Green Resources for Theatre Artists

We would like to thank all of our amazing bloggers this month. We were so honored to be able to share their green experiences, Eco-friendly initiatives and resources with you.

• Joanne Haas tells us how to Keep Costumes out of Landfills
• Lory Henning asks What's the Triple Bottom Line
• Kevin Stirnweis gives us tips for Using Materials for the (Theatre) Arts
• Sarah-Jane Stratford introduces the "Green Captain"
• FABnyc shared their Sustainability Initiatives
• Jeremy Pickard asked if you are an Eco-theater Artist
• And some advice on how to be a Green Audience Member
  

Also, check out this article by Jeremy Karafin. He shares the experiences of some of the Eco-friendly productions being presented by the Wild Project.


Here are some great and easy resources that will help OOB productions save some green while being green.

• Need to know where to recycle batteries? Or computer paper? Or plastic bags, construction debris or electronics? Earth 911 helps you locate recycling centers/drop offs near you
• Check out the Superhero Clubhouse, a sustainable collective of theater artists and environmental advocates
• Check out new initiatives at The Broadway Green Alliance
• Use and donate reusable production materials to Materials for the Arts 
• Donate to and rent costumes from The Costume Collective

 

Are you an Eco-theater Artist?

Photo by Sue Kessler
The Planktons' Escape: Sam West, Danny Gardner, Flakoo Jimenez.

Contributed by Jeremy Pickard

As a self-proclaimed eco-theater artist, I am overjoyed at the steady greening I see in the NYC theater community.  From Off-Off companies designing with entirely recycled materials to the Broadway Green Alliance replacing marquis bulbs with LEDs, there is immense progress.  Indeed, this very blog is proof that NYC theater is both innovative and principled.

But I wonder how much greener we could be if sustainable thought began earlier in our creative process...

I am privileged to work for The Bushwick Starr once a year, heading their annual Big Green Theater Festival.  The festival begins with a 3-month teaching artist program in which 5^th graders write eco-plays (that is, plays inspired by environmental topics).  The program culminates around Earth Day, when the students’ plays are given a professional production at the Starr using only green theater techniques. 

Photo by by Sue Kessler
Spoiler Alert!: Monica Santana, Danny Gardner

5^th graders are incredible eco-theater artists.  They simultaneously possess wild imaginations and sophisticated processing skills, making them innately excellent at absorbing environmental information and then turning their new-found knowledge into wonderful storytelling.  They write ambitious adventures without censorship, yet remain practical about how such plays might translate into green production.  Because on a playground they are accustomed to improvising their make-believe with whatever they have around them, their written stories are huge but their expectations are not; they assume an audience’s imagination will do most of the work.  

Can we adults take a tip from a 5^th grader, and reduce our reliance on resources without sacrificing our big ideas?  Can this sort of green thinking start at the very beginning, when ideas are still germinating?  As we write or devise new work, can we begin by giving ourselves rules-- not only for story, theme and character but also for production?  This might mean considering, from the very first page of a script, what we’re asking production teams to build, what sort of space we’re demanding our plays be performed in, and how long we expect energy-intensive lights, heat and air conditioning to stay turned on. 

Photo by Sue Kessler
Expedition to the Gyre (clockwise from upper left):
Sam West, Danny Gardner, Katey Parker,
Flakoo Jimenez, Tina Mitchell

When I write adult eco-plays, I give myself limitations: I try to write for a nearly bare stage, I omit lighting cues and major scenic changes, and though my aesthetic is often epic, I strive to stay within an intermission-less 90-minute run time.  These limitations don’t make me feel limited; on the contrary, by prioritizing bodies, voices and imagination, I find I can challenge myself, my collaborators and the medium of theater in new ways.  Additionally, I have found that these types of early-considered limitations encourage actors to become more virtuosic, directors and designers more innovative, and audiences more engaged. 

As a director, I try to apply the same principles when I am considering how to bring a script to life.  Once the ten student plays of this year’s Big Green Theater were in my hand, I spent countless hours with our designers (Michael Minnahan and Preesa Bullington) developing a design that would allow all of the plays to exist within the same world, and a concept that would result in the whole becoming greater that the sum of its parts. 

So we came up with a set of rules-- literally a set of rules: using one of the students’ plays (aptly titled Clean Up The Park) as a frame, the set became a littered park, and the action of the evening was cleaning it up.  The nine (more fantastical) internal plays were stories the characters told each other as they picked up and organized garbage.  The actors created gestures inspired by the act of cleaning, and then recycled and reused those gestures throughout.  The plays became the reason for cleaning, and the cleaning the reason for the plays.  

Of course, the set, costumes, lights and rehearsal practices were as green as can be, the program paperless, and the performance space carbon-neutral.  When it was finished, the action-packed evening of plays was less than an hour long.  The Starr’s rooftop hydroponic garden was open, and the refreshments were local. 

