Fall Conference 2017

Grab your badge and sponsor goodies, and join us for breakfast and coffee.

Sponsored by Ticketmaster.

Michael Riedel has been a theater columnist for the New York Post since 1998. He worked at the Daily News (New York) for five years before returning to the Post and has written for The Guardian, Harper’s Bazaar, Mirabella, Departures, and Commentary. Riedel is the cohost of Theater Talk with PBS, is a contributor to the BBC, and has appeared on Larry King Live, the Today show, Good Morning America, and many other news programs. He lives in New York City.

All-day coffee sponsored by The Musical Company.

A recent study by Actors’ Equity Association showed that jobs for actors and stage managers skew white and male. A series of HowlRound surveys has revealed similar results for administrative and design jobs. How can we break this cycle so that our theatres represent our communities at every level – board, management, creative, onstage, backstage, and in the audience? Recognizing that we are not going to solve these problems today, what steps can we take toward making our specific theatres and the industry as a whole more inclusive? Are we cultural centers and leaders in our communities, or are we falling behind? Our panelists will discuss best practices, with concrete case studies for examples, and help you build a toolkit to take back to work with you.

Moderated by Hillary Hart (Theatre Under The Stars), with Jennifer Bielstein (The Guthrie), Lee Ann Gullie (New York Theatre Workshop), Christine Toy Johnson (Actor and Writer) and Anna Kull (Lark Play Development Center).

Sponsored by The Musical Company and Sheridan College, Canadian Music Theatre Project

Attendees will be divided into small groups with the intention of introducing everyone to at least one person they don’t know. In addition to this networking opportunity, we’ll put the tools from the morning’s session to work in intimate conversations designed to get everyone brainstorming and working together. At the end of the session, we’ll come back together and take some time to share insights with the full group.

How can community engagement be a direct outgrowth of a theatre’s artistic mission and vision and vice versa? What happens when it’s not? How do programs and festivals that aren’t necessarily part of the mainstage circle back to connect audiences and artists in new ways? How can what you put on your stages deepen your relationship with your community? How can leveraging your resources as a hub and a physical space bring people to your art?

Moderated by Dan Murphy (Broadway Rose Theatre Company), with Jennifer Jaquess (Red Mountain Theatre Company), Orlando Morales (The 5th Avenue Theatre), Paige Price (Philadelphia Theatre Company) and Kevin Wong (The Musical Stage Company).

Sponsored by Samuel French and The Hollywood Pantages

Join us for a bite and coffee before we begin today’s sessions. Breakfast will be available throughout the morning.

Sponsored by Theatrical Rights Worldwide.

For years we’ve been harnessing the power of social media to break the fourth wall and make theatre more accessible to fans. But what happens in a culture that’s increasingly polarized? How do you address patrons who feel entitled to tell you they know better? How can you take risks without alienating your loyal but increasingly vocal base? And how can you win over the moderates, who just want to enjoy a night out and may be put off by all the shouting on both sides?

With Mark Fleischer (Pittsburgh CLO), Kevin Moore (Human Race Theatre Company), Tori Rezek (Theatre Aspen), Brett Smock (Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival) and Diep Tran (American Theatre Magazine/TCG).

Has the current political climate affected your programming choices? Should it? Even light-hearted musical comedies may provide examples of lessons learned from history and provide windows into more significant discussions, while darker shows may resonate anew, and new works may address our current social issues directly. Or, if your audience comes to you specifically to escape the news for a couple of hours, what’s your responsibility to them? NAMT members from a variety of theatres and markets will discuss their decision-making processes over the past year (and we want to hear from all of you, too!).

Moderated by Wayne Bryan (Music Theatre Wichita), with Julianne Boyd (Barrington Stage Company), Kwofe Coleman (The MUNY), Aaron Jafferis (Festival Alumni Writer, Kingdom & How To Break) and Dave Steakley (ZACH Theatre).

All-day coffee sponsored by The Musical Company.

Case studies on recent successful commercial/non-profit partnerships for the development of new musicals from NAMT members.

Moderated by Michael Rubinoff (Sheridan College, Canadian Music Theatre Project), with teams from Come From Away (Randy Adams, Junkyard Dog Productions; Elisabeth Farwell-Moreland & Matt Giles, Seattle Repertory Theatre), Bandstand (Mark Hoebee, Paper Mill Playhouse; Tom Smedes & Gabby Palitz), Ars Nova (Renee Blinkwolt & Jason Eagan), and Marsha Brooks (Brooks and Distler, Attorneys at Law).

Sponsored by Music Theatre International and Disney Theatrical Productions

Concurrent breakout sessions on new works topics and some NAMT insider info!

Marketing New Works with Artists’ Involvement
Madison
We wanted to bring this hot topic from our last Writers’ Roundtable to a wider audience, as well as set the scene for our Spring Conference in Pittsburgh, which will be all about marketing new works.
Discussion led by Jeremy Desmon (Festival Alumni Writer, The Girl in the Frame) and Phil Santora (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley)

How to Create a Writer Residency
East Village
Interested in learning more about early stage new work development? Have tips from your own experience hosting writers you’d like to share? Please join this informal conversation on what your theatre can do and how NAMT can help.
Discussion led by Kathy Evans (Rhinebeck Writers Retreat) and Jeff Talbott (Festival Alumni Writer, Imagine Harry; Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Seven Broken Hearts)

NAMT’s New Nuts and Bolts Guide to Producing New Musicals
West Village
Get a sneak preview of the brand-new interactive Nuts and Bolts Guide to Producing New Musicals, part of our Theatre Experience and Collaboration Hub (The TECH) and our latest member benefit. Learn what this online resource can do for you and how you can contribute to it.
Led by CIera Iveson

New Works in an Academic Setting
Chelsea
A space for academic members and those interested in collaborating with them to discuss the joys and challenges of producing at a college or university.
Discussion led by Amy Rogers Schwartzreich

A final speed round before we head to the Festival. Share one thing you need or a goal you have going forward. Find a co-production partner. Trade business cards. Solve everyone’s problems in 30 seconds!