As a indie artists, we face so many challenges. But there's one we really shouldn't have to: obnoxious treatment from other artists. I was recently reminded of this when a playwright who had contracted me to present one of my workshops decided to cancel the engagement after a failure to promote resulted in a failure to fill.
Look. We've all been there. Time gets the better of us. Emails that were meant to go out weeks ago either go out late or aren't sent at all. Or worse an email goes out with a broken link an no one notices and corrects the problem until too late. The thing is, accidents happen. Especially when dealing in the independent production arena where schedules and budgets are stretched beyond imagining.
What was shocking to me about this particular mishap was that my would-be host accepted zero responsibility for his end and instead sent me an angry email letting me know he was canceling the contract because I had failed to fill his seats.
It's ironic that this kind of exchange should have occurred given that the workshop I was slated to offer was my Self-Production Primer for playwrights interested in mounting their own work. And if there's one common thread running all the way through this 4-hour intensive it's this: producing is about people. And relationships need to be cultivated, nurtured, and watered so that they can blossom. Every person on your team -- whether you're producing an evening of readings or a full festival of new work -- must be welcomed into the fold and invited to contribute their best.
This can only happen when we understand that from the moment we decide to produce something, to mount anything for public consumption, we have assumed a responsibility to the community to frame the work in love.
It's really that simple.
Curious to learn more about Self-Producing? The Dramatists Guild Institute hosts my next Self-Production Boot Camp on April 8th and it'll be conducted entirely online. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection to participate. I hope to see you there.
