Blog for Money

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Comment by Jacob Coakley on December 19, 2010 at 8:32pm

Thank you everyone who offered to blog for TheatreFace.com! It's time to announce our new blog team, so without further ado, here are the inaugural TheatreFace.com bloggers!

Trish Causey – Performing, SM’ing, vocal study, auditioning.
Rich Dionne – Technical Direction, academic theatre (as head of the technical direction MFA program at Purdue University) and sound design
Erich Friend – Theatre technology and safety.
Gwydion Suilebhan – Playwright
Richelle Thompson – Sound Design, electrics, stagehand.

Head over here to read more about the bloggers. Or click on the links above to head over to their introductory post.

Comment by Kevin Loretto on December 15, 2010 at 9:53am

http://www.prolightingspace.com/profiles/blog/list

Another Sample Blog

Comment by Maria Voylokov on December 11, 2010 at 12:01am

It seems as if all of the people on this posting are really well-qualified to do this job, they have a lot of experience in their field and with blogging. I don't have any real-world experience with either. I figured that's what would set me apart, if you guys want a little variety in your bloggers. I graduated from the theatre program at the University of California Santa Cruz in June of this year and am now back in my hometown of Los Angeles trying to become a part of the theatre that is often overlooked in favor of film in this town. My blog would chronicle my ups and downs, my journey of discovery and failure for a younger audience that would relate and compare their own struggles. I am an actor first and foremost, and that is what I will be trying to do as much as possible off and write as much as possible about, but I have experience, like all the wonderful people here, in all aspects of theatre.

I'm also a rampant photographer, and would include the more than occasional photo in my witty and self-deprecating musings on the Los Angeles theatre community. Here is proof that I can wield a camera and use the internet: http://ifyoulivedthere.tumblr.com/ my photolog.

I can provide samples of compelling writing to prove my eloquence with the written word through email, since none of it is on the internet yet.

Thanks,

Maria

Comment by Anne Hamilton on December 10, 2010 at 7:06pm

Excuse me, Jacob. I need to correct two errors in my application:

The production of Yvette Heyliger's play WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? won 7 Audelco Awards, not 9 as I reported.

Yvette won as best Playwright, and her twin sister Yvonne Farrow won one for Best Lead Actress. The sisters, who own twinbiz.com, a bi-coastal production company, discuss at length their experience working together in my final TheatreNow! podcast of Season One.

Also, Emily Glassberg Sands is the sole author of the 2009 study.

I hope this shows that I'm willing to correct any mistakes that I make.

Best, Anne

Comment by Deanne Grace on December 10, 2010 at 7:03pm

I have been involved as a core member of the Las Vegas Theatre community for the last 8 years as an actor, director, technician, press writer, publicist, forum creator and administrator, public voice, and all-around general supporter. I am a professional freelance writer, publicist, administrator, and comedian, as well as have been a prominent commentator and reviewer of the performing arts for over 15 years. Ask the Las Vegas Review-Journal theatre critic, Anthony Del Valle, or anyone else you may know within the Las Vegas Theatre community, and they will know the name Deanne Grace.

Thank you for your consideration,

Deanne Grace

Las Vegas Theatre Forum (formerly Talkin' Broadway's All That Chat ...

ADMINISTRATION EXPERIENCE

Creator/Administrator, Las Vegas Theatre Forum Facebook Page, 2010 – present

Publicist, Onyx Theatre, Las Vegas, NV 2010

Marketing Associate, Press Writer, Graphic Designer, Onyx Theatre, Las Vegas, NV 2006 – 2007

Marketing Associate, Press Writer, Theatre in the Valley, Henderson, NV 2009

Executive Board Member / Secretary, Press Writer, Graphic Designer, Las Vegas Little Theatre 2003 – 2006

Play Selection Committee, Las Vegas Little Theatre 2002 – 2004

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Director - Theatre in the Valley, Henderson, NV 2010

Is He Dead? Running Crew - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2009

Recent Tragic Events Light Board Operator - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2009

The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? Stage Manager - College of Southern Nevada (CSN) 2009

The Dumbwaiter Stage Manager - Beckett Festival, Las Vegas, NV 2008

Bent Production Assistant - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2007

What the Butler Saw Stage Manager - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2004