I wonder what would happen if every theater space and company in NYC thought green from the very start.  How quickly green the status quo!  How brilliant the citywide problem solving!  With greener values embedded earlier in our processes, could the rigor of our sustainable practices rival the already enviable caliber of our creative innovation?

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Jeremy Pickard captains Superhero Clubhouse, a sustainable collective of theater artists and environmental advocates, and has produced over a dozen eco-theater productions since 2008 including the first five (of eventually nine) Planet Plays.  Jeremy is the lead artist for The Bushwick Starr’s annual Big Green Theater Festival and a commissioned artist of PositiveFeedback, NYC’s first inter-institutional consortium uniting artists and scientists in climate change collaboration.  You can see Superhero Clubhouse’s production of SATURN (a play about food) Aug 30-Sept 9 at The Wild Project, and the third annual Big Green Theater Festival in April 2013 at The Bushwick Starr.  www.superheroclubhouse.org

Arts meet Sustainability

Contributed by By FABnyc

Arts meet Sustainability in the East 4^th Street Cultural District

FABnyc (Fourth Arts Block) is the nonprofit leadership organization for the Lower East Side, headquartered in the East 4^th Street Cultural District—a historic and vibrant arts cluster in Manhattan between Second Avenue and Bowery. As part of this leadership role, FABnyc is heading up an interconnected effort to match existing energy, waste and water reduction programs to arts groups, residents, and small businesses in the Cultural District. As an arts organization, we are trying to bring more creativity to connect our community to sustainable practices.

For example… In 2010, FABnyc noticed that local theaters were “loading out” sets and materials directly into dumpsters after productions ended their runs. Not only were the materials being disposed of inefficiently and unsustainably, but this “junk” was often of great value to other artists in need of materials. As a creative response, FABnyc initiated “Load OUT!,” a biannual event in which local arts and cultural groups, non-profits, and community members donate sets, costumes, props and office equipment they no longer need to a collection site. On the day of “Load OUT!” local artists and the general public are invited to take away any materials they find at the site for creative use in new projects! Hundreds of artists and residents have benefited, either through collecting the lightly used materials, or by donating items they no longer need or want. The program continues to grow, now including textile and e-waste collection for the entire community.

At the most recent Load OUT! event in March 2012, local arts groups such as La MaMa E.T.C., New York Theater Workshop, and Millennium Film Workshop donated incredible materials to the “Load OUT!” site. With the help of our sustainability partners, FABnyc was able to divert over 6 tons from the waste stream, including more than 1 ton of e-waste and almost 1 ton of textiles. This is the largest single diversion we have accomplished to date.

We have completed energy and lighting assessments for many of the theaters on our block, and we plan on developing a program to better inform local theaters about the benefits of efficient waste disposal and energy use practices. We have also worked with White Roof Project to cover 30,000 square feet of roof with white reflective coating to reduce the heat island effect; in June, La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theater building will be coated as well. Through these efforts, we are creating a tighter-knit community that is able to collaborate and collectively solve our environmental problems. For now, you can get involved now by saving all your “junk” for the next Load OUT! event, and be sure to stay tuned for more tips and tools from us that will help make our city more sustainable!

Click here to learn more about our Sustainability Program.

Cultivating a Green Audience

While we as theatre artists can make more environmentally friendly choices when creating our productions, we can also encourage our audiences to be more green as well.

Here are a few tips on how audience members can be more environmentally aware while at the theatre:

• Consider your transportation options: Take public transportation to the theatre. Walk or bike when possible or look into car-pooling opportunities. Producers can help by providing information about these options on their website and other marketing materials.
• Don’t litter!: Use appropriate recycling and trash bins. Be especially considerate of cigarette butts.
• Recycle programs: If, after the performance, you will no longer need your program, return it to the company for use at future performances.
• Recycle postcards & flyers: If you liked the show, pass your postcard or flyer on to friends. Not only is this an environmentally friendly way to recycle, you are helping the production as well. Trust us they’ll appreciate it.  (If you didn’t enjoy the show, you can discretely place your postcard or flyer into the nearest recycle bin.)
• Help spread the word through green sources: Word of  Mouth, Facebook, Email, Twitter, etc. are fantastic marketing tools that can reach hundreds and sometimes thousands of people without using a single piece of paper. You can help your favorite Indie Theatre company by letting your network know about their amazing work.
• Visit Neighborhood Restaurants and Bars: When planning your evening out, patronize neighborhood restaurants and bars that incorporate green practices or purchase local and seasonal snacks and drinks. Again producers can help by providing a list of these neighborhood eateries on their website.
• Donate to Materials for the Arts: If you have unwanted items that could be useful to theatre companies and other artists, instead of throwing them out, consider donating them to Materials for the Arts.

Do you have other suggestions? Let us know.

Greening the Great White Way

Contributed by Sarah-Jane Stratford

Greening the Great White Way began in earnest in 2008, when a few dedicated theatre professionals saw ways in which Broadway could set the stage for more sustainable productions, without losing any razzle-dazzle. TheBroadway Green Alliance has created a wide array of eco-initiatives, motivating professionals and audience members alike to adopt a greener ethos.

