So, I’m a producer. At least that’s what I’m telling everyone who asks (worth it for the pitying look I get in response). But once people get past the pity, they invariably end up at incomprehension. I reckon it’s a fairly even split between incomprehension at why I picked such a doomed career path and incomprehension at what being a producer means.
Well, first, being a theatre producer as a career choice may seem incomprehensible: uncertain (at my current stage read “no”) pay, little job security, having to deal with actors. The list goes on. But against it, you’ve got the fact that I love theatre. I love seeing theatre. I love making theatre. I love being involved in theatre. And producing theatre allows me to do all those things.
But what exactly does doing those things involve (the second incomprehensible thing - I wanted to say “the second incomprehensibility” but somehow it didn’t seem to help my cause). Seems no one really knows what a producer does (hands up at this stage, I don’t either - not exactly career progress, I know, but it’s only been two weeks). I don’t yet know everything that producing involves. But that’s hopefully part of what’ll make it exciting; each new show can be completely different. At least it won’t be boring. Terrifying, maybe. But never boring.
Well, one of the things that I am doing is reading scripts. Lots of scripts. Hopefully that’s where my next play will come from. At least, that’s the plan. And the problem is not, as you might think, that there are too many scripts. Although the Bush may receive about 1,500 scripts a year, I don’t.
One way I get these scripts is from the website bushgreen, a relatively new initiative (well, since December) for online publishing of scripts. It allows playwrights, potential or established, to publish their works so that other members can (for a small price) download them. Despite some teething problems (I’ve just spent all afternoon in a focus group discussing the project, so maybe I’m biased), it’s a great site, with lots of potential for budding playwrights to get exposure.
Attending focus groups and reading scripts. I had hoped there’d be more theatre. One day I’ll get there - but I’m certainly not out of the bushes yet.
Thanks to Dano for the photo.