Something’s Afoot Assistant Stage Manager - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2003

Private Lives Stage Manager - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2003

Batboy: The Musical Assistant Stage Manager - Las Vegas Little Theatre, CSN 2003

Blue Room Assistant Director - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2003

Dinner with Friends Stage Manager - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2003

Stalag 17 Stage Manager - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2003

BASH Light Board Operator - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2003

Mystery Writers Convention Production Assistant - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2002

I Hate Hamlet Stage Manager - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2002

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Prop Manager, Running Crew - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2002

Bedtime Stories Light Board Operator - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2002

Shelf Life, Live Weekly Soap Opera Production Assistant - Bessie’s, Wilmington, NC 1995-1996

PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE

Bug Role: R.C. - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2010

24 Theatre Project Actor - Katherine Gianacalis Park for the Arts 2009

Crimes of the Heart Lead Role: Lenny - Theatre in the Valley, Henderson, NV 2009

2007-2008 Season Preview Actor - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2007

Sordid Lives Role: Latrelle - Onyx Theatre, Las Vegas, NV 2007

Jonestown Recreation Actor - Katherine Gianacalis Park for the Arts 2006

The Play about the Baby Role: Woman - Beckett Festival, Las Vegas, NV 2005

A Streetcar Named Desire Lead Role: Stella - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2004

The Philadelphia Story Lead Role: Tracey - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2004

Beirut Lead Role: Blue - Las Vegas Little Theatre, Insomniac Project 2004

…And They Were Lovers Role: Lady Grey - Las Vegas Little Theatre, Insomniac Project 2003

A Room of Her Own Role: Mom - Las Vegas Little Theatre 2002

Night of the Damned Role: Lizzie Borden - Las Vegas Little Theatre, Insomniac Project 2002

Shelf Life Role: Andrea Mae Darling - Bessie’s, Wilmington, NC 1994-1996

EDUCATION

University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC 1996

BA: Major: English, Literature and Language Concentration / Minor: Religion

“The Science of Screenwriting” Seminar, Las Vegas, NV 2008

Effective Grant Writing Seminar, Las Vegas, NV 2006

North Carolina Screenwriters Guild Seminar, Wilmington, NC 1996

Comment by Matthew Avery on December 10, 2010 at 4:21pm

I’ve literally been working in the theatre since I was thirteen. This probably verges on the unhealthy, but as a friend of mine says, “You don’t pick the theatre, it picks you,” so while this life-long career choice may point to signs of mental instability, it also gives me a unique perspective from which to write. My main vocation is as a lighting technician, and I’ve done that, and just about everything else with numerous theatres and companies around the country. Regional, dance, and opera? Done it. Tours? Corporate? Trade shows? Yeah, done those too. This experience has given me an insider’s view of pretty much all aspects of a vibrant, ever-changing industry. But it ain’t all pretty, folks – take it from one who knows. I’ve been freelancing for the past six months, and I’ve had more “vacation time” than I would like. The unstable economic climate makes an industry with already notoriously tight fists squeeze just a little harder. I’m not here to place blame; we all have to curb our spending whenever we can, and the higher-ups in the theatre world have been put in a position of making tough choices that I don’t envy even a little. But if it’s your name being scratched off that call list – what’s a technician to do?

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I’d like to engage in a discussion that I think would affect many people, perhaps more people than would like to admit it: how to stay relevant and still make reasonable money as a designer or technician when times are tight. I have some tips and tricks, and I’m sure this reader base would have many more. I’d be honored to help a few people put down the bus trays and get back to making a decent living while creating great art.

Thanks for your consideration.

Comment by Anne Hamilton on December 10, 2010 at 4:12pm

Hello, Jacob. This is a wonderful opportunity that TheatreFace.com is offering, and I’m so glad to get to know of the many talented people with similar interests who have posted on your blog.

You and I met when your STAGE DIRECTIONS magazine featured me in the article, “The Diversity of Dramaturgy”, naming me an American “trailblazer” (April 2008). I’ve worked with Lynn Nottage, Andrei Serban, Michael Mayer, and Tina Andrews, among others. My clients have gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize and the MacArthur Genius award (Lynn Nottage), the Royal Court International Residency (Andrew Barrett), and Audelco Awards (Yvette Heyliger’s play WWDJ? won 9 this year).

