I organized pretty much everything for the show, apart from the artistry which is Lynn's domain. I cobbled together the website, configured the payment engine for tickets, manipulated the artwork for the website & printed materials, investigated printers, handed out the postcard flyers, designed the programs, hunted for donations of wine, etc. It was a lot of work and it was quite stressful knowing that if I failed, Lynn would find herself performing to tiny audiences. It was only when chatting to the Stella Adler students that I discovered my role had a name. It hadn't occurred to me that this was the job of the producer.
In the end, we got good audiences, 50-60 each night for 3 nights on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in Los Angeles whilst there was a rain storm - not a bad result at all.
I found it most exhilarating calling the start of the show. Basically I'd 'open the house' to get the audience seated, ensure Lynn is on stand-by, ready Myra in the sound & lighting booth, shut the doors and then the pre-show music fades... I'm not certain why I found it such fun, perhaps it's the control, but I think it was the feeling of something actually beginning. The producer's tasks all seem to be about planning and preparation, calling the start of the show is immediate.
The Stella Adler Theatre proved to be an excellent location, with a great stage, wonderful acoustics and solid technical set up. The location is great too, situated on Hollywood Blvd, right in the middle of the nonsense at the cross section with Highland. Which leads me to the conclusion that I have become not just a producer, but a 'Hollywood Producer'. So I'm now off to buy some huge cigars. Let's do lunch sometime, I'll get my people to talk to your people and other such clichés....
Or perhaps I'll just get back in the kitchen and make dinner.
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