Re: RAT The obscure object of being desired.

["Karen Cronacher" <kcron@ix.netcom.com>]

I agree, theatre is about persistence when you have nothing left to give.

It's funny, i was taught by Paula Vogel to methodically go through
Dramatist's Sourcebook and Playwright's Companion and send your play to
theatres that might be interested.  But the only way i got produced was when
Paula gave me Jason Neulander's telephone number and he remembered me and my
work from Brown.  So, yeah...it's people.

i still do have a hard time with the fact that my play was sold out
everynight, and got all great reviews---that doesn't seem like a big risk
for any theatre that bills themselves as interested in hot new cutting edge
political satire....i mean, why do lit. managers accept unsolicited
submissions at all if it's all about people?  Why isn't there a search for
good material in the slush piles?

Since it is all about people...if you live in Providence....did you ever see
my playwright friend Adam Bock's Nutcracker?

--Karen
----------
>From: kafclown@well.com
>To: rat-list@whirl-i-gig.com
>Subject: RAT The obscure object of being desired.
>Date: Mon, Feb 22, 1999, 11:22 AM
>

>Thinking about Karen's plight about getting plays produced, I would say
>that you can't just send out one play one time to 2000 theatres (or
>whatever you did)  As one of the other people said, it's about people.
>(And to continue that thought, it's about exposure)
>
>I took a "business for artist's" course last year (part of the
>job-re-training program here in Providence.   I tried to explain to them I
>wasn't re-training, just trying to do my job better....)
>
>One of the most interesting statistics from the marketing portion of the
>class is that in order to go from neutral to favorably disposed about your
>product, the subject has to have (on average)  9 exposures to your
>advertisement.
>
>But this is the kicker--- The subject only perceives 1 out of every 3
>advertisements you put out!  That means that somebody has to be exposed to
>your product at least 27 times in order to get a pretty good memory
>association with your product.  (In this case, your fabulous plays)  And
>that's on average!
>
>And then consider that they then have to go through the normal theatrical
>things-- will this show put asses in seats?  Do I have the capacity to do
>this show?  Will it fit into my season?  Will the title fit on the
>brochure?  And other practical matters.
>
>Many fine playwrights (and actors and directors)  are in obscurity (or
>quit, or become advertising execs, or whatever) because they don't persist
>past all reasonable expectations.  It's easy to persist when you have a
>success.  People stroke you, tell you your work is genius,  and you feel
>good about how large your brain is.  But in failure-- bad reviews, personal
>tragedy,  rent overdue,  multiple rejections,  and a choice between rice
>and ramen for dinner-- that's when you need to keep your own inner flame
>for your work burning.
>
>It's tough work.  And in order to do it you have to keep on keepin' on.  Or
>as Sr. Beckett says "I can't go on; I'll go on."
>
>Anyhow-- enough rambling on for one thought.  Got to stop procrastinating
>and do some marketing!!!!!!
>
>
>
>