The storied lights of Broadway are beautiful, but the environmental impact of incandescent bulbs was anything but. The BGA accomplished the Herculean feat of bringing theatre owners to the same page and making all marquee lights energy-efficient LED bulbs – all 100,000+ of them, saving over 700 tons of carbon a year. The shows are still hot, the planet a bit less so.

When it was observed that the binders used for scripts and light cues were thrown out after every show, the BGA created the Binder Initiative, offering a place where binders could be donated after use and recycled into another show. The initiative is an incredible success, saving mountains of binders from landfill. The BGA is working to bring Off-Broadway and other local theatres, for whom costs are an even bigger concern, into the program.  Soon, there will be binders that have been in more shows than some of the busiest actors in town.

Those busy actors often wear body mics, and the need for fully-charged batteries is mandatory. The BGA has convinced most of the productions to opt for rechargeable batteries, thus keeping thousands of tons of toxic waste out of the system and saving money for more important investments.

One of the BGA’s greatest successes has been in tapping individuals’ green passions, whether they are ardent environmentalists or just want to lessen waste. Many shows now have a “Green Captain” – one person, whether in cast or crew – who acts as advisor, point person, and liaison, helping to green the shows and the people who make them happen.

At that great green musical Wicked, the Green Captain is actress Nova Bergeron. On the road, Nova discovered many theatres had no recycling facilities, so she gathered cans & bottles and recycled them herself. Since she joined the Broadway company, just a few of her accomplishments include: switching everyone to recycled-paper tissues, swapping paper for fabric towels, gathering #5 plastics to recycle at Whole Foods, and collecting corks and makeup containers to recycle at TerraCycle (with her help, the BGA has kept over 18,000 corks out of landfills!). ‘Wicked’ also green-lit welcome tote bags with stainless steel water bottles for all new company members, which Nova presents. She is currently creating a labeling and storage system for reusable flatware so that the company can stop buying – and throwing out – plastic utensils.

Over at the new play Peter and the Starcatcher, currently up for 9 Tony Awards, co-star Adam Chanler-Berat assumes Green Captain duties. Busy as he is, he felt this was too important a responsibility to pass up and hopes to inspire others as well. Already, he’s got many cast and crew members to use reusable water bottles and they fill from the tap, as opposed to plastic jugs. Next, he plans to install recycling bins in every dressing room, put up signs reminding everyone to turn off lights, and join Nova in the cork collection.

It’s easy to be environmentally inspired at Peter, because innovative set designer Donyale Werle made much of the set from reused materials or items she found dumpster-diving. The Tony-nominated set is one of the most exciting in town, proving that you don’t need to make an impact on the earth when you are making one on stage.

The BGA is constantly developing new projects and greater outreach. Everyone is welcome to join and help Broadway scale higher, greener heights.

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Sarah-Jane Stratford is a New York-based writer, activist, and green advocate. She is the author of two novels and her work has appeared in Guernica, The Guardian, and Women and Hollywood, as well as being performed with Liar's League, New York. She is currently working on novel about World War I espionage and a play about censorship and sedition. 

Using Materials for the (Theater) Arts

Contributed by Kevin Stirnweis

Representatives from Third Rail Projects pose with their treasures during one trip to the warehouse.

When the Innovative Theatre Foundation asked Materials for the Arts to write a guest blog on how companies can green their production, I was delighted because there is one easy, fun, and actually self-serving way that companies can do this: use MFTA services! Founded in 1978, MFTA is a program of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs that collects unneeded but useful supplies from businesses and individuals and distributes them free of charge to its recipients. These recipients are public schools, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations that provide significant arts programming for the five boroughs. This means that if your theater company is a registered nonprofit, or sponsored by a nonprofit, it is eligible to become an MFTA recipient. That's right: your production company just needs to apply to have access to the wonderful, free supplies at MFTA.

There are two primary methods through which MFTA distributes its supplies. The first is through our 25,000-square-foot warehouse in Long Island City. Recipients set up appointments online and visit our space to find the many wonders it holds. Our trucks go out every day to collect lightly used items from around the City, so the stock is always changing. We have had unique items such as police hats, five-foot-high Styrofoam seahorses, and a mechanical bull, as well as conventional items such as theater lights, curtains, rolls of fabric, mannequins, and chairs.

If you are unable to come to the warehouse, or if you are looking for larger items that we cannot hold in the warehouse, we offer an online donations system where recipients coordinate directly with donors around the five boroughs. Here you can find theater flats, pianos, large set pieces, and more. Through our services, we have supplies to stock your office as well your prop room.

After you are done with these items, the best option is to save them for a future production. MFTA is all about reuse, so the more use you get out of an item, the better. If there is no way you can store the six rolls of fabric, five couches, and thirty mannequins you took from us for a production, you can always donate them back so another organization can use these items.

