There are a million stories in the big city-and just as many (if not more) producers, writers, directors, designers, and actors willing to dramatize them. But whether you want to tell a West Side story or an East Side tale, a Downtown anecdote or an Uptown fable, you're going to need a space to present it in. This special issue of Back Stage can help you choose just the right venue for your next comedy, drama, musical, one-act, cabaret, revue, or solo show-as well as the perfect place to audition and rehearse it in.
Getting exactly what you want in terms of a performance space often means starting your search early, visiting plenty of sites, and basing your decision on a wide variety of variables. Cost is obviously a major consideration. Location is another. Availability is crucial. And of course, size does matter. Also, auditions, rehearsals, and performances each have different requirements-the same venue may not be suitable for all three situations.
You have to be a keen comparison shopper at the local market to get a good bargain; likewise, there are many rental options you'll need to keep in mind before signing the contract. Don't be afraid to be selective when deciding on the best place for your specific needs. There are a lot of venues in Manhattan, and while availability is always a factor, you can still afford to be picky.
The following theatre professionals can each attest that when you take the time to do enough research and consider all the possibilities, finding the best space for your production needs is a very attainable goal.
Finding What You Need
David Mead is the operations manager for Eric Krebs Theatrical Management, which runs the John Houseman Theatre Center along 42nd Street Theatre Row, between Ninth and Tenth avenues. The company is also responsible for such hit shows as "It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues," "Electra," and "bash: latterday plays."
During his career, Mead has worked for the nonprofit theatre company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and for Theatre Row Studios, which used to be a part of Playwrights Horizons. He is a wellspring of information when it comes to renting theatre space in New York.
"There are a number of other places I've either worked for or had contact with around the city. Musical Theatre Works has its own studios and performance space down on Lafayette Street. There's Raw Space, which principally has rehearsal studios and a few theatres. Several black box theatres rent themselves out, such as the Grove Street Playhouse, Theatre 22, and the Trilogy Theatre. The Pantheon Theatre has a very unusual history-they've taken over the upper level of the old peep show floors in the Show World building right here on 42nd Street, and they've renovated it into a legitimate theatre space. There are also a number of places downtown in the East and West Village that rent basically storefront theatre spaces. I've worked in New York long enough, and I know most of these places. I know-and have trained-a lot of people who work in them."
Mead offers some savvy, straightforward advice about choosing appropriate rehearsal space. "It depends on how much money you have-it really does. Each show has certain needs. If it's a musical, obviously you're going to need a bigger room. You're going to need a dance floor, if dancers are involved. You're going to need pianos, and you're going to need storage space for instruments that are left overnight or costumes that are being stored. If it's a big musical with money behind it the producers will probably go someplace like City Center, which is the state-of-the-art place where all the Broadway, Off-Broadway, or main national tours will go.
"If you are a smaller producer with limited funds and you're rehearsing a drama, with a small number of people in the cast, and you've budgeted maybe $1000 for rehearsal space spread out over a period of three weeks, you'll probably want to get a 15' x 20' room. See if you can possibly get a break on the price, a percentage off a discount because you're renting in bulk and in a very short period of time."
Mead states that negotiations for rental space are common. "Basically the production manager or the production stage manager, depending on how you are organized, will call the studio manager and ask them the following questions: "What have you got available? What kind of deal can you make me? What's the room like? Can we leave things overnight? Will it be exclusively ours or do we have to break down every night so you can rent it to somebody else when we're not there?' These are all aspects to take into consideration when renting space. Studio managers prefer people who come in early, rent several months in advance, put money down, and are consistent about using the space and being careful so that they don't damage it. Production stage managers prefer to wait until the last minute to rent space because nine times out of 10, they hope that they won't have to dig into their cash flow to put down deposits. So it really depends who is seller and buyer.
