make a positive impact on this society
is the only fuel to get you there.
The enthusiasm of the producers from the CTI Conference was quite contagious.
Because of them, I was able to pack houses at the Orlando Fringe Festival
as a fearless promoter of the show. For our first Ten-Minute Musical Festival,
I never lost faith that this format is one of the best gateways to introduce
musical theatre to the community.
Sharing the past as wisdom and living present experiences are evidence that
we are still able to feel, and that the future has hope. That is what the
theatre is all about.
I must thank Joel Dorr of DramaBiz and Dennis D. Hennessy and Richard
Carrothers of the New Theatre Restaurant for the scholarship and for being
model mentors for me. I hope to follow in your footsteps to be able to offer
support to younger producers. Without this scholarship, I would still be making
excuses for why I could not get away to attend this conference. If you already
are a part of a creative process of theatre world, or are hoping to be, force
yourself to attend this conference. I met many people who attend every year—they
know it fuels them. It is also great to know that there are people higher
up on the ladder helping the people climbing from below.
