The people who came before you -seth godin repost with theatre thoughts

Great thoughts by Seth Godin again.  And even though you call yourself the "New Paradigm", you must prove yourself and gain the trust that you are what you claim you are.  A theatre company with an agenda that includes  more than just art.  (Big news here:  Art is not the first investment thought in most business people's minds even in a great economy) 

While we have tons of theatre credits, experience and contacts, when we speak to folks that have invested in theatre before it has to be as business people with a new agenda.  An agenda that makes it more of a business and community-building proposition which in turn makes business sense as a sponsor. 

We have been proving ourselves this year and it's starting to pay off.  We have been delivering high quality performances that allow the guests to "rub elbows with the stars",  helping other non profits through our shows and marketing, mentoring students and forging ahead without an actual space to call home.  All of that is in our mission statement. 

Don't get me wrong, we want a space!  But we can be choosey.  We can date around until the right space choses us.  It might not be the norm, but it's financially responsible and it's a way to find out if the community you want to serve as a "theatre" understands that you want to do more than just produce shows.  

It also gives you time to create a "track record".  

The people who came before you- Seth Godin

Maybe I'm not listening to your pitch because the 100 people who came before you abused my trust, stole my time and disrespected my attention.

Perhaps I'm not buying from you because the last time someone like you earned my trust, he broke my heart.

People are never irrational. They often act on memories and pressures that you're unaware of, though.

Models at Harbor Point

I was experimenting with my Imovie app and created this from that fun event hosted by the Harbor Point community a couple months ago.  Thanks to the Miss CT and CT Fashion Week gals for modeling and having a great time in front of the guests and all those paparazzi! I didn't quite get the music right, but it's fun.  

Hope you can see the videos on your mobiles but if not come on back to www.theatreringleader.blogspot.com to see it. 

Broadway in a Box

So much has been happening that I can hardly keep up but I have to share our new video for our
"Broadway in a Box" concept.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRFu8PlEoK4&feature=plcp

Mark Holleran is on our board and is also http://holleranmedia.com/  and we are thrilled with his work for us on all our videos.

This one will be a game changer for us as Jamibeth has already sent it and a One Sheet on our program to some terrific booking agents in NYC who have taken us on.  

We also have some awesome gigs coming up here in CT.   NINE new gigs to be exact! They just kept pouring in this week and I will share them with you soon.  The one that is coming up fast is Sept 30th at the Hyatt in Greenwich for a great non profit: AT Home in Greenwich: http://www.athomeingreenwich.org/

Broadway performers, Bret Shuford, Fred Rose, Gwendolyn Jones and yours truly will be performing a customized concert for them with the wonderful David Maiocca as our accompanist.

AND!

"So Ya Wanna Be a Broadway Star?" applications are now posted onwww.nptheatre.org and you may go to our site and apply for this year's exciting contest!  

The application fee is only $35 if you register before Oct 1st.  Also tickest for the audience can be purchased now for a reduced rate of $20. 

We are taking Facebook Favorite submissions on our facebook page as well and the winner will be shown at the Contest this year too!  

Booking some great judges and fabulous prizes including your featured role in our NPT Holiday show with the Broadway stars!  

Looking forward to seeing you all at the 2nd Annual SO YA WANNA BE A BROADWAY STAR? Competition!! at the Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport! It's gorgeous! 

Back to School

This week ought to just have a "time out" written in everyone's calendars.  With people getting everyone in their family back to school it's hard to get hold of anyone to do business, schedule meetings, or just get together for coffee.

So instead of fighting it, I decided to use the time to write out my Fall schedule, budgeting my time so that I could get the most done while 1. Driving six hours back and forth each week to the colleges to teach. 2. Teaching at my own studio for 15 hours a week. 3. Moving the theatre forward and scheduling all the mentoring, competitions and shows and meetings. 4. Working with my husband on our Internet Marketing business. 5. Taking my health and wellness back into my hands with a lifestyle coach that will help me with my health and fitness.

I  rewrote my goal statement that I read twice a day, every day to include things like, "I am excited to be living a health lifestyle while we build this exciting chapter of our lives with the theatre, my teaching, our business and our new kitchen!  (Always write your statements in the present tense so your mind believes you are living into it now)

I also want to make good use of my time by listening to books on tape during my ride to Hartford and Danbury three times a week (the six hours of travel), instead of just listening to the radio.  Inspirational CD's like the one below are already on order.  I get some out of the library too.   By listening to positive messages, I will stay positive even though my schedule may be packed.  It's only stressful if I say it is...and I have decided it is gloriously full.  Not stressfully packed.

Seth's book "Linchpin" is the first book on tape that I will be listening to on my drives:

Linchpin argues that it's more essential than ever to become indispensable, and the key to being indispensable is overcoming the fears that hold most people back so that one can unleash his or her greatest art, passion, insight and generosity at work. By the best-selling author of Tribes. 
Argues that the key to becoming indispensable in the workplace is to abandon the fears that might prevent success and instead allow one's art, passion, insight, and generosity to flourish.
There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there's a third team, the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there's no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers.  They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art.    
           
Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations. Like the small piece of hardware that keeps a wheel from falling off its axle, they may not be famous but they're indispensable. And in today's world, they get the best jobs and the most freedom. Have you ever found a shortcut that others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection with someone others couldn't reach? Even once? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable, by overcoming the resistance that holds people back. 
           
As Godin writes, "Every day I meet people who have so much to give but have been bullied enough or frightened enough to hold it back. It's time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must."

Linchpin : Are You Indispensable?

Customer Service...in theatre too

We are finally going to be able to remodel our vintage 1950's kitchen and in the process we have visited a couple kitchen design places.  As we set up "measuring" appointments with the experts at each place we excitedly explored the cabinets we might want, the tiles, the appliances and so forth.

Since we wanted to get the best deals as well as the most expert advice, we set up three separate appointments to have these companies come out to the house and get all the right measurements.

Monday's measuring guy called us four times and couldn't find the house.  Ends up he was in Stratford instead of Milford, even though the sales woman had written down our address while we were in the shop.

Tuesday's guy came at 10am when the appointment was at 2pm and then called at 2pm and told us he was double booked, rescheduled it for the next day and never showed up.  

It's not like we are just toying with the idea of remodeling the kitchen. We are ready and able to do it.

So our final folks, Home Depot, have been the most professional and thorough and they will get our business.  Roy has been super professional and sat down with us for over an hour to go over all our options.

Apply to theatre:  While the guys who met with us in the actual kitchen shops were professional and helpful, the guys they sent out to do the measuring were not.  While the Artistic and Executive director of a theatre might be hard working and professional if the person running the box office is snippy or dresses unprofessionally, or messes up ticket orders, that might be the impression the public gets of the whole theatre.   If the actors are not sociable when they are hired to sing for another non profit's Gala in the name of NPT, then it reflects badly on us.  (Remember Nancy Karigan at the Disney parade mouthing 'this is so stupid' when they were one of her sponsors?)

Might be unfair, but it was enough to turn us off two kitchen supply companies.  I have a choice where I spend my money.  

It might mean more work for us, but this kind of an experience solidifies my micromanaging tendencies.

This kid will be a star!

Yesterday's Oyster Festival was a blast.   I have to thank Sharon Foran (also helping me head up our Youth Board) for suggesting we get a booth.  She, Lisa LaRusso and Humera Seyal were our makeup pros and they painted very artistic and sparkly faces from 9-6pm.

Lynn Vetare (on our board) helped with collecting the $5 per face donation till 3pm and then Lori Arsenalt and Joanne Ehresman took over after that.

We also partnered with the Miss CT pageant again and they sent no less than nine queens with sashes and crowns!  Definitely helped draw the eye of the hundreds of passerbys.  We had Shaina Arsenalt playing "Glinda" as well as Ilayda Muftuoglu as "Elphaba".  The kids who got their faces painted could also get a picture with any and all of our beauties.

We did well during the first half of the day, but I had to share with you one of the best marketing ideas I have ever had for the second half of the day.

Jonathan and a couple of his 12 year old buddies came to get their faces painted.  They wanted cats.  Jon convinced another couple boys standing there with him to get their faces done too with some of the best sales pitching I have ever heard.

There were two other face painting booths further down the strip, so I told Jonathan that if he could get other friends to come and get their faces painted I would give him a dollar out of every sale.  This star marketer took his four friends, all with faces painted now, and our "NPT Face painting, $5" sign with him and for a couple hours he actually sold a ton of friends on our booth.  Each one came up to us and said "Jonathan sent us".  Actually he walked them up to the booth and made them say that.  One-to-one marketing in action! Referral marketing!  "Product of the Product" marketing.  And besides that, he is completely fearless.


I video taped him for you so you can see that I am not making him up.  Note his use of the word "ONLY".  I did not coach this kid.  He's gonna be a star all on his own.

Hey Theatres!  Find a Jonathan! Tell your best audience members that you will do special things for them if they walk people up to your ticket booth to buy tickets.  Have a Free Opening Night and let only people who sell 5 tickets to your show attend!  They get backstage tours, and opening night party passes.  Who cares if you forfeit one night of sales if you have 15 more nights sold out!

Back to the Oyster Festival.  As a bonus: We made enough to pay for our new website design that will debut next week some time.  We gathered a ton of emails to add to our list as well.  But I only wanted them to give us their names if they truly wanted to hear from us. Permission marketing.  We got about 50 names.

Thanks to every single person who helped us out yesterday. OH and Andy, thanks for setting up and tearing down the booth!

Video of Jonathan and friends:

MORE adorable faces!

MIlford Oyster Festival!

NPT has a booth at the Milford Oyster Festival this weekend. Saturday, 18th from 9-6pm.

Come visit us because we have at least six Miss CT gals with crowns and sashes to draw attention.  Makeup artists to paint your face with glittery designs, and some characters from Wicked to get your pictures taken with.

Five dollars for the face painting and pictures with the characters.  Fun for all.  Plus the entire festival is fun and closes down the town.  Finally at the end you can see the band "Kansas" perform.

Come see us on the Milford Green near the Milford Bank! I will try to remember to get some Iphone video to share with you.