"I've rented spaces to major Broadway-bound shows-I'll give you an example. When I was at Musical Theatre Works, I rented audition and rehearsal space to the producers of "Annie Warbucks," the sequel to "Annie." It basically took over four rooms. Because they had money to spend, they took the rooms exclusively, paying full price and paying for the entire day, even though they weren't rehearsing the entire day, but they wanted to be sure that the rooms would be locked, so their properties, costumes, office supplies and musical instruments would be safe. The producers paid 50% up front, and the rest of it in installments over the three-week rehearsal period. "But that's the top of the line, the best possible circumstances.
"Then you run into the small actors' collective shoestring company who will bargain for a couple of hours on Wednesday and a couple of hours on Tuesday and a couple of hours on Friday, just to be able to rehearse. And then of course, when they run short on time or on money, they come and beg a favor or two, which most studio managers are willing to grant, if it doesn't cost them any money, simply to help a struggling company along, in the hopes that maybe in the future they've made a contact and built a customer."
Considering Crowd Control
Mead offers good advice on how producers can control auditions so they are not overwhelmed by the turnout of actors. "First of all, you have to determine what it is you're looking for. And the more specific the casting notice is-I mean, if for instance, you say you want to see black male dancers with legit voices, 5'8" to 6'2"-the more you're going to cut down on the number of people who show up. If you simply say you want to see black male dancers who sing, everybody in Manhattan is going to show up. So your first step, before you even rent the audition space, is to be very specific about the performers you're looking for.
"I remember one open call for "Rent.' The producers were relatively new, so they basically asked to see all types of singers and dancers. Well, the line went down six flights of steps, around the corner from Astor Place onto Broadway, down Broadway all the way to Houston Street. And performers started lining up at about four in the morning. This was just after "Rent' had opened and got tremendous reviews, and it was a madhouse. The crush happened because somebody in the producers' office simply said, "We need to look at all kinds of people.' Well, they got a chance to!"
Mead feels that producers and performers who are determined to put on a show will find what they are looking for. "There are smaller spaces out there and they rent on word of mouth. I would say that as long as there is a need, there will be places to perform in-and there seems to be a consistent need. Admittedly, rental space is very tough to come by, and it gets more expensive every year, but as long as people want to perform, somebody out there is going to renovate a basement into a theatre and rent it out."
The Perfect Fit
Producer-director Che'Rae Adams was looking for a place to present a night of one-person shows in New York City. She and her Two Girls Productions partner, feature film casting director Caroline Liem, decided on The Duplex in the West Village. It turned out to be an ideal venue for the two plays-"Fish Stories," co-written by Adams and performer Gillian Lee Whitlock; and "This is a Size Six and This is Your Head" by Carlos Alazraqui.
Adams told Back Stage why The Duplex was an appropriate venue for her shows. "The Duplex is a cabaret, so they feature musical acts, and they do a lot of comedy as well. But you can do one-person shows or a small-cast show in there. The owner, Wendy Rohan, is interested in bringing in more theatre projects, and is looking for plays to run longer in the space.
The venue has about 70 seats, with cabaret-style tables. There is a two-drink minimum. "Our deal was, the house gets the drink money and the producer keeps the door," Adams said. "We charged $10, which I think was a good decision-not too much, and not too little. The playing area is proscenium-style, but it has only one entrance area, which worked for both of our shows. There's a small changing area, which also worked well. It was easy to restage the shows in there, and sightlines were good. Stand-up is great in there, and certainly, so are cabaret acts. There's a piano that is there permanently.
"They gave us the whole week to rehearse. "Fish Stories' is very theatrical, so there's a lot of sound cues and staging. The Duplex has a booth with full lights, full sound, so you can do whatever you want. They also have a technician on hand, and he was great. He was a pro: he got it the first time and that was it. It was so easy. It was a great experience working there.
How to Find a Home
As general manager of Producers Club Theatres, Kenneth Martin oversees five theatres as well as rehearsal studios. His goal is to try and make a home for the companies that set up shop there. Two of the shows currently being presented are "Celestina," a musical that plays through Nov. 7, and Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" performed by PCT resident group Oberon Theatre.
