TRU September Panel: Staying TRU in Tough Times, and What Our Community Can Offer You

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents its annual free Meet and Greet Introductory gathering, this year revamped for social distancing via Zoom and addressing the adjustments the organization has made during the current pandemic. You are invited to join us for Staying TRU in Tough Times, and What Our Community Can Offer You onTuesday, September 22, 2020 via Zoom. Reserve a spot on the event page at truonline.org/events/staying-tru/ 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: “Even at a safe distance, we have a strong, vibrant and creative community that we are honored to bring together virtually. We invite those who don’t know us to come meet some of our key players, learn about our programs, and most important of all, discover a welcoming environment that supports and nurtures artists and producers during difficult times. Stay positive, test negative, be safe!”

This free-for-everyone seasonal kickoff and networking meet-and-greet is a chance to meet the program directors and illustrious board members of Theater Resources Unlimited who make it possible to bring you the range of programming we offer for producers and artists, and learn how we have adapted our programming for these pandemic days. Our confirmed lineup includes:

• TRU Vice-President and co-founder Cheryl Davis, award-winning playwright, attorney, General Counsel for The Authors Guild, and feedback panelist for How to Write a Musical That Works
• Board member Merrie L. Davis, producer (Company London revival, Dear Evan Hansen, Eclipsed, Gigi; off-Broadway Himself and Nora)
• Board member Cody Lassen, producer (upcoming How I Learned To Drive, Indecent, Spring Awakening revival; producing team of Tootsie, What the Constitution Means to Me, The Band’s Visit, Significant Other)
• Board member Neal Rubinstein (On the Town, Hedwig and the Angry Inch revival, upcoming Dangerous the Musical)
• Board member Patrick Blake, producer (The 39 Steps, The Exonerated, Bedlam’s Hamlet/St. Joan, Play Dead), founding AD of Rhymes Over Beats, faculty for Practical Playwriting workshop
• TRU Literary Manager Cate Cammarata, Faculty for Practical Playwriting and How to Write a Musical workshops)
• Producer Jane Dubin (The Prom, Tony winning The Norman Conquests, Farinelli and the King, Bandstand, Peter and the Starcatcher, An American in Paris)
• Ric Wanetik, producer (Tony nominated Twilight Los Angeles: 1992, Broadway’s Marlene, Off-Broadway’s Jolson and Company) who helps run our Director-Writer Communications Lab and is often a Speed Date producer.
• Plus two of the people who offer free consultations to new members: entertainment attorney Lee Feldshon and career consultant Joanne Zippel of Zip Creative.

Learn about our programs, including our Producer Development & Mentorship Program, Raising Money for Theater, Essentials of Successful Self-Producing and other Producer Boot Camps, Writer-Producer Speed Date, Director-Writer Communications Lab, How to Write a Musical That Works workshop and more. And let us know what we don’t offer that you wish we did.

Doors open at 5:00pm for networking and refreshments, roundtable introductions of everyone in the room will start at 5:30pm - come prepared with your best half-minute summary of who you are, and what you need. Free for TRU members; usually $12.50 for non-members, but free for everyone for this season opener (with a pay-what-you-can if you’d like to support us). Please use the bright red reservation box on at truonline.org/events/staying-tru/, or call at least a day in advance (or much sooner) for reservations: 833-506-5550, or e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, a twenty-seven-year-old 501©(3) nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of the arts. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.

TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught by prominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop business skills. Currently, TRU offers a Weekly Community Gathering on Fridays at 4:30pm to help maintain community spirit during this time of isolation. TRU serves writers through the TRU Voices Play Reading Series, Writer-Producer Speed Dates, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Writer-Director Communications Lab.

Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by the Montage Foundation and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation.

For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit www.truonline.org.