If your organization is interested in donating to MFTA, you can list items on the online directory, mail items, drop them off, or request a free pickup. Greening a production does not happen just when gathering the needed supplies, but also when trying to find a home for the now unneeded items. If you are interested in making a donation, you can find more information here.

Whether a recipient or donor, you can find inspiration for reuse at our on-site exhibition space, as well as on our blog. Recipient theater companies like Immigrants' Theater Project have shared their past projects using MFTA supplies, as have theaters in New York City's public schools, such as at the High School of Art and Design with their production of Dracula. The work and dedication of MFTA recipients and donors alike is remarkable. I have never met people more committed to reuse in the arts than the folks surrounding MFTA. And we're always looking to expand our community.

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Kevin Stirnweis is the Communications Specialist at Materials for the Arts. When he is not blogging about the wonders of MFTA, he can be found on the MFTA Twitter and Facebook. Come say hello.

What's the triple bottom line?

Contributed by Lory Henning

For me, environmental awareness cracked open and rushed into my consciousness on September 11th, 2001.  As I watched the towers burn and fall from my Greenpoint apartment windows, the whole messy, complicated world was held in stark contrast to the simple interactions I had been reading about between Jane Goodall and the chimpanzees she was trying to get to know in her book, In the Shadow of Man.  As many of us did, I felt helpless and yet, I had a deep desire to help Everyone.  The best way I could think of to act was to draft a manifesto to the entire company of Blue Man Group (where I have been working since April of 1996) and try to create a grass-roots effort to green the company from within.

Since that time, we have made some tremendous strides in the right direction.  And while there is still more work to be done throughout the Blue Man enterprise, I can tell you that I am very proud of the awareness we’ve raised and the projects we’ve done.

In terms of greening your production or company, gather together a team of the most environmentally motivated people you have and create a democratic, collaborative system for feedback and experimentation with every new program you institute.  You want to ensure that things are as easy to follow through with as possible - otherwise your program might be ignored and only stand as a reminder of failure rather than creating an atmosphere of care, pride, and conservation.

Try to focus on the triple bottom line.  What's the "triple bottom line", you ask?  Simply put, it's your community, your environment, and your finances.  There is no doubt that every theatre organization can find and develop projects that will strengthen your community, save you money, and help reduce your negative impact on the environment.  Take our composting program, for example.   Members of the community worked together to set up the system for dealing with the collection bins every day.  We stopped sending an enormous amount of compostable waste into the landfill.  And we were able to reduce the amount of money we paid for garbage pick-up by more than it costs us to pay for compost pick-up.  Community.  Environment.  Finance.

But not every theatre will generate as much compost as we do.  So here are some additional ideas for you to consider:

Energy savings:

• Is your theatre using the most energy efficient fixtures and lamps available?  Can you consider adding motion-sensor switches to lights in hallways and offices?  Can you use LED fixtures as part of your lighting package?
• Are you balancing efficiency with comfort when setting your thermostats?  There’s no reason to freeze your patrons in the summer; cool is cool enough.

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle:

In addition to the usual paper, cardboard, metal, cartons and plastic bottles that get recycled through the city, we also recycle the following stuff:

• Food scraps (even chicken bones and gross stuff like that) go in the compost bin.
• For yogurt containers and other plastics labeled #5, Whole Foods has a collection bin.  I collect that stuff and drop it off on my way to the subway.
• Unless there’s something sensitive on it, re-use the backs of your printer paper.  Once you figure out which way the paper goes in the feed tray, you’re golden.
• Dead batteries?  Yup.  Try using a service from http://www.batteryrecycling.com.  You’ll have to pay for it, but it’s for a worthy cause: you.
•  If you've got rechargeable batteries that don't charge anymore, Radio Shack and Best Buy collect and recycle those for free!
• Have you got some burnt-out fluorescent tubes?  Find a recycling company here: http://www.lamprecycle.org.  If you’ve got burnt out compact fluorescent bulbs, The Green Depot on Bowery near Prince St collects those for recycling.
• What about your old costumes?  If they aren't good enough to give to charity, you can recycle them too!  There’s a textile recycling collection tent at the farmer’s market in Union Square (among other places), and they also do pick-ups!  Here’s where you go for more information: http://www.grownyc.org/clothing
•  If you’ve got some old electronic equipment (computers, cassette players, boxy TV’s, etc) that is just taking up space, you can recycle it!  Check out the wonderful folks at http://www.lesecologycenter.org.  They hold regular e-waste collection events around the city.
•  If you've got CD's, VHS tapes, DVD's, or computer diskettes that aren't good for donating to charity, you can have them erased and recycled through Green Disk (http://www.greendisk.com).  I've done it myself.  It's easy, it doesn’t break the bank, and it makes you more attractive.
• Stop throwing out your grocery bags and cling wrap.  They’ve got collection bins for that stuff at Wallgreens, Staples, and, like, every intelligently run grocery store there is.
• And, one of the biggest impacts a small theatre can have is by re-using materials to make your scenery, and then donating it to charity (or using it AGAIN) after your show closes.

