MITF Festival Manual

Read this manual carefully before filling out the application. It covers the nuts and bolts of producing in the MITF. See Appendix C for a complete list of specific benefits to participating in the MITF.

Festival Schedule

Symposium: Tues. December 6, 2011; Thu. Jan. 26, 2012

Submission deadline: Fri. Feb. 17, 2012 (moved forward from Jan. 20)

Email invitations out by: Fri. March 2, 2012

Production meeting for Participants: Sun. April 1, 2012 (contracts signed and all Festival fees due)

Marketing consultations: Mon. April 2 – Sun. April 15, 2012

Preliminary schedules released: Mon. Apr. 16, 2012

Advance Sale begins: Mon. Apr. 23, 2012

Final schedules released: Mon. May 21, 2012

Launch Party: mid-June

Lighting Design released: Mon. June 25

Tech Week begins: Mon. July 9, 2012

Tech Week ends: Sun. July 15, 2012

MITF opens: Mon. July 16, 2012

MITF closes: Sun. August 12, 2012 NOTE: THE LAST WEEK IS RESERVED FOR OVERFLOW AND FOR EXTENSIONS. Please contact us if you are unable to perform in any other week.

MITF Awards Ceremony: early September, 2012

We welcome any kind of stage play, musical or otherwise, new or classical, mainstream or specifically focused on an ethnic or cultural niche, even new interpretations of classical plays. We also encourage productions of all racial and sexual stripes, in all genres.

The chief restrictions on submissions are the length of a show and how well it can done with minimal scenery in a festival setting. Otherwise, three things make up a successful entry in the MITF: a good play, a competent producer, and a marketing plan. It takes all three to field a successful Festival entry.

A good play Ultimately the idea of a “good play” boils down to taste. But we do look for traditional dramaturgical values: strong characters, crisp dialog, savvy construction, a satisfying ending. (We are also not afraid of edgier, more avant-garde work, if it promises to be well done.)

A well-written play is not the same as a well-made play. It's also not the same as a well-typed play, though messy scripts tend to come from inexperienced playwrights. (Ask the Dramatists Guild for their script-format guidelines. You don't have to follow them exactly, but they're a professional standard.) At a minimum, scripts should exhibit the following characteristics:

· Formatted for the stage

· Typed

· Bound

· Complete (no outlines)

NOTE: Scripts for the Short Subjects are submitted electronically, but they still need to be formatted for the stage, typed, and complete.

A competent producer We are also concerned about whether the production company will be compatible with our production practice. Playwright-producers abound Off-Off-Broadway. But theatre is a collaborative art form, and plays should be put on by teams. These teams are led by producers, who may or may not be authors of the plays they produce.

A producer doesn't have to be the person putting up the money. Commercial producers often don't put their own money into a show: they spend Other People's Money (OPM). But every production needs someone whose principal job is running the production itself. The application asks for that person's name and a thumbnail sketch of his or her history.

A marketing plan A large amount of the audience for the MITF is your friends and relatives, but also subscribers and people from individual companies' mailing lists. The MITF does its own marketing and PR, through extensive press releases (this is to get free listings, features, and reviews), as well as advertising in print or other media, like Facebook ads and Google Adwords. But only you can bring in your own captive audience. So how you intend to get those people into the theatre is a subject of great interest to us. See Appendix A: Marketing 101 - A Crash Course for more information on marketing.

Festival Costs

There is a nonrefundable Participation Fee of $550 to produce in the Festival. (NOTE: The participation fees for Staged Readings and Short Subjects are $250 and $100, respectively.) This does not entitle participants to a share in revenue. To receive a portion of the production’s net box office, there is a nonrefundable Theatre Usage Fee. This fee is on a sliding scale dependent on how much net box office you want – participants choose in advance how much of their net box office they would like to receive (all solo/improv/sketch shows, or shows from outside the tri-state area, are required to buy 60% of their box office or more):

Theatre Usage Fees

Pay no Theatre Usage Fee and receive no box office share.

Pay $1 per seat per performance and receive 10% of the production’s net box office.

Pay $2 per seat per performance and receive 20% of the production’s net box office.

Pay $3 per seat per performance and receive 30% of the production’s net box office.

Pay $4 per seat per performance and receive 40% of the production’s net box office.

Pay $5 per seat per performance and receive 50% of the production’s net box office.

Pay $6 per seat per performance and receive 60% of the production’s net box office.

