Fall Conference 2010: Outrageous Fortune: The Musical!

In 2008 and 2009, Theatre Development Fund (TDF) completed a nation-wide study about the state of new play writing and production and published the results in Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play. The book sparked considerable thought and debate in the theatre community. It describes the relationship between playwrights and theatres as “a collaboration in crisis.” For the 2010 Fall Conference, NAMT partnered with TDF to explore this conversation and expand upon it, finding solutions and best practices to secure the future of the development of new musicals, the work of NAMT’s members, and the livelihoods of our Festival Alumni writers.

Keynote Speaker: Victoria Bailey
As Executive Director of TDF, Victoria Bailey was instrumental in the execution of the Playwrights Project, a comprehensive study of the lives of American playwrights and the production of new American Plays. The Project culminated in Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play, which was published in December 2009 and has stimulated national conversations about this critical issue, including this conference.

Subsidiary Rights - Balancing Producers' and Writers' Livelihoods
A hot topic for theatres and writers, who both depend on future income from shows they develop. How can we as an industry balance these conflicting interests in a way that is fair and allows both sides to do their work and support each other, allowing new musicals to flourish?

Moderated by Nancy Barnett (Florida Stage), with David Armstrong (The 5th Avenue Theatre), David Kirshenbaum (4-time Festival of New Musicals writer), Kevin Moore (The Human Race Theatre Company), Michael Robertson (The Lark Play Development Center), John Weidman (former president of the Dramatists Guild of America, Tony-nominated writer of Assassins, Contact and others).

Continued Life for New Works

What happens after the world premiere, when a show is still unknown to your audience but no longer has the cachet of being first? How do we combat "world-premiere-itis" and ensure the continued life of new musicals? How can NAMT members work together to create a trajectory for a new show, and produce the second, third and fourth production of a new work in development?

Moderated by Rick Boynton (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), with Beth Blickers (Abrams Artists), Adam Gwon (Writer, Ordinary Days, Festival 2008), Jason Loewith (National New Play Network), and Kevin Moriarty (Dallas Theater Center).

The Great Enhancement Debate

A lively debate on a hot-button issue! We heard from commercial producers and non-profit artistic directors on both sides of "The Great Enhancement Debate." Is commercial enhancement necessary to taking risks on new work? How might it affect a theatre's standing as a non-profit? What happens to a new musical after its initial non-profit run? How can commercial producers help or hurt a musical's development?

Moderated by Sue Frost (Junkyard Dog Productions), with Marsha Brooks (Brooks & Distler, Attorneys at Law), Jerry Goehring (Patriot Productions), Dana Harrel (La Jolla Playhouse), Hattie Kittner (Goodspeed Musicals), Todd London (New Dramatists) and Kent Nicholson (Playwrights Horizons).

The Audience's Role in New Works Development and Programming

Having seen the potential rewards and hazards of taking risks, how does the audience factor in? Does the audience's voice affect the art? Should it? Should we program for current tastes, or try to lead subscribers on a journey into the new? How involved are they in the process?

Moderated by Randy Adams (Junkyard Dog Productions), with Brett Bernardini (The Spirit of Broadway Theater), Sean Cercone (Chicago Muse) and Robb Hunt (Village Theatre).

Spring Conference 2010: A Class Act - Developing Your Audience Through Education and Outreach

Lunch Money: Funding Your Education Program
This 45 minute panel addressed funding and revenue sources to support a theatre's arts education programs. You will hear tips from two employees from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as from member theatres with major arts education programs -- The 5th Avenue (WA) and Pittsburgh CLO (PA) -- and questions from other NAMT member conference attendees.