And how about some advanced eco-friendly moves?  Install some bike racks and encourage everyone to cycle commute. Get rid of plastic water bottles – install filters on your tap (if you must) and encourage everyone to bring re-usable bottles.  In your green room, replace paper plates and plastic utensils with real plates and metal flatware (you can even get used ones from a charity shop or community donations).  Make sure your theatre has water-saving fixtures.  Use hand-towels rather than paper towels where appropriate.

Want super-duper advanced stuff?  Use bio-diesel if you have any trucking to do.  Sell eco-friendly merchandise and organic, locally produced concessions for your show.  Purchase carbon offsets for the energy you use.  Check out companies like Con Ed Solutions (http://www.conedsolutions.com/Home.aspx) or Green Mountain Energy (http://www.greenmountain.com) for sustainably generated electricity.

And, perhaps most importantly, tell your audiences what you’re doing to save the world.  After all, they’re the biggest part of our community.  And, who knows? Maybe they’ll be inspired to help Everyone too.

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Lory Henning has recently begun her 16^th year working with Blue Man Group, and after having held many jobs within the company over the years, she has currently got her favorite: Production Stage Manager at the Astor Place Theatre.  Lory is also a director, producer, and a crazy uber-nerd for all things related to woodworking and the environment and is a contributor to the Green Theatre Iniative.

Keep Costumes out of Landfills

Contributed by Joanne Haas is the Associate Director at the TDF Costume Collection

According to Grownyc.org, “The average New Yorker tosses 46 pounds of clothing and textiles in the trash each year, totaling 6% of our entire residential waste stream.” Imagine how much waste we create as costume designers?  Our art only lives for a very finite period of time; A show opens, and then all too soon after comes strike.  What happens to the clothing after the show closes? 

The U.S. EPA estimates that textile waste is 5% of all landfill space.  Did you know that synthetic fibers do not decompose?  Natural fiber garments decompose but create methane, which contributes to global warming. 

What to do?  Try to reduce, recycle, and reuse as much as possible.  How do we do this? 

• Rent and donate costumes from the TDF Costume Collection.  If you don’t know, the TDF Costume Collection is service organization of the Theatre Development Fund.  The Collection is a self-service warehouse in Astoria, Queens of approximately 75,000 pieces that have all been donated from places such as Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, The Metropolitan Opera, Papermill Playhouse, Universities/Colleges, and individuals.  These costumes are available for rental priced at a sliding scale for non-profit organizations (rates start at $45.00 for non-profit organizations).  By using rented costumes, you are saving on raw resources such as fabric and electricity.  With a creative eye, you can put together and transform the pieces available to create the looks needed for your show.

For more information on the TDF Costume Collection, visit their website at www.tdf.org/costumes 

A plain brown 18^th Century Frock transformed by sewing on new trims.  

• Buy and/or donate to thrift stores like Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, Planet Aid and Housing Works just to name a few.  Not only are you saving landfill space, money, but you are also helping these organizations with fundraising for their programs.
• Grownyc.org sponsors textile recycling at several greenmarkets throughout the NYC area.   For a complete listing, visit their website.
• While the Materials for the Arts will not accept clothing, they do accept large pieces of raw materials such as fabric.  So, instead of throwing out your extra bolts we all have lying around, donate them so they can be used by other arts organizations.  
• For other ideas, visit: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/resources/prod_serv_office_home_clothing.shtml#recyclers

Every small effort helps!  Some of the resources above will not only help our planet, but will help you by saving time and money, something every small innovative theatre artist can believe in. 

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Joanne Haas is the Associate Director at the TDF Costume Collection, a service organization of the Theatre Development Fund.  Before joining the TDF staff, Joanne was a freelance costume designer for theatre and film.  A member of USA Local 829, Joanne has served as costume designer for over 200 productions, working both in New York City and throughout the Northeast.  www.joannehaas.com

Greening Your Production

We are dedicating the May blog to “Greening Your Production.”

Environmental concerns hit every aspect of our society. President Obama includes the environment among his top 5 issues; focusing on conservation and the development of clean energy. Earlier this week Governor Cuomo released a statement saying that he is committed to reducing energy consumption in New York State by 20% over the next 4 years. His initiatives include energy efficient upgrades, solar energydevelopment, and the use and development of other emerging energy technologies. Even some funders have started to require that grantees engage in green practices.

Now, OOBers are no stranger to the mantra “Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.” We’ve been practicing conservation since the indie theatre movement was founded more than 50 years ago. However there are lots of new resources and initiatives that make it even easier for our community to more effectively employ environmentally friendly practices.

We are very excited to have some amazing guest bloggers this month. They represent theatrical organizations that have implemented green practices into their productions and organizations that provide resources and are aiding our community in its green efforts. They will share their experiences with executing their initiatives and some of the resources that are available to our community right now.

Guest bloggers this month include:

Joanne Haas from the TDF Costume Collective

Lory Henning from the Blue Man Group, Green Program

Kevin Stirnweis from Materials for the Arts

Jeremy Karafin from The Wild Project

Special Guest Blogger from The Broadway Green Alliance

And others...