Pay $7 per seat per performance and receive 70% of the production’s net box office.

Pay $8 per seat per performance and receive 80% of the production’s net box office.

Pay $9 per seat per performance and receive 100% of the production’s net box office.

The number of seats depends on the MITF venue you choose. All fees (Participation and Theatre Usage Fees) are due at the Production Meeting, in April.

Example: The total Theatre Usage Fee for 5 performances at 50% net box office share in each venue

June Havoc Theatre (98 seats): $2450

Main Stage Theater (65 seats): $1625

Dorothy Strelsin Theatre: (56 seats): $1400

Click here to see a financial breakdown of costs that may be associated with your production outside of Festival requirements.

We pay any box-office monies due within four weeks of the close of the Festival, or of your approval of accounting, whichever comes later. The Festival makes no requirement for participation in future royalties from any works performed under its auspices. Our only restriction on future productions is to receive a program credit.

Special considerations

Different kinds of shows require special considerations, in particular the following:

· AEA Showcases

· Non-union shows

· International shows

· Short Subjects

· Staged readings

AEA Showcases

Under the showcase code, Actors' Equity Association (AEA) permits union members to perform provided the producer agrees to certain restrictions. We will do nothing to violate these restrictions, but individual producers must make their own arrangements, including filing all the appropriate paperwork on time, with AEA to produce under the showcase code.

AEA showcases are required to purchase volunteer accident insurance, which covers AEA members' risk of accident during auditions, rehearsals, and performances. The Festival buys a blanket policy to cover all showcases in the MITF. Shows that wish to participate in the policy pay a nominal sum (in recent years, $4.55 per volunteer member of the company, whether AEA or not) to share in the coverage. (A volunteer is anyone in the company not being paid more than expenses.)

Participants should note that we don’t have a side letter with Actors’ Equity, so there is no requirement to pay actors stipends over and above whatever minimum is specified in the Showcase Code.

We are careful to support the showcase comp policy, which governs walkup comps for certain industry members with ID, as well as our standard comp policy, which allows union shows to comp industry (with our approval and at least 24-hour notice) with more liberal rules than the walkup requirements. (See Box Office, below.)

Non-union shows

Non-union shows are just like any other productions, with the exception that the Festival doesn’t have to be careful about following the terms of the Showcase Code. We still offer our standard comp policy, which allows non-union shows to comp industry (with our approval and at least 24-hour notice). Non-union shows don’t get walkup comps, with or without ID. (See Box Office, below.)

International shows -- The "I" in MITF

We aggressively pursue international productions! International applicants include not only groups with international artists but also groups wishing to submit plays written by an international author or a play dealing with international themes.

It's tough to come to a strange place and put on a show. It's better if you have a local company that is willing to co-produce your show (including marketing). But even out-of-towners can make it here -- and, after all, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

We have an artistic director responsible for international plays: Katrin Hilbe (katrinhilbe.mitf@gmail.com). She will help you with the logistics in bringing your show to New York City (housing, visas, financing, etc.). Whatever services we provide, they won't make up for not having a local production manager. All participants, like locals, are responsible for all aspects of production and publicity for their shows, as well as travel expenses and accommodations.

International applicants are encouraged to request early acceptance, for the following advantages:

· Scheduling preferences. You have the advantage of choosing your schedule and number of shows. If you are flying in from out of town or from another country and it's not in your production budget to stay in New York City a whole month or do a full 6 shows and you wish to do only 3 shows on only one weekend, then just note your preference on your application and we will do our best to accommodate you.

· More time to prepare. You'll have more time to research, plan, promote, raise money, find grants, and get sponsors.

· More time to utilize our help. We'll be sending you resources and info on everything we can think of, including:

o Travel: Information on flight deals and other transportation

o Housing: Resources on locating housing swaps, information on how to get
cheap lodging in dormitory-style housing and/or hostels, and more

o Sponsorship: Ideas on whom to approach for funding

o Other Info: Advice on what to research in advance and more. We’ve done this
before, we know what you need, and we want to help!

Short Subjects

The Short Subjects are our one-act division, performed under the following restrictions:
Short Subjects must come from the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT)

· 30 – 60-minutes long

· Performed in the Jewel Box

· No application fee

· No application form

· E-mail submission

· $100 participation fee on acceptance

· No share of the box office

Staged Readings

The Festival opens the June Havoc Theatre (98 seats) for staged readings, at only $250/performance - audience admission is free. The only qualifying criterion, other than that the presenters cooperate with Festival policies and procedures, is that the scripts be dramatically interesting (they are reviewed by at least one artistic director and by our Festival staff). This is an opportunity for playwrights and others to hear new work for the first time with an eye toward eventual production...maybe even back at MITF!

