Remember when we were talking about the turn of the century managers and the Theatrical Syndicate? They controlled the tours and the talent stream? The theatre touring/presenting system is no longer working under a monopoly although there are some contributors who control a lot of what we get to see.
This week we are going to investigate who presents, why the present, and how the system works: how do presenters find the work? How do producers of work for tour find the presenters for their shows? How do they coordinate all of these moving pieces?
The national organization that represents presenting organizations, in much the way Theatre Communications Groups represents nonprofit professional theatres, is the Association for Performing Arts Presenters aka Arts Presenters aka APAP. APAP has many services it offers for the field of presenters. It most notable event is its annual conference in NYC in January, a conference that connects people much in the spirit of the turn-of-the-century annual meeting of booking agents scheduling trains and tours across the country. The highlights from the 2012 conference are here -- http://www.apapnyc.org/schedule/Pages/highlights.aspx; Watch one of the videos of presentations.
A similar conference is held each year for international performing arts companies for youth (aka IPAY): http://www.ipayweb.org. Check out their web site to see how they are similar yet different from APAP.
The mid-Atlantic resource is the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation: http://www.midatlanticarts.org/ . How are they yet different than APAP and IPAY?
Finally, look at the relationship between Broadway Across America and the Baltimore presenting hub of the Hippodrome/Franc-Merrick Theatre . How are the Hippodrome, the Lyric and Baltimore Theatre Project (all presenting orgs) unique to one another (what niche does each fulfill?)?
APAP and iPAY both have a few differences and similarities. For one, both have board of directors and staff, but APAP's staff seems to be a bit more extensive and detailed as to the jobs of each member. Both organizations also hold meetings. APAP calls it a conference and it tends to consist of members talking and presenting. IPAY holds a showcase. Although different in their manifestations, the meetings are essentially the same. They both help network and allow members to know what is happening in the organization.
ReplyDeleteThe other association represented in the blog today is the MAAF. The MAAF is a bit more confined (obviously, due to its name). Whereas the APAP and IPAY operate across the country, MAAF is only limited to states in the mid atlantic region of the united states. This can help build community and a closer level due to the intimacy of the organization. The types of arts they focus on seem to mirror more of what the APAP is about. Whereas the IPAY seems to be more theatre in general, MAAP and APAP focus on performing arts, music, and visual arts.
The Hippodrome, Lyric, and Baltimore theatre project are all places that host shows which travel across the states. The Hippodrome and Lyric host shows that are more well known or have well known actors or presenters. The Hippodrome seems to host more shows that are Broadway unique (Wicked, Billy Elliot, Million Dollar Quartet) whereas the Lyric hosts a wider variety (comedy, dance, musicals, speakers). The Baltimore Theatre project is unique in that it tends to host more experimental and more challenging works of art. They are less family friendly than the aforementioned facilities, but lean more towards the wants of theatre/art enthusiasts, students, and people looking for a different kind of experience.
Andrew -- that was quite thorough! I wonder if anything was of particular interest to you (or anyone who follows in the posts) as you viewed them? Was the APAP video relevant/interesting? Any shows you're now dying to see?
ReplyDeleteFirst off, it’s obvious how the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation differs from IPAY and APAP since it mostly serves Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the US Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is limited to one region, a culturally rich region. However, something else I found different about MAAF is that I could not find a strong membership program within the organization. It seems that IPAY and APAP have a lot of information on their website about the benefits of becoming a member, and all I can find on MAAF’s website is information about their funding programs, which does not require a type of membership to the organization (at least not that I could find).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrew 100% about his explanation on the uniqueness of Baltimore Theatre Project, the Hippodrome, and the Lyric. Mainstream Broadway tours and performers come across the Hippodrome, while a larger variety of entertainment comes to the Lyric. Baltimore Theatre Project states that its mission is to connect Baltimore audiences with a global community of performers through the “presentation of a diverse array of original and experimental theatre, music, and dance,” which implies that it will not include traditional and mainstream productions. It also has an “audition” page which makes me think there are a lot of local performers in the show there, whereas the Hippodrome and Lyric feature tours that are usually pre-casted with actors from around the globe.
I look forward to discussing this in class on Thursday.