SHOWGAB Tackles Steps
By Anna Fay Williams and Diana Howie
This blogspot will be dedicated to the steps in bringing new theatrical works to the public through reports on opportunities for readings, workshops, festivals and competitions. Initially, we will focus on those opportunities in the Houston, Texas, area.
We will discuss other factors which may assure success or failure for a new show such as media policies in publishing reviews and the content of critical reviews in publications. Reviews of new works will be tracked as they provide a barometer of the media interest in types of theatrical shows and their content.
The preferences of reviewers will be examined by such indicators as the frequency with which they publish features and critical reviews for various theatrical groups in the area over a period of time. Our first analysis will examine the reviewer’s practices at The Houston Chronicle, the tenth largest metropolitan publication in the United States, and certainly the most influential publication in the Houston area.
The path to bringing a new work to the public is often long and arduous—for some a decade or more. Live theater, more than other arts, is subject to the whims of the public and attitudes about topics considered appropriate for the theater. However, many writers and creators are not discouraged by the difficulties when they believe in their own works. The history of theater is filled with such stories and we will also look at some of those experiences.
We are most interested in regional and local theatrical groups on this blogspot because that is where new writers are most likely to get their works produced. The financial premiums for new productions are too high on Broadway so many are entering Fringe festival productions, where the luck of the draw may bring a show to stage.
A companion website will be mounted this summer with directories to new works and free listings for those shows. In this way, we hope to create a bigger marketplace for new works. In the past, many writers have found it difficult to keep their works in the public view, especially when it is difficult to get productions up for any period of time. This blogspot will also include articles about theaters which have readings and workshop series for new writers, composers and performers. We’ll keep a calendar and locate those theaters which are open to scheduling readings and workshops in the future.
We have faith that there are adventuresome theatrical companies which are interested in presenting new works. We hope you will join us in these efforts with your comments on this new blogspot.
This blogspot will be dedicated to the steps in bringing new theatrical works to the public through reports on opportunities for readings, workshops, festivals and competitions. Initially, we will focus on those opportunities in the Houston, Texas, area.
We will discuss other factors which may assure success or failure for a new show such as media policies in publishing reviews and the content of critical reviews in publications. Reviews of new works will be tracked as they provide a barometer of the media interest in types of theatrical shows and their content.
The preferences of reviewers will be examined by such indicators as the frequency with which they publish features and critical reviews for various theatrical groups in the area over a period of time. Our first analysis will examine the reviewer’s practices at The Houston Chronicle, the tenth largest metropolitan publication in the United States, and certainly the most influential publication in the Houston area.
The path to bringing a new work to the public is often long and arduous—for some a decade or more. Live theater, more than other arts, is subject to the whims of the public and attitudes about topics considered appropriate for the theater. However, many writers and creators are not discouraged by the difficulties when they believe in their own works. The history of theater is filled with such stories and we will also look at some of those experiences.
We are most interested in regional and local theatrical groups on this blogspot because that is where new writers are most likely to get their works produced. The financial premiums for new productions are too high on Broadway so many are entering Fringe festival productions, where the luck of the draw may bring a show to stage.
A companion website will be mounted this summer with directories to new works and free listings for those shows. In this way, we hope to create a bigger marketplace for new works. In the past, many writers have found it difficult to keep their works in the public view, especially when it is difficult to get productions up for any period of time. This blogspot will also include articles about theaters which have readings and workshop series for new writers, composers and performers. We’ll keep a calendar and locate those theaters which are open to scheduling readings and workshops in the future.
We have faith that there are adventuresome theatrical companies which are interested in presenting new works. We hope you will join us in these efforts with your comments on this new blogspot.
posted by Anna Williams at 1:04 PM
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