These readings take place on weekday afternoons, but we promote them through our regular publicity channels. Production values must be minimal: we expect participants to start and end on time and make appropriate use of the space.

We have had sponsored staged readings and special cultural events in the past. Whether we have these again will depend on the level of sponsorship that appears before the events are planned.

Scheduling

If selected, your show is scheduled into one theatre for a predetermined number of performances over 3-4 weeks. Performances generally start no earlier than 4:00 pm and no later than 10:30 pm on weekdays and run from 11 am to 11 pm on weekends. (Staged readings are in the early afternoon on weekdays.)

We try to assign everyone equally fair schedules. Slots are given a value according to their desirability, with Tuesday slots inferior to Saturday slots, for example. Each show’s schedule has the same average value as every other show’s. (NOTE: Monday evenings are generally good slots, as many shows elsewhere are dark on Mondays.) The only ground for appeal is to point out obvious errors, like 2 slots on the same day (unless you asked for them) or no weekend slots.

Advance Sale

Note: This section applies only to shows opting for less than 60% of their net box office.

Only a predetermined number of your performances will go on sale during the Advance Sale. Productions that don't sell at least 25 percent of the total number of seats on sale, by the end of the Advance Sale, risk losing remaining performances. As soon as you meet your 25-percent minimum, we will release the rest of your performances and put them on sale to the public. The minimum amounts to roughly 14 - 25 tickets per performance, depending on the size of the theatre.

Example: You have been given 5 performances in a 56-seat theatre. Only the first 3 performances are put on sale for the Advance Sale. You must sell a minimum of 42 tickets before the Advance Sale ends to secure your last 2 performances.

Minimum Advance Sale by Venue (based on 5 performances with 3 put in the Advance Sale)

Venue/# of seats	Minimum Advance Sale
June Havoc/98	74
WorkShop Main Stage/65	49
Dorothy Strelsin/56	42

Box Office

The MITF handles all aspects of selling tickets. Tickets are sold by phone and on the Web. Once the festival has opened, patrons can buy tickets at the MITF box office during festival hours, sold by MITF staff. Every performance has a detailed box-office report, made available to you after the festival closes.

You are required to have a house manager who is responsible for the following duties:

· Collect ticket stubs.

· Pass out programs.

· Handle press packets.

· Act as liaison between MITF and company/production.

· Manage late seating.

· Monitor front of house for noise.

· Sign the box-office report.

· Clear the theatre’s house of programs, etc. before and after every performance.

Your house manager should also have authority to make any decisions concerning your show in the absence of the production's producer. We strongly recommend the house manager be a member of the producing team - he or she must be present at all performances to sign off on the box-office report.

Comp policy

The Festival comp policy is as follows:

· We allow virtually unlimited press comps. Press should make reservations through our comp coordinator. Press receive up to 2 comps.

· All shows are allotted 8 – 15 industry comp reservations (depending on venue size), which must be submitted to the Festival at least 24 hours in advance. “Industry” means agents, casting directors, artistic directors, and producers, not playwrights, directors, or designers. Our comp coordinator decides all comp requests. Each industry representative receives 1 comp, except for members of the Broadway League, who may receive 2.

· Equity showcases are allowed other comps, according to the Showcase Code. These individuals do not need to reserve and will be seated in the order in which they present themselves at the box office, space permitting. These are members of SDC, the Dramatists Guild, the Broadway League, and ATPAM. Each industry representative receives 1 comp, except for members of the Broadway League, who may receive 2. All such individuals must have appropriate identification.

· Members of Actors’ Equity with current ID may be comped to Equity showcases, space permitting.

· Equity cast members may receive up to a total of 2 comps for their personal use throughout the course of the run of their show. They must reserve these comps with our comp coordinator at least 24 hours in advance or they will not be honored.

· All MITF participants are comped into most shows, space permitting. They must bring a copy of the program for the show in which their names appear, as well as picture ID.

· Producers who wish to comp individuals beyond their shows’ allotment, and whose guests don’t fit one of the other categories listed above, must buy tickets (you can save money using your discount code). (Producers who have paid a Theatre Usage Fee get some or all of this money back in their share of the door.)

