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May 11, 2008

Experiment: Day Seven

(Technically, this post should be titled: "This blog post is for Kim." She's been waiting patiently for it. Thanks, Kim.)

Last month, we mounted the fourth rockstar edition of the Cricket Feet Showcase.

After having spent years trying to figure out how to produce a showcase, it took a single post--in fact, as a part of a meme very similar to this one, wherein I posted at a MySpace Group an "observation of the day" each day--in which I said, after having attended another showcase, how much I still wanted to produce one of my own, to get this thing started. My producing partner Eitan hopped on board, willing to do all of the stuff I didn't want to do, and it turns out our skill sets compliment one another's pretty well.

I mean, it would seem that we know what we're doing. And in just a very short period of time, our showcase has gone from the 68-seat venue of the Promenade Playhouse (ah, how I miss that pole) to the stunning 268-seat Colony Theatre.

About 120 actors have done about 70 different--almost all original--comedic scenes with four amazing directors in front of nearly 1500 audience members... the majority of those folks agents, managers, casting directors, producers, directors, showrunners, writers, development execs, and on and on and on.

And just 16 months ago, this was just a random post about how I still really wanted to produce showcases... but didn't know how to get started without a (no, not "a," "the right") producing partner. Because twice previously, I had met with potential producing partners about producing showcases and we always got to the same spot in the process and crapped out on it. Not this time. This team is the right team. As one of my newer producing partners commented last week, "This is a fool-proof system. How did you know how to create this system, just starting out?"

And that's when I realized that maybe I can call myself a producer after all. Because my brain just works like that: here's what I want it to look like, here's what we need to do to achieve that vision, here are the potential potholes in the road, and here's how to avoid them (and here's how to fix--with as little stress as possible--the problems caused by having others on the team who refuse to avoid the potholes we've already identified), repeat.

So, when I was asked to exec produce a film late last year, I said yes. When I was given a producer credit on a film I cast earlier this year, I accepted it. When I was asked to produce and exec produce, respectively, two more films by a director I had hired for the showcase, I leaped at the chance. When I was offered producer credit on two more films I'll be casting in the coming months, I accepted again. And what is it I do for these titles? I fix stuff. I fix a lot of stuff before problems even arise. And I learned how to do this by something as simple as just trying it out, confidently--albeit tearfully, my first time out with the April 2007 showcase, because I was just so humbled that anyone would believe in my ability to produce anything before I actually had done so, ever--with a great support group of producing partners who embrace the collaborative spirit and face every day with an excited, "Let's see what this might be when it grows up," attitude.

Our showcase now has an indie music department, a grant-writing specialist, an entire committee of script readers and punch-up writers. And we're headed for corporate buy-out at this point (or at least corporate sponsorship) due to a business model that works: we're all in this for the best possible overall experience, we defer to those who have our best interest at heart as decisions are made, and no divas are allowed (except for me).

Last night, I got to celebrate a social gathering with showcase alumni from all four casts we've had so far (casting for showcase #5 on Wednesday) that included bowling, competition, and more laughs than I can remember counting. (I bowled an 88. Hee!) Somehow, we've been fortunate enough to attract not only the most talented actors in town, but also the coolest, nicest, dearest, funniest, sweetest, most genuine PEOPLE here too. What a blessing!

Day Seven:

I am grateful for collaboration.

(What is the Experiment? It is this.)

Posted by bonnie at May 11, 2008 2:55 PM

Comments

Posted by: babes at May 12, 2008 8:37 AM

Posted by: bon at May 12, 2008 8:53 AM

Posted by: Kim at May 14, 2008 5:38 AM

Posted by: bon at May 14, 2008 9:21 AM

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