A dependable haven for artists in isolation, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is now in its fourth year of non-stop weekly Community Gatherings this Friday, having offered to date over 175 conversations and unlimited camaraderie since April 17, 2020. TRU hosts their Community Gatherings every Friday at 5pm ET via Zoom, to explore the creation of art and theater in the time of COVID-19, and to ensure that these crucial conversations continue going forward as theater reopens. Ask questions, bring answers, be part of a community – it’s an opportunity to network with theater professionals and talk about how we kept theater alive during shutdown, and what we are doing now, going forward.
To receive the Zoom invitation for future meetings, email TRUnltd@aol.com with “Zoom Me” in the subject header. These gatherings are free for TRU members, non-members are asked to make an optional tax-deductible donation – or consider joining TRU at truonline.org/membership to support the organization during these challenging times.
1/5 – How Theater Serves Community, and Community Serves Theater, LA Style. In the room: John Malpede, founding artistic director of Los Angeles Poverty Department. Exploring the culture of Los Angeles Skid Row, the Los Angeles Poverty Department creates a space and an opportunity for the residents to tell their own stories in their own voices. Founded in 1985, it’s easy to see how LAPD serves a genuinely underserved and possibly ignored community. How does community serve founder John Malpede’s artistic goals? How has he kept this fringe company vital for 38 years? How is it funded, and most importantly, what changes and improvements has he seen in these neighborhoods over the years … and what part has art played in the health of this community? Click here to register and receive the zoom link.
UPCOMING (dates to be confirmed):
Getting Past the Bad Rap: Hip Hop’s Slow Entry into Commercial Theater. In the room: Patrick Blake, founding artistic director of Rhymes Over Beats Hip Hop Collective, plus guest hip hop artists will talk about the history of hip hop, it’s purpose and esthetic and its bumpy journey into mainstream theater.
Free Intro to TRU’s Spring 24 Producer Development & Mentorship Program. In the room: Jane Dubin and Blair Russell. A free meet-and-greet info session about our Producer Development and Mentorship Program, the only theater production program to offer in-depth instruction from accomplished producers at an affordable price. Prospective applicants will have the opportunity to learn from and network with our commercial producer instructors. You will also meet and hear from successful program graduates at this Intro evening.
1/25 – Positive Ways to Use AI in Live Theater. In the Room: Blair Russell and Ido Gal will talk about an upcoming project they are working on that incorporates A.I. technology.
Check back at TRU’s web page for the 2024 schedule: truonline.org/tru-community-gathering.
Videos of past Community Gatherings may be viewed on TRU’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/channel/UC43rsChi4fA23dNLeloaF_A/. And a new podcast series, TRU Talks About Theater featuring 2023 Community Gathering conversations is now available wherever you get your podcasts; or tune in at ElectraCast: https://electracast.com/?s=Theater+Resources
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, a thirty-year-old 501(c)(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, opportunities and productions; presents weekly Community Gatherings; 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. TRU serves writers through the TRU Voices Play Reading Series, Writer-Producer Speed Date, Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab.
Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by the Montage Foundation, The Storyline Project and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit truonline.org.