Academy of New Musical Theatre to offer workshops

In January 2009, the Academy for New Musical Theatre will be offering a series of workshops and lectures on the process of producing a musical, hosted by LA entertainment lawyer Gordon P. Firemark. For the first time ever, entertainment attorney and producer Gordon Firemark presents a six-session course in the nuts-and-bolts of producing theatrical entertainment. The course will follow a hypothetical production through its life cycle, from idea to book/libretto through budgets, financing and production to opening night, closing, transfer and touring.

Participants will receive useful handouts, worksheets, checklists and basic contract forms for reference in producing their own projects.

The schedule for the course will be:
Tue, Jan 20 7:00 PM - 10:00 PMA
cquiring the rights to the Play: Original Works, Commissions, Company-created works; licensing existing material

Tue, Feb 17 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Employing the Creative Team: Director, Choreographer, Designers, Musical Director, etc. Deal Terms, working with SSDC and other unions.

Tue, Mar 17 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Budgets & Financing: Commercial vs. NonProfit productions. Joint Ventures, Securities Laws, etc.

Tue, Apr 21 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
I: The Business Team (Gen. Mgr., Company Mgr., etc.)
II: The Venue - dealing with theatres, box-office, etc.

Tue, May 19 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
The Production; Actors; Equity; Crew, etc.

Tue, Jun 16 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Pulling it all together; Marketing the show (guest); transfers, tours, etc.... wrap-up.

Gordon P. Firemark is an attorney whose practice is devoted to the representation of artists, writers, producers and directors in the fields of theater, film, television, and music. He is also the publisher of Entertainment Law Update, a newsletter for artists and professionals in the entertainment industries. His practice also covers intellectual property, cyberspace, new media and business/corporate matters for clients in the entertainment industry.

An accomplished producer of stage plays and musicals, Gordon also serves as CEO of Fierce Theatricals, which produces touring productions of small-cast musicals, revues and cabaret shows. He teaches Business Law at Loyola Marymount University, and has previously offered courses in Theater Law at Cypress College, and Entrepreneurial Studies at California Institute of the Arts.

Mr. Firemark has served as a moderator and featured panelist at seminars sponsored by the Beverly Hills Bar Association, California Lawyers for the Arts, Theatre LA, and the Oregon Artist's Rights Coalition. He has also been a guest lecturer at Southwestern University School of Law, Loyola Law School, California Western School of Law, UC Irvine, and California State University, Northridge.

To read more about Mr. Firemark, please visit his information website at http://www.theatrelawyer.com.

The fee for the course will be $395 (if reserved by December 15); $495 if reserved after the deadline. To reserve a place in the Producers' Lab, please visit http://www.anmt.org , or send an email to academy@anmt.org.