Have you implemented green practices into your production? What was your experience? What are your favorite resources?

Honorary Award Application Due 5/1

Every year, in addition to the production categories, the IT Foundation presents three honorary awards at its annual ceremony. These Honorary Awards are presented to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the Off-Off-Broadway community and are selected each year by the Honorary Awards Committee.

Applications are due Monday, May 1, 2012 @ 6pm

The Honorary Awards are:

• The Caffe Cino Fellowship Award, presented to an Off-Off-Broadway theatre company that consistently produces outstanding work. This award also includes a grant to be used toward an Off-Off-Broadway production;
• The Stewardship Award, presented to an individual or organization demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership;
  
• The Artistic Achievement Award, presented to an individual who has made a significant artistic contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community*

Complete your application today!

* While there is not an application for the Artistic Achievement, we encourage community members to email suggestions to the committee at info@nyitawards.com.

How to Create a Webseries or How We Created “OFF OFF”

Contributed by Stephen Bittrich.

Little tasks.  Big friends.

I would say that’s my secret in a nutshell.  That’s how the rather large and daunting project of creating Off Off, a webseries for people who never give up on their dreams was accomplished.

I wish the digital and Internet technology available now had been around 20 years ago … when all my friends were younger and little less jaded by life and the business, but then it wouldn’t be the same show!

Obviously you want to have the big dream, visualize the pie in the sky idea of what it can be, but “become rich and famous” is hard to check off on your to do list, and let’s face it, your series going viral would be a little like getting struck by lightening.

Little tasks bring you incrementally closer to the big dream. 

The first little task, the most important one is to write.  I’m a playwright/screenwriter, so that was something I was going to do myself, obviously. 

I’m a firm believer that it all starts with the story.  (Not just “idea” but “story.”)  That’s your foundation, so write the first season and have at least a good idea of where it’s going for three or four seasons.  Plan out way ahead, so you don’t write yourself into a corner. 

Some people say you should write only for what resources you have.  I think you certainly need to be very mindful of that, but allow yourself a few extra things that will take some work to find (locations or sets or costumes) as long as it’s adding to the story.  You want this to be special and look like some work was put into it!  Don’t just shoot your apartment.

When webseries first came out they were mostly 3-5 minutes of crude college humor, meant for a quick laugh, but now I see a lot of different lengths and genres.  The show SubmissionsOnly with the adorable and highly watchable Kate Wetherhead is about 22 minutes, the exact length, smartly enough, of a half-hour sitcom (without commercials).

Another task: find a location.  We thought we had a location, and it fell through.  But don’t give up.  Set your sites on one location.  Follow through.  If it doesn’t work out, on to the next location.  The next task.  Someone will say “yes.”

Task: cast the series.  You’ll be tempted to use your friends, and I think this is a good thing because you absolutely need your talented friends to pull this off for little to no money, but add some new blood in as well.  Cast SAG actors.  The New Media agreements with SAG pre-merger are doable and friendly to self-productions, and I assume the same will be true of the post-merger agreements.

Task:  director of photography.  What an important position!  I had an old friend from my Project Greenlight Contest days message me on Facebook (while I was talking the project up) and ask what he could do to help.  Turned out he had a Canon 7D (great camera – wonderful in low light), a DAT recorder, microphone, a few lights, and the know-how.  He could do a lot to help!  The digital cameras are so sophisticated these days that the lighting becomes less of a daunting task.  Get someone who really knows the camera to run it. 

With the digital technology such that it is today, you can even affordably edit yourself if you absolutely must with Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere.  I edited the first episode.  I’m hoping to hand that task off at some point.

The marketing campaign has its own series of mini-tasks – planning publicity shots or art (look beforehand at the sizes of images needed on various websites, so you can plan out dimensions ahead of time), building a great looking website (I happen to do this for a living), making cards to hand out, joining all the social networks, creating a youtube or vimeo channel.

At some point run a fundraising campaign on indiegogo.com or kickstarter.com.

Bottom line is that you can do this for little or no money depending upon how many willing, talented friends you have.  Set your sites on little tasks and check them off one by one as you inch closer to your goal.

How a Playwright Caught the Webseries Bug & Created Off Off

Contributed by Stephen Bittrich.

So I was lying in the Critical Care Unit at Lenox Hill Hospital in October having just suffered a massive pulmonary embolism.  (That is blood clots traveling from your extremities, in this case the legs, up through your heart and into your lungs blocking your airways.  Rapper Heavy D died from one in December.)

And I thought to myself, “Okay, maybe I could die.  Possibly.  Hopefully we’ll get this under control, but there it is … my mortality staring me in the face.  What do you want to DO, Stephen?”

Webseries might seem like an odd thing to top one’s personal bucket list.  Others might choose jumping from a plane, climbing a mountain, or feeding the hungry in some impoverished corner of the globe.