Publicity

The MITF publicizes the Festival and coordinates all press relations, including interviews and critics' attendance. We publish brochures and other marketing materials as well as several E-blasts. However, we expect each production to do its own publicity, in addition to the above.

You will be asked to submit publicity photos and PR materials so we can send complete press packages to print and broadcast media. You must publicize your own show through mailers, handbills, posters, or ads. The more you promote your show, the larger your potential audience.

Technical Elements

Production values must be kept at a minimum to accommodate all Festival productions. The Festival caps the maximum cast size at 12 people so no show is too big for its venue.

The following is general festival technical information that applies to all venues. For more detailed technical specs, look up the theatre you are interested in the MITF Venues section.

Storage

To keep as much of the stage space usable as possible we need to restrict scenery elements and storage. In general, all stored items must be taken with you every night. However, the festival provides stock pieces, as follows (the quantities are subject to change):

· 4 large black cubes, each roughly 18 in. square, painted in a semi-gloss black

· 4 small black cubes, each roughly 12 in. square, painted in a semi-gloss black

· 1 black folding card table

· 4 black folding chairs

The June Havoc and WorkShop Main Stage Theatres allow two stackable bins for backstage storage.

Updated scenery specifications are sent via e-mail to Festival producers at least one month before the festival opens.

Lighting

Our resident lighting designer designs a general rep. plot for all participants to use. There are warm and cool washes, back light, side light and areas. Our LD also includes various specials for everyone to use, but does not design for individual shows. It is absolutely forbidden to refocus or change color on any lighting instrument during the Festival, subject to fines.

A venue manager is on hand in case of technical difficulties, but each company must assign an individual to run the lights and sound. Each venue manager does a dimmer check at the beginning of each day.

Sound

Each venue has a full sound system. There is at least one CD player, and additional inputs are available to add equipment (you must provide your own cables). For space and safety reasons, you must leave the booth in the same condition you found it – taking any additional equipment with you after each show. There are no mics available, nor are they needed in any of our venues. Your sound op needs to have technical knowledge of the playback equipment and mixing boards that are available to them. The festival will make a pre-show curtain speech notifying patrons of emergency exits and asking them to turn off cell phones.

Costumes

There is no costume storage in any venue. You must transport costumes to and from the theatre every night. If you have a period show with large costumes, you must make arrangements to store the pieces outside the theatre. We recommend wheeled suitcases for easy transportation.

MITF Venues

Tours of MITF venues are made available after your show has been confirmed. It is not possible to walk in without an appointment.

· June Havoc at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (98 seats)

· Dorothy Strelsin at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (56 seats)

· Main Stage in the WorkShop Theaters (65 seats)

· Jewel Box in the WorkShop Theaters (30 seats; Short Subjects only)

June Havoc Theatre (98 seats): Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (First Floor)

There is a green room to be shared with all MITF shows. It will be equipped with makeup and dressing facilities. The green room is open at all times during festival hours, but is neither adjacent to the stage nor equipped with a monitor.

There is a costume rack in the dressing room to be used at the time of your show only - you may not leave costumes on these racks overnight.

All props and additional technical elements must be stored in a maximum of 2 plastic storage bins (you can get them at K-Mart relatively cheaply) and they must stack on each other. Plastic bags, crates, or cardboard boxes are prohibited for safety reasons. Everything must be labeled clearly - the festival is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

The June Havoc comes equipped with a full computerized ETC 125 Express light board. Each show must provide its own disc - a backup disc is recommended. The sound system includes CD and mini-disk playback. High and mid-range speakers are 400 watts, subwoofers are 1000 watts. Amps and speakers are Audio Reality equipment. Mixing board is a Behringer UB2442FX.

For musicals in the June Havoc, we offer a Yamaha P80 electronic keyboard or equivalent (a full-size, 88-key instrument) with an amp. If you need to use other instruments, be aware there is no storage for them. Check with us if you want to use drums. We evaluate each show’s sound needs on a case-by-case basis.

While the Abingdon has been soundproofed, due to the design of the structure there will always be a little bit of a problem with bleeding. The Festival staff regulates the volume of all sound cues and music to help keep the sound from bleeding, but it is ultimately up to your house manager to keep external noise down.

Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (56 seats): Abingdon Arts Complex (First Floor)

There is a green room to be shared with all MITF shows. It will be equipped with makeup and dressing facilities that are very limited. The green room is open at all times during festival hours, but is neither adjacent to the stage nor equipped with a monitor.

