What (Almost) Every BFA Theatre Program in the Country is Missing
When I first left undergrad in 2015 - at the time, as an Actor! - I remember feeling so inspired by my four years of intensive training in all things performing. My vocal range was stronger than ever, my acting instincts were sharp, my resume and headshot looked clean and professional, and I felt well equipped to move to NYC and conquer the industry.
Except something held me back. I had no idea how the industry - the one that I was ready to conquer - actually ran.
I had no idea what a Producer did. I had no clue how a General Manager or Production Attorney or Company Manager served a show. I had no understanding of how to put a reading up or raise money or negotiate a contract.
Of course, this isn't an indictment of my particular undergrad training. My experience isn't unique. What I’ve come to realize in my decade of living in this city and working in this industry is that (almost) all BFA theatre programs in the country simply neglect to teach their students the fundamentals of Producing.
Now yes, I know not all Actors and Writers want to be Producers. Not all of them want to be bothered with the budgets and the numbers and the paperwork of it all. They just want to create art!
Well, guess what? Here’s a reality check.
All Artists are Producers.
Yes, I mean this. All Artists are Producers, whether they know it or not. Why? Because Artists are the first ones to know that what they’ve got to offer is something the world needs.
Once an Artist knows they have something, their first job is to do the work of convincing others to believe in what they have to offer. Whether this is an Actor presenting a showcase, a Writer putting up a reading, or a Designer building a portfolio, Artists are the CEOs of their own creative enterprise.
Thus, Artists need to learn the basics of Producing. They need to have budgeting skills to know how to invest their limited funds into opportunities that will grow and develop their career and pay dividends down the line. They need to understand how to read basic contract / legal language, in order to defend themselves against shoddy agreements (a major initiative of the Dramatists Guild is educating Writers in proper industry standard terms for license & option agreements - since most Writers aren’t learning these in school!). They need to know how to network, how to collaborate, and how to negotiate with people who work in other spheres of the industry. Where there is a gap in knowledge, misinformation and misunderstanding can very quickly seep in and rob someone of the ability to operate in the truth! (For example: did you know that Broadway Co-Producers make $0 on their show until after it fully recoups? Many people don't realize this - because of longstanding misinformed assumptions!)
When I wrote my first musical, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I scrappily put together a one-night concert of the show with my friends, after which a Broadway Producer approached me and told me she believed my show could be something. She recommended I hire a General Manager and Production Attorney and build a pitch deck for potential investors… all terms that were completely foreign to me! So, through joining The TheaterMakers Studio, I took it upon myself to learn the business so that I could continue to push my show to production, at a time when I had zero industry connections and had no money to fund my dream. And guess what? Learning this skill set gave me the agency to manage my own progress into the industry, which soon led to my little musical running an extended nine-month run Off-Broadway and playing theatres around the world - only five years later!
Of course, if you’re reading this, you’ve probably already joined The TheaterMakers Studio or have been part of our family at some time. You're doing the work, you're learning the skill set, and now you're claiming your power. Congrats!
But I think of the thousands upon thousands of young adult Theatre Artists across the country who graduate from BFA programs, enter into the industry, and quickly fizzle out after feeling completely out of their depth. Nothing is more intimidating, disorienting, and destabilizing than entering into a space where you don't know what you don't know! Now, imagine if all of these young Artists entered into the industry with a Producing skillset, fully capable of producing their own initial readings or showcase productions, competent enough to negotiate fair terms in their contracts, and understanding enough to build authentic relationships with other key power players in the industry that could potentially land them their dream job.
Learning the Producing skill set changed my life, and it's the reason why I'm so passionate about imparting it to others. Truly, one of my greatest wishes for this industry is that all BFA theatre programs start offering even just a single semester course in Producing (heck, I'll teach it if anyone will let me!). Regardless of whether a young Artist finds themselves billed on a Broadway production as a Producer, I can guarantee that even a small amount of BFA training in the business of Broadway would launch the careers of thousands more Broadway superstars than ever before.
Can you imagine?
