Archive for May, 2009
A recent report in Variety highlighted the use of Twitter and other social networks to promote Broadway shows and reach third parties through other mediums.
I’ve been hearing from many outlets (for quite some time now) that the full page ad in newspapers is a waste of time and money (essentially because that medium is in critical condition).
Honestly, I’m glad that Broadway is coming around and seeing the potential to not only create buzz, but an actual following. People want to feel like they’re part of a community, and by having to find new ways to get the word out, B’way is being forced to push the edges of their comfort zone and community to let everyone in.
When you let everyone in, everyone wins. It’s that simple.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sdrosenb.
–Sue
May 29th, 2009
Have been dealing with a lot of these lately…
And was starting to go…
But what I’ve come to realize (in literally the last few minutes) is that this is actually a good thing…
The universe is making a very clear path for me, and my work… and those I need to work with are showing up, right on time.
So now, I’m happy!
Keep your fingers crossed for the last roles in “Disillusioned” to be cast this weekend!
–Sue
May 28th, 2009
Dear readers, I have been hinting about it for a little while now, but didn’t want to tell you about something I couldn’t give you any details about. Happily, tickets have gone on sale, so I can finally spill the beans.
Two of my plays are being featured in two different festivals this summer in New York City!!!
I found out about both on the same day, one in the early morning, and one in the evening. (Imagine the calls we made to our friends and family!)
The first play, “Disillusioned,” will be featured in the Midtown International Theatre Festival. You can catch one (or all) of three performances: Wednesday, 7/22 @8 pm (opening night); Saturday, 7/25 @ 7 pm; and Sunday, 7/26 @ 4pm (closing). The show runs an hour.
Check back here soon for a promotion code to get your tickets on sale.
Once we’ve cemented casting, I will proudly give our cast and crew billing on this very blog.
I will tell you about the second festival when details become available.
It’s been a long road, and yet, this is just the beginning…
–Sue
May 27th, 2009
Producers are finding new and inventive ways to hedge the bets of their investors and sweeten the pot, especially in our current economic situation.
One idea that has recently been pitched to the Broadway League (as reported in Playbill.com) is filming Broadway shows and transforming them into 3-D films, to be released in cinemas across the country and around the world.
And though it’s an interesting and enticing idea and pitch from Fugobi (the film distributors), their use of the tagline “Larger than Live” on their website, and their claim that they will “…expand Broadway’s reach by giving new audiences the chance to see the best that Broadway has to offer without having to travel further than their local cinemas” confuses me a bit.
While it may make Broadway even more “mainstream,” there’s nothing that can enhance a live experience. How can you make something live even more live ?
Films tend to wash over the audience, numbing them into submission, with images many times larger than real life.
Even in the largest theatre on the rialto, there’s still a level of intimacy, and immediacy, because we never lose sight of the fact that there are real people up there. Real people with real vulnerabilities, in spite of (positive or negative) critiques and expectations going up there night after night.
No screen will ever provide that kind of humanity — I don’t care how advanced the technology.
Razzle-Dazzle might set the jaws of some agape… but most people are not only going for entertainment or production value, they’re going to get in touch with something that is at the same time bigger (i.e. the entire experience) and smaller (a specific moment) than themselves.
Furthermore, patrons are willing to pay Broadway prices because THERE IS ONLY ONE BROADWAY.
People travel to New York City specifically to go to Broadway, to tell the folks back home that they went to Broadway!
Something is only unique if it’s in limited supply… and that is the only way it will continue to fetch any kind of premium pricing in the future.
Theatre is an EXPERIENCE because the audience plays an integral part. Their laughter, tears, and even candy unwrapping shapes each performance. A pre-recorded show, with representations of the real thing cannot give or illicit the same response.
It’s just not the same… And if you don’t believe me, ask all the movie stars who give up so many of the comforts of doing film (including bigger salaries and more flexible and shorter production schedules) why they clamor to do live theatre…
–Sue
May 26th, 2009
Yes, it’s true, we all know the nicest four letter word: LOVE
And I have no shortage of that in my life. But, I’m starting to find I have a lot of another four letter word: HELP
Some of you might be shaking your heads right now, wondering what the heck I’m talking about…
The “c” word, “collaboration” is thrown around in theatre all the time. I can’t tell you how many applications I’ve written that word on.
