WHY I LOVE WORKING WITH TRU

Last night I had the privilege of sitting on a panel for a program run by Theater Resources Unlimited. Actually, it was the kick-off event for TRU’s 2015-16 season of programs.There were about 10 of us on the panel, all of us involved in one way or another with TRU programming. A lawyer, a writer, a financial consultant and a bunch of producers. It’s not the first time I’ve sat on this very panel, but this time something struck me as being very special. Without exception, everyone on the panel believed that the theater industry will benefit from an influx of new producers and had made a commitment to support new producers in their efforts.Why is this special? Because more and more commercial theater is becoming a closed shop. There are about 15 producers who regularly produce Broadway shows, along with about 5 corporate producers such as Disney and the Nederlander Organization, and 5 not-for-profit theaters. I guess you can consider this list a core group of Broadway producers.In fact, of the 40-odd Broadway productions either currently running or which have opening dates scheduled for the 2015-16 season, I count 4 which were produced without the participation of someone in the core group. This group includes one major hit – BEAUTIFUL. AMAZING GRACE has already announced its closing date; DAMES AT SEA is in previews but is a long way from shore – initial grosses are very low. That leaves ALLEGIANCE, which is currently in rehearsal.So what does it mean when the ability to produce Broadway shows is limited to a small core group? On the upside, it means that there is a group of dedicated professionals putting product out there, and that Broadway productions meet very high standards. However, it is a general rule of modern economics that the more an industry becomes concentrated, competition in the industry decreases and consumers end up having fewer choices and facing higher prices. Anyone tracking the steady increase in Broadway ticket prices can tell you that the effects of limited competition are already being felt by the theatre-going public. And anyone who wants to produce a show on Broadway and has tried to get a theatre has felt the impact of the limitations on competition.And that’s why I am so happy to work with TRU. Unlike CTI, which limits the people who can attend, TRU is open to anyone and everyone who wants to produce theatre. TRU works towards a vision of a diverse theatre community where there is upward mobility for new producers at every level of the industry. It is a vision I share.You can learn more about TRU here.http://www.truonline.org