How to Start Your Own Theater Company

With advice and instruction from an experienced actor and theater director, this pragmatic, authoritative guide imparts backstage know-how for wouldbe playhouse practitioners on everything from fundraising and finding a space to selecting plays and navigating legal issues. Chronicling three seasons at Chicagos award-winning Congo Square Theatre, this journey behind the curtain reveals the nitty-gritty detailssuch as managing rent, parking, and safety issues; determining tax status and calculating budgets; and finding flexible day jobsthat are often overlooked amid the zeal of artistic pursuit. Inspired by Congo Squares own unique inception, the valuable how-to also speaks directly to the many underserved audiences who want to create their own companies, including African American, Asian American, Latino, physically challenged, and GLBT communities. With lists of Equity offices, legal advisers, and important organizations, this complete resource is sure to help ambitious theater lovers establish and maintain their own successful companies. See more