And of course I know what that is, I have great working relationships with those who are intimates in my circle.
But as of late, I’m being nudged to broaden that circle, and ASK for help.
I didn’t know how to do that a few years ago. Then I got fired from my job. I was broken, and broke.
Without having to ask, friends and relatives were taking me out for meals, throwing freelance work my way, and one friend even helped me get my former teaching gig.
It took a few years for me to get used to asking for help… and I guess the universe is nudging me because I was getting too comfortable again.
When you ask for help, you’re putting yourself out there and making yourself vulnerable, but I’ve learned in these past few years that it takes a lot of STRENGTH (8 letter word) to be vulnerable.
I’ll be asking for the help of all my readers in the coming weeks…
–Sue
May 22nd, 2009
One of my favorite movies of all time is “Moonstruck,” written by the talented playwright, John Patrick Shanley. ( I love that an Irish kid wrote a movie about an Italian family… apparently, his good friend was Italian and he hung out at their house often.)
Today, when I was feeling a little overwhelmed…like everything is up in the air, I remembered one of the best lines in the movie.
Loretta (Cher) shows her father, Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) , the ring Johnny (Danny Aiello) had given her for their engagement. It was his ring, a pinky ring.
Carmine:
It’s a man’s ring…
Loretta:
It’s temporary.
Carmine:
Everything is temporary!
Besides the amazing delivery, it sounds funny… and I always smiled when I heard the line.
But it was only today (more than twenty years later) when I trying to control what I can’t possibly control, I heard that simple line, so clearly in my head, “Everything is temporary.” I finally realized its awesome truth.
–Sue
May 21st, 2009
When we were still in our courting stage, Scott and I took our first vacation together. We went to Cedar Point. For the uninitiated, it’s a roller coaster park… One of the most celebrated in the US.
I like coasters, always have. But there are some I just won’t ride.
We were a few months in at that point, and he had to have known just how much I trusted him when I let him talk me into riding Top Thrill Dragster. Obviously a NASCAR themed ride, it was a take on racing… complete with a huge traffic light and iridescent green cars.
The line was long… really long. And there was a part of me that just wanted to get it over with already. The longer I stood on line, the tighter the knot in my stomach pulled, and burned. Scott was blathering on about how great it’d be, I was trying to keep my knees from turning to jelly.
When we finally did sit down (we sat in the middle…there was just no way I was doing the front car on that one), I began to turn as green as the plastic they were strapping me into.
One look, and he started to think that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. It might have also been that I was rendered mute that tipped him off.
But there was no time to reconsider. Before I could even start screaming for my life, we were up the coaster, going STRAIGHT up. At the tippity top, we hit zero gravity, and for a few precious moments, I took in the lovely coastline and literally felt like I was on top of the world.
And then we went racing back down.
By the time we reached our final approach, my fist was clenched, my arm waving in the air, and I was yelling, “Yeahhhhhhhhhh!”
To say it was exhilarating doesn’t even begin to describe.
Scott was so proud, he bought me a shirt with the words “Coaster Chick” on it.
Right now, I feel like I’m waiting in line for the ride to start.
And when my stomach starts to hurt, I just have to keep thinking about how thrilling it’s going to be when I’m on top of the world.
You’ll know it happened when you hear me screaming, “Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
–Sue
May 21st, 2009
At the CTI Intensive this past weekend, one of the producers made a very plain statement: “It’s all about people.”
Today, I saw and heard that first hand… and it reminded me of something I read in Oprah’s column a few years ago… She said she “knew for sure” that people want to be heard.
But even more than that, they want to be acknowledged. The acknowledgment goes one step beyond “I heard you,” to actually let someone else know “I value you.”
Imagine what the world would be if everyone felt heard, valued, and loved?
What a world it would be!
–Sue
May 19th, 2009
Susan Hodara holds an M.A. in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College. She has a B.A. in English and Textual Studies, and a B.S. in Secondary Education (English), from Syracuse University.
In her efforts to create enduring and timeless roles for women, Susan’s character driven plays and musicals feature many strong female protagonists with a multitude of talents and abilities, across various age groups, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Visit suehodara.com for samples of her work.
Visit Two From the Aisle Productions for information about upcoming shows.
Contact Sue at info@suehodara.com
May 19th, 2009
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