There is a costume rack in the dressing room to be used at the time of your show - you may not leave costumes on these racks overnight.

The Dorothy Strelsin has a fully computerized ETC 24/48 Express light board. Each show must provide its own disc - a backup disc is recommended. The sound system includes CD and mini-disk playback. High and mid-range speakers are 400 watts. Amps and speakers are Audio Reality equipment. Mixing board is a Mackie 1402.

While the Dorothy Strelsin has been soundproofed, due to the design of the structure there will always be a little bit of a problem with bleeding. The Festival staff regulates the volume of all sound cues and music to help keep the sound from bleeding, but it is ultimately up to your house manager to keep external noise down.

Main Stage Theater (65 seats): WorkShop Theaters (4th Floor)

There are two costume racks in the dressing room to be used at the time of your show - you may not leave costumes on these racks overnight.

The Main Stage Theater comes equipped with an ETC computer light board with 98 channels. Each show must provide its own disc - a backup disc is recommended.

While the WorkShop Main Stage has been soundproofed, due to the design of the structure there will always be a little bit of a problem with bleeding. The Festival staff regulates the volume of all sound cues and music to help keep the sound from bleeding, but it is ultimately up to your house manager to keep external noise down.

Jewel Box Theater (30 seats): WorkShop Theaters (4th Floor)

The Jewel Box Theater is reserved for the Short Subjects.

There is a small costume rack in the dressing room to be used at the time of your show - you may not leave costumes on these racks overnight. There is only room for a maximum of 4 people in the dressing room.

The Jewel Box Theater comes equipped with a two-scene preset manual light board (Teatronics Procon I). This board is not programmable; hence it does not require disks.

While the WorkShop Jewel Box has been soundproofed, due to the design of the structure there will always be a little bit of a problem with bleeding. The Festival staff regulates the volume of all sound cues and music to help keep the sound from bleeding, but it is ultimately up to your house manager to keep external noise down.

Changeovers/Time Slots

Non-musical plays should not be under 60 minutes nor over 90 minutes. No musical should be over 120 minutes, including intermission, if any. (The Short Subjects division is designed especially for plays from 30 – 60 minutes.)

It is not unusual in a festival setting to do an abbreviated version of your work in order to fit within the time limitations. The MITF promises its audiences medium-length shows: long enough to feel satisfied and short enough for the average summer festival-goer's attention span.

ALL VENUES: There is 30 minutes between shows, which allows each production 15 min. to load-in and 15 min. to load-out between performances. If your show runs over its allotted time, you throw off the schedule for the whole day. In a festival setting this can be disastrous. You will be fined for each time you run over, the amount to be determined based on the amount of time the production runs over. If it happens more than once we reserve the right to cancel your remaining performances.

Your load-in and load-out schedule must include the audience getting into the theatre as well:

· 10 minutes to set up theatre (unless you set up with audience coming in)

· 5 minutes to get audience in

· GO on time

· 15 minutes to get audience out and strike (usually simultaneous)

If you have a show that has an 8:30 GO and comes down at 10:00 pm, your schedule would be like this:

· 8:15pm -- move into theatre and dressing room

· 8:25pm -- open house

· 8:30pm -- start show

· 10:00pm -- show ends; begin strike

· 10:15pm -- out of theatre and dressing room

Tech Schedule

You will receive a tech time slot that runs 3 times your running time (for example, if your show is 90 minutes, you have 4 hours and 30 minutes). During this time you should get the blocking set, run all tech elements, and determine your "load in and load out" plan of attack to execute a smooth curtain. (Plays in the Short Subjects division receive a tech rehearsal approximately 2.5 times the running time of the show.)

It is possible to buy extra tech time when it is available, at favorable rates. All rentals are payable in advance by check or cash, to be paid to our production manager or bookkeeper.

Fines

The MITF staff does its best to ensure that all festival participants cooperate. Sometimes the carrot must be replaced by the stick, in the form of fines.

These fines reflect simple rules meant to reinforce the Festival philosophy of cooperation, which stems from the collaborative nature of the medium. There are fines for the following infractions:

· Running over your allotted time ($50 – we may cancel the run after the 2nd fine)

· Interfering with other productions' costumes or props ($50)

· Leaving the house, stage, dressing room, or greenroom in a state such that Festival staff have to clean up after you ($50)

· Interfering with the Festival lighting plot ($100)

· Approaching the box office within half an hour of any festival performance ($50)

· Interfering with the smooth operation of the Festival, staff, venues, etc. ($50)

The Festival assesses fines out of the producer's share of the gross. If a show hasn't accrued enough ticket sales to cover a fine, the producer must pay before a further performance. Payments must be made to the Festival production manager or bookkeeper.