I’d been developing an idea for about a year, a webseries about 4 guys in their 40’s running an Off-Off-Broadway theatre, and it seemed everywhere I went I had people telling me why I couldn’t do it, shouldn’t do it, or how I needed to change it.

We playwrights are often times beholden to someone else saying, “Yes, you are worthy.  We’ll produce you” or “We’ll read your play” or “We’ll develop this writing.”  That can be frustrating when you’re not in a groove.

And even after you are in a groove, you’re sometimes surprised at the response when you say, “I want to spread my wings … since we’re all doing this for little or no money.  I want to try something different.”  Surprised by a response like, “No, no, don’t spread your wings.  We don’t see you that way.  Keep doing what we already know you can do.” 

At least that’s what I was getting.  It was time to take charge of my own destiny!

I’m now going to give my friend, Michael Cyril Creighton a plug because he’s the reason I thought I could do it.  In mid-2009 Michael started a webseries called Jack in a Box about a bitter, snarky actor who works in a box office.  He happened to work in a box office in real life at the time.  I have no idea how bitter he really is.  He’s a pretty nice guy.  I became aware of his series about episode 6 or so, and I liked it so much I went back to watch the first, and I was amazed that at the time the pilot had about 3,000 views (it’s now closer to 34,000).

I started thinking about all the plays I’d done in 50-99 seat theatres over the years.  Had I even reached 3000 people?  I did the math.  Yes, I probably had, but it must have taken me a decade to reach that many people.

Now Michael’s case is unique.  He’s clearly got the mojo going now – just got nominated for a WGA Award for “New Media.”  I wasn’t under the impression that I’d get 3000 hits over night, but he inspired me to stop listening to the no’s and maybe’s.

By now my own series Off Off is not just talk anymore.  We’ve shot and posted our pilot episode and a behind the scenes look at the making of the pilot.  Saturday we’re shooting episode 2 and a mini-episode.  How did we make it happen?  That I will tell you in my next blog.

Will I stop writing plays and doing theatre now?  Of course not.  Nothing can replace the love of that live experience.

But I’ve really been enjoying working on Off Off.  It has been a lot of work, and it’s difficult sometimes to inspire the troupes, but probably not any harder than inspiring them to perform for free in an Off-Off-Broadway venue! 

Guest Blogger of the Week: Stephen Bittrich

We are excited that this week's guest blogger will be Stephen Bittrich.

Stephen Bittrich is a playwright/screenwriter/actor who has had over 30 of his plays (one-acts and full-lengths) produced on the Off Off Broadway scene.  He’s had several plays published over the years (Smith & Kraus, NY Theatre Experience, Dramatics Magazine) and just sold a screenplay based on his play Healer to an indie film production company.  Currently he is the creator/writer of Off Off, a new webseries about 4 guys in their mid-40s who run an Off Off Broadway theatre and begin to question if they’ve passed the age when doing so is still sexy.  Off Off is a webseries for people who NEVER give up on their dreams.  For more details visit www.OffOffWebseries.com or www.StephenBittrich.com.

It is time to come together

Contributed by Brad Burgess

It is time for artists to come together.  It is time for everyone to understand how important art is for communities of people.  It is time for everyone to realize their own art in life and how they can participate in the communities of which they are a part.

undergroundzero festival, and the direction it has taken into being a coalition/cooperative/collective/community of theatre groups and theatre artists is one of the strongest and most unique recognitions of this timing.  There are exponential benefits to sharing resources, connecting networks and finding perspective within the industry...amidst the new worldwide economic understanding about the instability of the monetary system...especially its utter failure to support the arts across the globe...undergroundzero festival, and other efforts like it are the way to sustainability.  It is the avant garde of what is being done on the national level like at TCG or NET, and on the local level in nyc, including NYIT, ART NY, LIT, LoMAL, and FAB.

It is indescribable, the feeling of going from handling the toughest challenges and questions, alone, to sharing responsibilities.  The feeling of sharing your best ideas to turn them into better ones, and finding new possibilities, together with others, is even more transcendent.  The experience of all that when art and theatre is at the center point...you'll have to come find that one out in July.

Brad Burgess is the Executive Producer of The Living Theatre

Sign Me Up

Contributed by Connie Hall

In June of 2011, Paul Bargetto, artistic director of the undergroundzero festival, instant messaged me on Facebook while I was at the proverbial Day Job as a grantwriter.  It was a tiresome day, for a reason I cannot remember that involved a spreadsheet and a government form with its own internal maze-like logic, and I was cranky.  We met after work and he asked me a set of questions that it seemed to me he had asked others before. I told him, kind of like a zombie recounting someone else’s experience, about my life as an actor in New York, how I came here to go to grad school for acting at Columbia, how I balanced finances to support my life as an artist, when and where and how I started Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant with a group of collaborators, how I structured that venture, and how I saw all of this continuing now that I had turned 40 years old.  The zombie haze lifted as it became my turn to listen.  Do I want to join a new cooperative of independent theaters? Do I want a slot in the annual undergroundzero festival?  Do I want to find ways to share resources and invent a new system of working that involves cooperating rather than competing or working in isolation?  Yup, yup, and yup.  I do.  Something’s not working the best way it could here, and letting it all go is not an option, not with the inspiring work I see fomenting in this struggling/thriving independent theater community I am privileged to be a part of.  Sign me up.

