INVESTING IN THEATRE – Part I. What is a Producer?
This document is the confidential property of White Dog Productions, LLC. The information contained in it is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. Parties seeking investment in theatrical productions should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.
WHAT IS A PRODUCER?
The Producer is the entrepreneur who is responsible for the Production, and s/he will likely set up a Limited Partnership (“The Company”) for the sole purpose of financing, producing and managing the specific play or musical. A Producer may alternatively set up a Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Company to produce multiple plays and musicals.
The Producer negotiates and executes all contracts, exercises all rights that the Company holds in connection with a play or musical, and makes all decisions for the Company, either alone or through others authorized by him/her.*
For example, the Producer will secure the rights needed to present or create a Production, and determine, negotiate and contract those rights and the theatre(s) in which the Production will play. S/he will contract all the cast and creative team (i.e. playwright, director, designers, and, as a Production requires, composer, choreographer, musical director, etc.). S/he will set the budget and set ticket prices, and organize and determine the marketing, advertising and press for the Production. The Producer raises the money needed for the Production, and sets the terms with investors and distributes profits (if any).
The Producer receives a weekly management fee plus a weekly royalty (i.e. a percentage of box office receipts). The Producer will retain a share of the profits (if any) of the Production (in the US this split is normally 50/50; in the UK, the normal split is 60/40 in favor of the investor). The Producer may also be compensated as Executive Producer.
*The Producer, who is also sometimes called the Lead Producer, may also bring on Co-Producers and/or Associate Producers, as well as General Management, Marketing, Advertising and Social Media specialist, in order to produce the show.
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Interested in learning more about Investing in Theatre? Part 2 of Investing in Theatre, Capitalization? Running Costs? Recoupment? Profits? What the heck! is next.
Annette Niemtzow is an experienced and long-time theatre producer with multiple credits on Broadway and in the West End. Her latest Broadway credits were Leap of Faith, the Alan Menken-Glenn Slater musical, directed by Chris Ashley and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, starring Raul Esparza (Tony nomination, Best Musical); and Frost/Nixon, by Peter Morgan and directed by Michael Grandage (3 Tony nominations, including Best Play. Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play--Frank Langella). For more information about Annette and her shows, or to contact her, visit http://www.whitedogproductionsonline.com.
This document is the confidential property of White Dog Productions, LLC. The information contained in it is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. Parties seeking investment in theatrical productions should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.