The MITF International Tour

The MITF is investigating an MITF International Tour. If this plan comes to fruition, productions that win MITF Awards or are selected by the executive producer will be offered a slot in the tour. The conditions of the tour are speculative at the moment, but one thing is certain: the MITF will not get behind such a tour if it requires the participants to shell out any money. There is a box on the applications for the full-length shows for you to check if you do not wish to be considered for the tour.

Application Process

Please read through this manual before downloading the application. Send an application fee of $30 (no fee for Short Subjects) with the application in the form of a certified check, cashier's check, personal check, or money order, in U.S. funds, collectible on a U.S. bank. Write the name of your show on the memo line of your check or money order made payable to "Midtown International Theatre Festival." Application deadline is January 20, 2012.

We will e-mail successful candidates an invitation to join the Festival by March 2, 2012. The official schedule will not be released to the production until contracts are signed and all fees are paid.

There are three ways to apply to the Festival:

· Default application for local shows

· Special or out-of-state application

· Short Subjects application

It is important to choose the appropriate application for your project, or we’ll have to get back to you and ask for additional materials or money.

Default application for local shows is appropriate for shows from the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) that can be described as follows:

NOT a solo show
NOT an improv show
NOT a sketch-comedy show
IS a staged reading
WAS NOT unsuccessful at the box office in a previous MITF

We created this category of application because we have found that local shows that are not solo, improv, or sketch-comedy shows have the best chance of selling tickets. The default application for local shows allows you the greatest flexibility in Festival fees. Download the application HERE.

Special or out-of-state application is appropriate for non-local shows OR local shows that fit in special categories:

ALL shows applying from a country other than the USA
ALL shows applying from outside the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT)
All solo shows
All improv shows
All sketch-comedy shows

The MITF also requires this mode of application from all shows whose producers have been in the MITF before and who have sold fewer than 40% of their tickets on their most recent outing.

We created this category because we have found that solo, improv, or sketch-comedy shows, or shows from outside the tri-state area, have to work harder to sell tickets. This category requires that shows share the financial risk of participating in the Festival. (You also share in the box office.) Download the application HERE.

Short Subjects have a special place in the MITF. Short Subjects must run from 30 – 60 min. and require minimal production effort. There is no application fee, just a participation fee. To apply as a Short Subject, E-mail the script to us. Download the application here.

Appendices

The following is additional information that may be handy, especially to newer producers:

Appendix A: Marketing 101 - A Crash Course

There are many aspects of marketing. For the purposes of the Festival, marketing isn't press and publicity -- it consists of all the ways you can go out and sell tickets. But whoever is concentrating on marketing must work closely with whoever is handling your press and publicity, as these are also ways of communicating with your audience. The purpose of a marketing plan is to connect you to your audience. Only when you know your audience can you attempt to bring them into the theatre. And saying that your audience is merely "people who like good theatre" isn't enough. They have to like the kind of theatre represented or promised by your play. NYC is full of “good” shows – why and how does yours stand apart?

These two people (marketing and press agents), if you are lucky enough to have two, should at least agree on who that audience is! For example, if you have a gay play, you will want to reach out to as many gay groups (through the community center in Greenwich Village, for example) as you can; you will also want to reach out to all the gay publications, both in print and on the Web, and any gay or receptive radio and TV shows. You can tell these media people your story and make special offers, like coded discounts. None of this good work will happen if your press and marketing people don't agree that you have a “gay” play. Everyone involved in your show, including your actors and crew, should agree who your audience is so they can all help you sell it!

So your marketing plan should therefore start with the script. If you haven't figured out what your play is about, you'll never figure out who its audience is, and your marketing efforts will never get moving. The more specific your audience, the easier it is to sell.

Once you know what your play is about and have figured out who might want to see it, you can start brainstorming ways to connect to that audience. A play in two MITFs, for instance, On the Couch with Nora Armani, dealt with the life of an Armenian-Egyptian woman. It was logical to go after people in the Middle Eastern community, both individually and as groups.