You should hire me because I have a strong web presence and decades of experience in the professional theatre as dramaturg and playwright, specializing in script development and career development. For 19 years I have helped dramatic writers improve their skills and find productions through Hamilton Dramaturgy, the international consultancy I created while completing my M.F.A. in dramaturgy at Columbia University School of the Arts. I have made a career of advising and informing theatre professionals on best practices and ways to expand their talents. The next step of becoming one of TheatreFace.com’s first bloggers will allow me to share my materials and audience I love best – those who are committed to creating theatrical lives.

As a professional theatre blogger, I produce the following sites:

http://hamiltondramaturgy.wordpress.com

It already has a STAGE DIRECTIONS category. There’s plenty of room to expand the connection.

This blog posts my products ScriptForward!, an e-newsletter for scriptwriting professionals; and TheatreNow!, the podcast series which I host featuring important contemporary theatre women. It also provides articles on playwrighting, script development and professional development. I regularly advise theatre artists on how to develop careers as dramaturgs and playwrights through my Burning [An]swer column.

http://theatrenow.wordpress.com

I launched TheatreNow! with an interview with Quiara Alegria Hudes one year ago. She spoke at length about her artistic influences and process. Others featured from across the country and Canada include:

Claire Lautier, a classical actress; Ruth Margraff, the artist, writer and musician; HERE’s Artistic Director Kristin Martin; the playwright Catherine Filloux; Italian-American director Valentina Fratti; the playwright Yvette Heyliger; and actress and choralographer Yvonne Farrow. Season Two will begin with Kamilah Forbes, the Artistic Director of the Hip Hop Theatre Festival.

While it seems that my focus of expertise is on women artists, it is not exclusive to them. In fact, when I joined the League of Professional Theatre Women four years ago, I became aware that 90% of my clients were men. As League members began using me as a dramaturg, the number of female clients grew. Now the ratio is about 50/50. I help anyone to comes to me, and I advocate each one’s talents to others.

Last year the media erupted with news of the study of patterns of gender bias in the industry done by Julia Jordan and Emily Glassberg Sands. At that point, I decided to make one of my dreams a reality. I created an audio interview series in which master theatre artists speak about their artistic influences and process. These innovative materials highlight the contributions and standing of important women working in the theatre today. I am deliberately creating a body of work which aims at creating an equal presence of female theatre experts that editors can choose from. The materials are easily accessible, through free blogs and podcasts, so that anyone wishing to find experts in the field of theatre will find and use the talents of these marvelous women. Blogging on TheatreFace.com will further my aspirations in this area, where and when appropriate. That said, I will write about any and all topics on the blog, and no one will be excluded from it. I love working with all types of artists.

I am bringing the following platforms to help grow TheatreFace.com’s member base:

1. Over 300 committed theatre professionals around the world who have signed up for and receive my ScriptForward! E-newsletter;

2. Colleagues from The Loop Online; the Dramatists Guild; Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas; the League of Professional Theatre Women (I am a past Co-Secretary); and Columbia University alumni.

3. Several Women’s Advocacy groups -- 50/50 in 2020; NYWCAM; Works by Women; and the Dramatists Guild Women’s Initiative.

As a self-employed consultant, I have control of my schedule and will make the blog a priority, respecting it as a daily performance. The blog post will go up!

NYC has always been my theatre home. I see a great deal and regularly find myself in a Broadway house, and downtown in the LaMaMa, HERE, New York Theatre Workshop and the Public. I go to St. Ann’s Warehouse and BAM in Brooklyn. And I see graduate student shows at Columbia and the Yale Cabaret. That said, I love the adventure of exploring any new assignment.

I love writing for audiences in a tone which is inclusive and appeals to generalists looking for basic information, as well as specialists who are looking to keep up with current trends. I feel as comfortable with Broadway legends as with emerging artists. Each one gives off a different energy and I love to write about what each one has contributed to the industry.

And finally, with a humorous nod toward the end of Trish Cusey’s very impressive post, I also have two children to feed. Well, they’re two dog children, but they still need to eat every day.

Save the dogs. And the playwrights. Hire me as a blogger at TheatreFace.com. Now.