Martin, who used to be the General Manager at Theatre Row Studios, provides some telling insight into how producers can best seek out the ideal space for their needs.
"Location is the number one thing to look for, depending on what the producers want. If they are doing something experimental, the Village has a lot to offer, in terms of reaching an audience that might enjoy that type of show. If they are looking to get industry in, agents and producers, then uptown is where you want to go. If you produce in that neighborhood, you are much more accessible to industry personnel.
"Prospective producers should definitely go check out a space before they book it, to see the condition and to make sure there are amenities available that are going to work for them. When they are asking for prices, the key is to find out what is included and what are considered extras. Insurance can cost up to an additional $200-300 a week if not included in the price, and it's mandatory that you have it, especially if you are doing an Equity show."
Martin points out some of the other pitfalls inherent in producing shows. "Cleanliness is one of the things to be aware of, as well as poor working conditions. One place I remember had rats running all around, the bathrooms were disgusting-it was really gross. But actors felt like they had to stay there because it was a good company to work for."
A performer as well as a producer, Martin has some excellent advice on the best nights of the week to rent a space for performance purposes. "First of all, you have to determine your aim in producing the show. If you are doing it to attract industry, an industry showcase for example, then you should run it Monday through Thursday, and bring your curtain up well before 8 pm. That way a producer or an agent can leave work, get to the theatre around 6:00, and they're not rushed. You can offer them a little something to eat and a glass of wine, then start the show early enough so they can be out by 8:00. It shows a real respect for the agents and producers. The industry does not usually come out on a Friday or Saturday night. However, if you're looking to cultivate an audience and get people's reactions, then present your show on the weekends. I suggest doing shorter runs, and concentrate on getting people in. A lot of times you can get the same number of audience members in two nights as you can over a week's time."
Heed the Union Rules
When the kids had their school dance at the gym in "West Side Story," it's unlikely that anyone checked out the dance floor to make sure it was "sprung". For those of you who haven't taken dance classes, a sprung floor is layered to prevent injury to performers, and is only one of the studio space requirements for an Equity dance audition.
If your production is going to use Equity performers, then you need to know the union's requirements when it comes to rentals, no matter what size show you are mounting. Tony Nicosia, director of the Actor's Equity Association Audition-Casting Department and Audition Center, has compiled with his staff a list of New York City locations that are Equity-approved for auditions and rehearsals. These are regularly monitored by outside business representatives, who help with problem solving and check in on rehearsals from time to time.
Nicosia's assistants, Susan Schlesinger and Jerry Cole, are available to speak with prospective renters and can be especially helpful to companies from out of town who are planning to hold an Equity call in the Big Apple. You can obtain a copy of the Equity-approved spaces list by calling the AEA offices at (212) 869-8530, ext. 301 or 302.
Book Well in Advance
Steve Cochran is the Studio Manager of Chelsea Studios, which offers a dozen studios in its complex, owned and operated by Theatreworks USA. He stresses that producers who are looking to book spaces around town should do so well in advance.
"Studio space in the city is at a premium," Cochran says. "I'm getting lots of calls from many different productions that are having difficulty finding rehearsal space. For instance, Liza Minnelli is rehearsing here now, but she has to leave here to go to another rehearsal space next week and a third space the week after that, because we just don't have anything available. In addition to Liza, we have "Beauty and the Beast' rehearsing here, the new children's show "Blue's Clues' that's going to Radio City Music Hall, and "Yo, Alice' with Maurice Hines. So we are very active. I mean, I don't have a full week of rehearsal space available until Nov. 16 right now. I have some rooms available, but not for an entire consecutive week. For November it's kind of quiet, then after Thanksgiving I start getting busy again, and January and February are practically gone already."
Cochran offers a tip to producers and performers looking for last-minute rehearsal space, suggesting they inquire about availability on the day they need it, as there may be openings. He also mentions that many venues, such as Theatreworks USA, have their own websites that can save you a lot of time in your search. In addition, Cochran has some helpful suggestions regarding audition space rentals.
