For theatre professionals, an important unsung resource provided by the recent New York City Fringe Festival was Fringe U. Produced in association with PAR (Performing Arts Resources), Fringe U is the "thinking/talking" component of Fringe NYC.
As PAR Executive Director Donna E. Brady points out, "Usually we're all so busy doing the art. We wanted to provide an opportunity to come together and compare notes-to find out what's working and how to do it with less stress and with new innovation." She adds candidly, "The Fringe shows may get coverage, but we have a much harder time getting the word out about these learning opportunities."
Fringe U is a collection of workshops, lectures, and panel discussions. As well as having the opportunity to hear guest specialists provide expert perspectives, you get a chance to network, ask specific questions, and learn from your peers. All sessions, which are held at the Henry Street Settlement during the Festival, are open, not only to Fringe participants and PAR members at the nominal fee of $2, but to the general public at a still-low suggested donation of $5.
Covered this time around were many topics affecting theatre professionals, and all sessions were listed in the annual "Festival Guide." For those of you who missed this year's collection, Back Stage was there to gather some pearls of production wisdom.
One of the more popular lectures was provided by Fringe Publicist Ron Lasco, whose "Zap for Zip"-PR and marketing for low-budget performances-spelled out "everything you've always wanted to know about public relations, but couldn't afford to ask." Lasco spoke to Back Stage before beginning his lecture. He's found that-although every Fringe production team is given a brochure including PR advice-in the festival, and even for Off-Off-Broadway shows generally, PR and marketing get only last-minute focus. Instead, he pointed out, producers should be making early use of their available options.
While opinions differ as to what works in PR, Lasco has a successful track record, with clients including P.S. 122, Sandra Bernhard, Spalding Gray, and John Leguizamo. Thanks to his experience as a co-owner of Spin Cycle, a Soho-based PR firm, he can offer some basics:
Hard Facts, Not Hype
Lasco estimates there are 310 Off-Off-Broadway theatre spaces in New York City, and the competition for attention is fierce. No matter what your type of performance, you need to use descriptive language in your press release that can be understood by any publication. OOB performers are especially guilty of using "avant-garde" and nonlinear phrasing. A standard press release needs to be one page, professional looking, and precise, giving "who, what, why, and where" data. Most publications now want information on the nearest subway route as well. Also find out whether they want color or black-and-white photos, or slides, etc.
PR is not about trying to impress, but about conveying information. Try to give readers an idea of the basic plot and what they will experience attending your show. Is it a one-person format? What are the production values and will it include multi-media, for instance? Is it set in an interesting locale or does it feature star performers? If your cast is unknown, using space to list their names isn't a selling point. Does your theatre company have its own history? If so, include it. Remember, especially for OOB theatre, big commercial papers may not have the same impact on your likely audience as would free or specialty publications. Survey your audiences and find out what they're reading.
What makes your show unique and why it would be right for a specific publication or writer are important facts to give. A release should go out four weeks before the show and a follow-up can be sent in another two. To target your mailings effectively, your own reading is fundamental. Research: Read publications on the web and browse through the many book chains that now allow you to read in the stores.
Lasco cautions that even if you have invested in "Baron's Guide to New York Publicity Outlets," the expensive ($200-plus) guide to NYC press, the turnover at publications is fast and furious. So you should always be checking on who is now writing for the publications you are mailing to. Publications always provide a masthead listing those names, so start developing your own up-to-date list. Theatres and theatre companies can swap their mailing lists. You can decrease your costs by limiting your mailing to zip codes near the theatre.
As an example of how to develop a non-theatre audience, Lasco said that for John Leguizamo's show, flyers were distributed outside of clubs whose attendees were simpatico with Leguizamo's work. Many people marketing shows overlook the fact that a number of restaurants, stores, clubs, and even theatre spaces allow flyers and especially small postcards to be displayed. Also remember to look into bulk mailing, and consider that printing up and using 10,000 postcards may cost less than taking out one tiny ad.
Lasco's lecture provided an informative 90 minutes of invaluable press advice for a maximum cost of $5, so make sure next year to look for Fringe U. And next week look for our panel coverage on Fringe U's panel "Easing Production Agony: Organizations Geared to Help."