Sincerely, Anne Hamilton

http://hamiltondramaturgy.wordpress.com

http://theatrenow.wordpress.com

www.hamiltonlit.com

Comment by Katherine Nelson on December 10, 2010 at 1:33pm

I glance back at my fellow cast members, all of us waiting in eager anticipation, as the producer finishes his curtain speech. The audience claps, and as he steps aside, the lights dim in that brief hesitation between the world of the present, with audience glancing through programs and whispering small remarks to other members of their parties, and the world of the play, this life we prepare to give them, a departure of two hours and seventeen minutes that will carry into the seventy-odd years most audience members will receive. Then suddenly the stage is awash in a field of amber and blue, and I burst onstage, the lines already at my lips…

Theatre is one of the most magical experiences in the world, and has such potential to influence people and life. As I described above, I love the experience of going onstage and taking on the postures and presence of a character, in order to show people things about their lives and selves or just help them step away from their stresses to see the world of another. For me, this is true not just with acting, but with other areas of theatre as well: as someone who believes in the power of theatre as an art and is pursuing it professionally, I believe it is important to be able to speak to all areas of theatre. I am not only an actor, but also a playwright, director, lighting and set designer, and stage manager; whatever I do, I strive to do it to the best of my abilities. At the moment, I am both stage managing Hello, Dolly and rehearsing Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, in which I play the title role.

I’m currently finishing up my undergraduate degree in theatre performance at a small liberal arts college, and am pursuing apprenticeships that allow me to work in multiple areas of theatre, after which time I’m applying for MFA programs. Especially since the debut of my original short play con/tact (Short and Sweet Playfest: 1^st Place) last spring, my passion is for new and developing works, especially those that reflect the human condition. I currently intern with Encore Theater Company in Dayton, OH, which participates in the development of new musical theatre through mainstage productions, a reading series, and podcasts; as part of this internship, I write regularly for onStageDayton, the theatre section of an online newspaper, DaytonMostMetro.com, about shows and events in the greater Dayton, OH metropolitan region.

Given that blogging experience and my background in nearly every area of theatre, I believe I would be an excellent addition to the TheatreFace.com blogging team. Although I’m new to the TheatreFace.com community, I think this position would be perfect for me, and a great way for me both to share what I’ve learned and learn from others along the way, and continue to be part of that magic of theatre. Thanks for your consideration!

Comment by Andrew Hungerford on December 9, 2010 at 1:44pm

As are many working in the theatre, I'm a Generalist. Primarily a lighting, scenic and sound designer, I also work on the side as a playwright and (occasionally) a director or performer.

I'm in my fourth season as lighting and scenic designer for Know Theatre of Cincinnati, a small professional theatre dedicated to doing exciting, quality work on tight budgets. I also freelance around the country, usually designing between 17-22 shows a year. And I've taken shows to the Edinburgh Fringe three times, the most recent this past summer.

I've mostly spent time on Theatre Face as a lurker, but I'm excited for the site's potential as its features and community become more robust, and I'm looking for ways to get more involved.

I keep meaning to start an outside blog of my own, but there never seems to be enough time when paying gigs are calling. That said, when deadlines come from outside, and there's money involved, it's much easier to keep to a writing/publishing schedule.

I do blog from time to time for Know Theatre. The most recent of those posts are notes on the design for Adding Machine: a musical prior to its tech week, and reflections on the design for Skin TIght after the show had closed.

And I also contributed this dissection of the JJ Abrams Star Trek movie to the blog Counterfictionals.

I've got a number of topics that I'm interested in pursuing, ranging from the nuts and bolts of creating theatrical magic on a limited budget, to more far reaching thoughts on the direction of American Theatre. I'd love the opportunity to bring some of those ideas to the Theatre Face community for discussion.

But of course there comes a vital question: how often do you want these bloggers to post? Once a day, once a week, once a month? For the freelancer, it's all about scheduling, squeezing in one more project...

Thanks for your consideration. I look forward to seeing these new blogs in action.

Comment by Jeremy Fiebig on December 8, 2010 at 3:19pm

Kelly Jean Conard mentioned this, so I'll say that, to anyone interested, there are (sadly unpaid) volunteer editorships to be had for Shakespeare actors, directors, teachers, practitioners, and enthusiasts over at theshakespearestandard.com. Let me know if you're interested.

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