P.S. Thank you IT Awards for reminding us of all we have to celebrate every year!

Connie Hall is the Producing Director of Conni's Avant Garde Restaurant and Executive Director of undergroundzero

We’re Joiners! Will You Be a Joiner Too!?

Contributed by Connie Hall

In February 2012, eleven independent theater artists and companies joined together in a new cooperative structure to share their resources, networks, and combined talents. The founding members of the undergroundzero cooperative are: Paul Bargetto / East River Commedia, Anna Brenner, Jeff Clarke / Performance Lab 115, Alec Duffy / Hoi Polloi, Connie Hall / Conni's Avant Garde Restaurant, Daniel Irizarry & Laura Butler Rivera, Doris Mirescu / Dangerous Ground, Shige Moriya & Ximena Garnica / Leimay, Judith Malina & Brad Burgess / The Living Theatre, Jill A. Samuels, and Shannon Sindelar.

Brad Burgess, executive producer of the Living Theatre explains why the 65-year old company decided to join the cooperative, “Strength in numbers. I think the cooperative will bring stability that individual arts groups can't find on their own, and continued artistic excellence.”

Since 2007, undergroundzero has been operating as a summer festival (Collective Unconscious, PS 122) featuring the cutting edge work of New York City and international theater-makers. Artistic Director Paul Bargetto and Executive Director Connie Hall program the festival by investing in theatre artists, not selecting productions. The artists alone decide what to make and present. This year, participants from past festivals and other veteran experimental theater artists formed the permanent resident cooperative in order to share resources and improve the conditions for making new work. The cooperative’s aim is to secure for its member companies the core means of production including rehearsal space, performance venues, touring opportunities, promotion, management, advocacy, and funding.

This year the undergroundzero festival will be presented at The Living Theatre and Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center in New York City's historic Lower East Side June 26 - July 28, 2012. In addition, resident artist Shannon Sindelar will present an original piece in East River Park and the actors of Conni's Avant Garde Restaurant will present Little West 12th Night, a tour of the Chelsea Meatpacking District based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

The opening of the festival will provide context for the time and place in which “hardcore downtown” NYC theatre makers are working by hosting a discussion with Arnold Aronson, author of American Avant Garde Theatre: A History and a panel discussion with members of the “NEA four.” Playwright Saviana Stanescu will present playgroundzero, a series of staged readings and works in progress about revolution and immigration. Artistic Director Paul Bargetto will bring together international theater artists and videographers to present Debt! a series of performative lectures about the concept, history, and meaning of debt. Visit this link for a sneak-peak:

There will be an exciting series of free events, meetings, “talk shows” and dance parties happening throughout the festival. Come join the conversation, get carried away and inspired, and get your boogie on out on the dance floor!

We have until April 17 to raise funds on Kickstarter. Will you help launch this exciting new possibility? Give $11 to support 11 theaters!

Connie Hall is the Producing Director of Conni's Avant Garde Restaurant and Executive Director of undergroundzero.

Ellen Stewart Award applications due May 1

This awards was named in honor of the renowned Ellen Stewart who was the very first recipient of this stewardship award.

The Ellen Stewart Award is presented to an individual or institution demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership.

We need your help in recognizing the amazing people and organizations that are dedicated to supporting the Indie Theatre community. If you know someone like: The Field, The Alliance of Resident Theatres/NY (ARTNY), Martin Denton, Rochelle Denton & New York Theatre Experience, Materials for the Arts, Dixon Place or Horse Trade Theatrical Group, then please submit an application on their behalf [Ellen Steward Award Application].

Applications are due on May 1 @ 6pm.

Caffe Cino Fellowship Applications due May 1

Do you belong to an awesome, kick ass OOB theatre company like:  Inverse Theater Company, The Vampire Cowboys, Rising Phoenix Repertory, Boomerang Theatre Company, The Brick Theater, The New York Neo-Futurists or Flux Theatre Ensemble?
 

If so... apply for the Caffe Cino Fellowship.

Submit your application today [Caffe Cino Application].

Applications Due May 1 @ 6pm.

The Caffe Cino Fellowship is awarded to a theatre in recognition of outstanding work Off-Off-Broadway, and for demonstrating a commitment to continue to produce Off-Off-Broadway. The Award includes a grant to be used in an Off-Off-Broadway production.

This award is named in honor of the Caffe Cino, the first Off-Off-Broadway theatre, founded by Joe Cino in 1958. This theatre was an open arena for theatre artists of all disciplines to develop their craft, inspire and learn from one another, and present their work to the public.

The Caffe Cino Fellowship will be presented to the theatre company best representing this spirit.