The next step, then, is to write a brief teaser -- one sentence only -- about your play. "An inside account of life and lunacy in a Broadway box office" tells you all you need to know about the play to garner interest, if that's the kind of play you like. (The title, Do You Have Anything Closer?, in this example, helps too.) You now have an idea about whom to approach to come see the play -- anyone actively involved in the theatre, for one (this play sold tickets to groups of box-office workers, for example, and developed huge buzz in the theatre community at large). The Festival will use your teaser in MITF marketing materials.

Next you need a more descriptive blurb, longer than your teaser but easily digested. Forty words is a good number. This blurb will also go in MITF marketing materials. If you can sum up your play in the teaser and blurb, you are well on the way to meeting your other marketing goals. Do not simply re-word your teaser - that defeats the purpose!

MITF will assign every production a discount code. Anyone who knows the code can get a discount ticket. There's no point in publicizing this code to just anyone -- we might as well just charge less. There's a lot of point in publicizing the code to particular groups, who are thereby energized to come see your show because they are special. If these groups are really your target audience, they'll tell their friends and acquaintances and build buzz for you.

You can also create tie-ins with businesses. Let's say you have an ethnic play. It's logical to talk to restaurants of the same ethnicity about co-promotion. This co-promotion can involve something as simple as trading an insert or ad in your program for the display of your postcards at their office; or you could ask the restaurant to provide wine or food for a reception after your show, and then tell your audience that anyone coming to the show on a particular night gets an invitation to the reception before or afterwards.

Appendix B: Financial Breakdown

The Festival pays the following expenses:

· A lighting designer to design a general rep. plot, with a possibility of specials for each show. Our plot is sufficiently detailed for you to plan your lighting cues without going into the theatre.

· A production manager to organize all technical elements of the festival, handle scheduling, deal with any logistical problems that may occur, and to answer e-mails within 24 hours

· Venue managers for each venue.

· Box-office staff for each venue.

· A Press Rep to write press releases for the Festival and manage their publication, in print, on the Web, and by e-mail. The number of shows participating in the Festival prevents the press rep from writing each show's release from scratch.

· Marketing consultations: We sit down with the producer/marketing staffs of the full-length shows and analyzes their marketing challenges and opportunities in a one-hour meeting.

· A Festival brochure listing play descriptions and schedules.

· A handsome shell program – the “Festabill” -- with detailed listings for each show, into which each show must insert its own program. Cheap ads in the Festabill are available to participants – they’re a good way to market to other patrons.

· Insurance. We have general liability insurance, at no extra charge. We provide volunteer accident insurance for Equity showcases, at cost. As soon as we have signed contracts and know the Equity status of all the shows, we work out a cooperative arrangement with the Equity shows that share the cost of volunteer accident insurance. You may purchase volunteer accident insurance elsewhere.

· A Festival website, with summaries, schedules, and more.

· In the June Havoc theatre only, an electronic keyboard (Yamaha P80 or equivalent, a full-size, 88-key instrument with a small amp).

We do not charge hidden fees for insurance, fireproofing, use of a dressing room, etc. We do not ask or expect shows to tip venue managers, who are paid employees. We do not have a “side letter” with Actors’ Equity (or any other union or guild) that requires you to pay more than the minimum stipends specified in the Showcase Code. Producing theatre in New York is not for the faint of heart, but we tell you about all costs up front.

The participants pay all other expenses associated with their productions, including the following:

· Application Fee ($30)

· Participation Fee ($550)

· Theatre Usage fee (varies)*

· License to perform the show, if published and subject to copyright

· Volunteer-accident insurance for Equity showcases

· All salaries, materials, and other costs of producing the show

· Fees and personal expenses, as the producer deems appropriate, for cast and staff

· Transportation costs to and from the Festival

· External storage costs if needed. (MITF tries to offer external storage at discount rates.)

· Rehearsal costs outside the Festival (we can get you discounts)

· Costs of their own marketing efforts

*The Theatre Usage Fee is an opt-in fee to receive box office revenue, based on the number of seats and performances. Simply put, it is $1 to $9 X the number of seats X the number of performances.

Whether paid or unpaid, each group must provide:

· A finished production, completely off-book. (This does not apply to Staged Readings.)

· A contact person to attend all scheduled meetings. This will be your ONLY contact the festival uses for all correspondence. No substitutions allowed and other correspondences will be ignored. We strongly urge the producer to be this contact.

· A lighting/sound technician (this can be your stage manager)

· A stage manager (this person can double as your board operator)

· A program for your production (it can be as simple as a sheet of paper with bios and show information) to stuff into our Festabill. If you are producing an Equity showcase, your program must comply with all requirements of the Showcase Code.