"I strongly recommend when people have auditions, to try to be realistic in what they are anticipating their turnouts to be. If they are doing auditions through agents' submissions, they don't really need a holding room, because they are going to see people every 10 minutes, so we'll just put chairs out in the hall. But many times we have situations where people have an open call chorus call, and they usually require a holding room. If the producers don't book a holding room, they shortchange themselves trying to save some money, and what happens is the actors get angry, the studios get angry, and then the producers don't get to see the people as best they can. This happens mostly on production contracts, when they do auditions in split days-men in the morning and women in the afternoon. We've had situations where 300 men sign up at the list at Equity, to be seen from 10 am-1 pm, then at 2 pm the women start coming in. You can't refuse the 300 men who show up, but they're not going to get though all 300 men in time, and then 300 women show up. So now I have 600 people in the studios trying to get into these auditions. Where do I put them? It becomes a safety issue. What is the point where I can't let any more people in because the space is too crowded? That would be my biggest concern, and I'm sure other studios run across the same thing. In fact, some studios won't book auditions anymore. They just want to book rehearsals, because rehearsals are relatively low maintenance."
Watch For Hidden Costs
Frank Calo is an active producer-director-performer who has produced shows in New York for the past five years. He took the play "God's Policemen," which he produced and directed in New York, to France for the Theatre Denesle, and recently finished a year of producing plays with the Sage Theatre Company. Calo's next production is a three-week festival featuring new full-length and one-act plays. The project, tentatively titled "Spotlight On Productions Presents" will be staged at Raw Space, Jan. 10-30.
Calo has had his share of producing nightmares in the past. "I have seen water leaks on stage, shorts in the lighting system, blinking lights. The landlords would never repair things, and it was hard to get hold of them. But it's hard to get out of your contract when things like that occur, because your show is usually already up and running, or they give you a hard time about it. You'd really have to fight to get out of it. I've never attempted it. After that point, you just make do."
Bitten before, and cautious now, he has some pertinent advice to others who are planning to present stage productions. "An important fact when I look for a space is to find out exactly how much time the studio is giving me. I mean, you may think you're getting an entire week, then when you get into the space, they tell you that you only have from 6 pm till 11 pm, 6 days a week. You really have to look at the fine print and ask a lot of questions. The rehearsal or performance space shouldn't be charging the money they're charging if they're only giving you a few hours a day. Also, make sure everything comes with the rental price. Check out the lighting instruments, and what kind of lightboard they have. Make sure everything you plan on using is in the contract. I always look for the hidden costs. Some places charge you for electricity beyond the rental, when it should all be one package. Some theatres have their own insurance, and they'll just charge you a little extra to put your name on the policy, but at other places, you have to buy your own, and that's expensive-up to $250 extra per month."
Where Martin stresses the importance of a venue's location, Calo espouses another view. "I would say go to the small places. You don't need a known space. If you're just starting out, you're going to get lots of friends and family, and any space will do. There are wonderful little spaces, like Creative Place on Eighth Avenue in Midtown, as well as a few others. And for a first venture, I would rent a space only for a couple of days. You can really keep the cost down by having another place to rehearse like someone's home, then plan on having a very long rehearsal day in the space with a technical rehearsal, so that all you're doing is blocking in the space, and then go up the next day. That's a really tight schedule, but it seems to be the best way to do it. You have to be really creative in New York to produce theatre. And I would advise planning long in advance. I plan four or five months in advance, get all the materials together, try to work out every detail in my head, and look over my contract for the rehearsal or performance space. That's the only way you're going to get your show in under budget."
Final Thought
Even when it all seems to be going smoothly, something unexpected may happen to dash your dreams of success. That is why you must be very careful when searching for the right venue for your play, musical, or other theatrical event. Don't just settle for the first place you look at simply because it's cheap, clean, or convenient. If you take the time to ask questions and really do your homework, you will avoid unwanted surprises before and after the curtain goes up.