TRU Presents August Panel: 'Introduction To The TRU Producer Development & Mentorship Program'

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) will present the August Panel, a free Introduction to the TRU Producer Development & Mentorship Program (PDMP) on Thursday, August 20, 2020 via Zoom. The panel will be led by instructors Erin Craig of La Vie Productions; and Broadway producers Jane Dubin and Jennifer Isaacson. Reserve a spot on the event page at truonline.org/events/intro-to-pdmp20/ or by emailing TRUStaff1@gmail.com - you will be put on a list to receive the Zoom link.

From Bob Ost, executive director of TRU:"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all TRU live events are being rescheduled while we wait for the all clear. To help bridge the gap of social distancing, this panel as well as the program itself, will be held virtually via Zoom. Email TRUStaff1@gmail.com or reserve on our event page to be added to the invitation list and join our community. Stay positive, test negative, be safe!"

This free meet-and-greet info session is an opportunity to learn about TRU's premiere educational program, the Producer Development and Mentorship Program, the only ongoing theater production course to offer in-depth instruction from accomplished producers at an affordable price. Due to COVID, the entire course will be given virtually, and compressed into an every other week schedule starting end of September and running through early February. At this introductory evening, prospective applicants will have the opportunity to learn from and network with their commercial producer instructors, as well as meet and hear from successful program graduates.

Their basic Foundations Class will be taughtby R. Erin Craig of La Vie Productions LLC (Austen's Pride, Mr Rickey Calls A Meeting, Into The Wild, In The Heights, Irena's Vow, Velocity of Autumn, High Fidelity, Stalking the Bogeyman, Beatsville, Right Before I Go ), and is open to all aspiring producers, artistic directors and self-Producing Artists. Their advanced Master Class will be taught by Broadway producers Jane Dubin (The Prom, Tony winning The Norman Conquests, Farinelli and the King, Bandstand, Peter and the Starcatcher and An American in Paris; plus Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, The 39 Steps, Ann) and Jennifer Isaacson (Moulin Rouge!, An American in Paris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris, ANN, The Norman Conquests; off-Broadway The 39 Steps, Beebo Brinker Chronicles). Master Class is open to graduates of Foundations Class, and a limited number of producers with a high level of experience and a specific project they are working on.

PDMP's purpose is to give members the knowledge and resources to become commercial theater producers, non-profit theater producers and/or self-Producing Artists. There may come a time in every theater artist's life when you need to self-produce a show and create your own opportunities, and PDMP aims to provide the tools for that occasion. The program teaches necessary skills such as developing a business plan, raising money, marketing and putting together creative production teams. For more information, here is the link to the full program description, and application.

For the upcoming term, and due to COVID isolation, both classes will meet virtually via Zoom, two nights every month for 5 months. The cost for Foundations is $295 for 10 sessions; Master Class costs $425 for 9 sessions, and has a highly competitive submission process. Inquire about discounts for college students and as well as financial aid for anyone in need of help. The informational session on August 20th is completely free. Reserve using the red ticketing box on the event page.

About the Panelists:

R. Erin Craig/La Vie Productions LLC | Since 1997, Erin and her company, La Vie Productions LLC, have helped to nurture and build new artists and new projects in theatre, film and music through their work as a General Manager, Production Manager, Marketing / Branding Consultant, Executive Producer and Producer. Current projects include: Austen's Pride: A New Musical of Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Rickey Calls A Meeting, Academy, Village of Vale, Into The Wild, Right Before I Go. Previous projects include: The Exonerated, In The Heights, High Fidelity, Irena's Vow, Easter Mysteries (live film), Himself and Nora, Liberty: A Monumental Musical, Stalking the Bogeyman, Velocity of Autumn, How We Got Away With It (film); and with Houses On The Moon Theatre Company,The Assignment, DeNovo, The Santa Closet and gUN COUNTRY. Erin is a member of The Broadway League, The Off-Broadway League, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU). LaVieProductions.com

Jane Dubin is a Tony Award-winning producer and the President of Double Play Connections, a theatrical production and management company committed to supporting emerging artists and playwrights in the creation and development of new works. Jane is a graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute's 14-week (NYC) and O'Neill Center Intensive (CT) Producing Workshops and past Director of Theater Resources Unlimited's Producer Development Program, and current Director of the program's Master Class. Broadway/OB: The Prom (Best Musical - Drama Desk Award), Farinelli and the King (5 Tony nominations), starring Mark Rylance, Bandstand, An American in Paris on Broadway (4 TONY Awards), National Tour and in London, Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey (Off Broadway and on Tour), Peter and the Starcatcher (Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tour), winner of 5 TONY Awards; Ann, starring Holland Taylor (Lincoln Center); The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (London); The 39 Steps (OB, Tour); The Norman Conquests (TONY Award, Best Play Revival), Groundswell (The New Group), Beebo Brinker Chronicles (2008 GLAAD Media Award for Theatre). Other: OPA! at TBG Theatre (Best Commercial Production, MITF 2008), Take Me America (Best Musical, MITF 2007), Count Down, (Bank Street Theatre) and the one-woman show that started it all, MentalPause by Margaret Liston. Ms. Dubin is a full voting member of the Broadway League. She is co-President of the Board of Directors of Houses on the Moon Theater Company and a prior Board member of the League of Professional Theatre Women. For two years she was co-curator of the Hudson Valley Writers' Center New Play Reading Series. She co-produced Hudson River Rising, presenting events for One Billion Rising (V-Day) 2013 and 2014 and was a member of the Grand Jury for New York Musical Festival's 2015 - 2019 seasons.

Jennifer Isaacson is a two-time Tony Award winning producer. She is currently the Executive Producer for WalkRunFly, a production company co-founded by Warren Adams and Brandon Victor Dixon. WalkRunFly has several new musicals and a TV series in development. WalkRunFly is also partnered with International Theatre Fund as a co-producer on Moulin Rouge! on Broadway. Broadway producing credits include: An American in Paris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris, Of Mice and Men starring James Franco and Chris O'Dowd, ANN: The Ann Richards Play starring Holland Taylor, and The Norman Conquests. Off-Broadway producing credits include: The 39 Steps and Beebo Brinker Chronicles. Prior to joining WalkRunFly, Jennifer was a producer with Harriet Leve Productions where she was part of many critically acclaimed productions including The Mountaintop starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett, La Cage Aux Folles starring Kelsey Grammer, and A Little Night Music starring Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury. Jennifer co-founded the Broadway Women's Alliance, a community supporting, connecting, and empowering women on the business side of Broadway. Jennifer also serves as a board member of Houses on the Moon, a not-for-profit theater company dedicated to amplifying unheard voices. Jennifer is a member of the steering committee for Maestra, a not-for-profit community providing support and visibility for the women who make the music in the musical theater industry.