Beginning next year, producers who ready their shows for touring (a process known as “teching”) in New York’s upstate facilities will be eligible for a 25 percent tax credit.
State lawmakers included the incentive in their recent budget after Louisiana, Illinois, and Rhode Island began luring nascent productions away with their own live-theater incentives.
4 comments:
I don't know if this is a bad thing or a good thing. New York already holds the largest portion of the theatre scene, and I think the exporting parts of the tech process to other states isn't such a bad thing, as it helps build the theatrical economy in other place. That being said, making it easier to keep theatre jobs in this country is a good thing, and keeping whole companies localized is also a positive.
I am not surprised at all that New York would take financial action to reel in more theater, tourists and theatergoers make the city a fair amount of money not to mention crazy congestion between 42nd and 50th street. It is smart to try and get people to prep and tech their shows in upstate New York because there are A TON of good sized theaters and theater houses throughout the state, as the article says, not just on Broadway. This could be a really great opportunity for those venues and surrounding areas (as the governor mentioned).
It's crazy to hear about the innovative techniques industries such as theater and film are utilizing in order to keep their art alive. New York, Broadway especially, is so full of life, history, and culture. That in itself is a work of art worthy of preserving like an artifact. It's interesting how they are able to manipulate salaries and taxes in order to benefit the arts in their area. It makes me wonder if a similar technique could be used, on a much smaller scale, to bring the arts to poor communities without a very cultural core.
I agree with Rueben on this topic. New York City/ broadway already holds a huge portion of the theatre scene. Why can't a producer decide to "tech" a show in Baltimore or LA? There are many great theatre's capable of housing a touring show for tech and it seems a shame to not involve other cities in this process. It's interesting to here how touring shows need a place to tech. I would interested in knowing whether or not there is a similar process for major concert tours? Do they rent out arena's to tech in?
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