· A publicity person. If someone doesn't concentrate on promoting your show, the promotion won't get done. Trust us. We know.

· A house manager. This must be a member from the producing team who is present at all performances and remains in the lobby at least 15 min. after the show goes up. They must make executive decisions based on front of house matters and sign off on the Box Office report.

What each group may provide:

· A separate flyer/postcard for your production. The flyer/postcard must include the MITF logo and “Midtown International Theatre Festival Presents.”

· An advertisement in any publication. The ad must include the MITF logo and “Midtown International Theatre Festival Presents.”

· Its own musical instruments. Musicals in the small spaces must provide their own source of music. There is no storage for any instruments and amplification will be regulated by MITF staff.

Appendix C: Complete List of Benefits

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) is a special place for productions to workshop and showcase their scripts in a friendly environment and in front of a supportive audience – smack dab in the middle of one of the two great theatre districts in the world. Click here to see testimonials from previous participants.

The MITF saves you money:

· We don’t have a side letter with AEA, so you may pay your Equity actors just transportation for each day of rehearsal or performance, not an honorarium of $300-$500.

· Volunteer accident insurance at cost. The MITF offers participants this insurance at only $4.55 (current price) per volunteer (unpaid participant).

· There is no additional cost for general-liability insurance.

· MITF makes no requirement for participation in future royalties from any works performed under its auspices.

· All participants in the Festival may be comped into any show in the Festival, on a standby basis. This is an excellent way to support your fellow MITF artists, to network and to cross-promote.

Producing theatre in New York City is expensive, but we do what we can to keep costs down for you.

The MITF has earned its reputation as “the festival that cares” because of the resources we give to individual productions:

· No hidden fees. The application fee and participation fee are the only mandatory fees. There is a theatre usage fee for those wishing to take home a percentage of their box office, but they are disclosed up front and clearly spelled out on our website.

· To our knowledge, the MITF has a higher ratio of paid staff to participants than any other festival in New York City. Your box office is run by paid staff, not by volunteers.

· All participants are encouraged to see other Festival shows for free, which promotes a community of shared resources.

· We are not too big to provide the personal touch. The MITF hosts an annual awards ceremony that gives participants a forum to share their experience and congratulate each others’ success.

· Our marketing director spends at least an hour in person with each show’s producer, fine-tuning the show’s marketing strategy, as well as in e-mail follow-ups.

· MITF theatres are clean, safe, and actor-friendly – AEA approved! And we provide a shared green room for all participants during Festival hours.

· All box office monies due to participants are paid within four weeks of the festival closing upon confirmation of the production box office wrap.

In keeping with our high ratio of staff to participants, we manage the Festival in a way designed to minimize unpleasant surprises:

· We have detail-oriented management and a paid, year-round staff that gives special attention to individual shows.

· We can be easily contacted by e-mail; our goal is to respond within 24 hours.

· All communications are sent out in a timely fashion...starting months before the festival opens.

· We prepare the performance and rehearsal schedules as soon after getting commitments from the participants as possible. You will receive all the information you need without having to ask for it.

All these benefits make the MITF an attractive choice for an Off-Off-Broadway production, whether Equity or non-.

Appendix D: General Considerations

We've touched on the need for consideration by participants toward others in the Festival. The theatre is full of divas, who think their work is more important than that of anyone else.

What is a diva? A diva is someone who thinks his or her talent demands obeisance. It shines like the sun, outdoing the pale, wintry gleams cast off by its fellows.

We don't appreciate divas, nor do we tolerate disruption. Anyone who is unable to control his or her divahood (and let's face it, we can all be divas, given the chance!), should find another outlet for it.

While Off-Off-Broadway has its share of divas, it also has a population of hardworking professionals. Equity showcases, after all (which form the core of Off-Off-Broadway), are merely professionals working for no pay.

What is professionalism? Professionalism is speed, as anyone will attest who has watched an ice-skating display that combined amateurs and professionals. Professionalism is consistency: in all fields, the amateur is sometimes brilliant, but the professional is always good (or at least consistent). Above all, professionalism is never having to say you're sorry.

If you have any questions about the foregoing, please e-mail us at midtownfestival@gmail.com. We will try to get back to you within 24 hours.

And here’s a bonus: if you don’t get a response within 24 hours, feel free to call John Chatterton, our executive producer, on his cell phone at 646/207-2926. How many festivals let you do that?