HowlRound: In October of 2010 we were in tech for ReEntry at Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE when I got the great news that American Records and ReEntry would be one of six participants in the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) National Theater Touring Pilot. ReEntry was written by Emily Ackerman and me, based on interviews with Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, which got its start at Two River Theater Company, commissioned by Aaron Posner. As the CEO of American Records (a theater company devoted to making work that chronicles our time), I had begun producing the play at military hospitals and conferences, but on a case-by-case basis. The funding from NEFA would allow me to kick off a national and later international tour. FYI, I’m the CEO and not artistic director because American Records is not a not-for-profit organization but rather a registered S-Corporation, of which I am the sole owner working under a fiscal sponsorship (more on that later).
3 comments:
I have many inquiries about touring and this article is a great look into some of what touring entails. I love that it mentions Dropbox, it is great to know that this is one of the more popular tools used in communication amongst theatre companies! The list explaining some touring challenges is interesting too. I am grateful that the challenges are listed along side some solutions and anecdotes. Touring is something that seems very foreign and difficult to someone who has never done one before, but this article does a great job in making it more familiar and accessible to an outsider.
I have a feeling that when people talk about international touring and what a dream it is, they often think about the big-deal productions that were a hit on Broadway and are now being shown all over the world. This article offered great insight into the challenges and advantages of touring a smaller show produced by a smaller organization and funded by various artistic associations and funds. I found it interesting how different the three versions of "ReEntry" are, and would definitely want to learn more about such specifications only applicable to touring shows. It sounds like a huge learning experience, from which all theater artists, performers and managers can grow a lot, with so much to adapt to.
Wow. I'm really impressed by the work that KJ Sanchez and American Records, along with her production team and their presenters, have done to make this tour a success. The idea of having three different versions of your show so that you can tour practically anywhere is amazing- this makes it possible for you to reach so many more audiences an making connections with so many more presenters. I appreciate the lengths that KJ has gone to to work with presenters in order to help them to bring the play to their communities and to get the word out about it. This shows that she is truly passionate about the production and the subject matter.
The whole P & H issue is upsetting; the fact that the current policy makes it so that employers are compelled not to pay into P & H for its employees is awful. Tours are a special situation and AEA should have some sort of a flexible touring contract that can be used so that working Sunday through Monday isn't considered two weeks of work and doesn't force employees to pay for two weeks of P & H benefits.
KJ Sanchez has really covered all the bases with this article and has opened up my eyes to the possibilities of touring with smaller (though certainly not less important or meaningful) productions.
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