Actress, Jackie Nicole discusses the character she played in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum.
Enjoy this interview!
Category: Youtube Video
Spotlight Series: Meet Fringe Management Co-Founder Mike Blaha
This Spotlight focuses on Mike Blaha, Co-Founder of Fringe Management, a company that has produced an incredible assortment of shows for both the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Hollywood Fringe Festival. Listen in as he shares his insights on how the Coronavirus pandemic has affected both this year, especially since the initial shutdown occurred just as the Edinburgh event had begun.
Shari Barrett (SB): What would you like readers to know about your theatrical background?
Mike Blaha (Mike): I did a little bit of acting in high school, but never really thought about producing. Then a friend of mine asked me to be his associate Artistic Director at a small, long-defunct theatre in the Valley in the late 80s and I caught the producing bug.
Since beginning in 1989, I’ve produced or co-produced over 100 shows in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Hong Kong, London and especially at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where our company Fringe Management, LLC (co-founded with my Edinburgh based partner, actor-director Nigel Miles Thomas) has presented approximately 70 productions since 2001. I have also produced 18 shows at the Hollywood Fringe Festival since 2012.
I was also one of the co-founders of Sci-Fest, a festival of one act science fiction plays that ran from 2014-2016 and have served on the Board of New Musicals, Inc. for most of the last 20 years (as President from 2015-2019).
(SB): What production(s) were you involved with when word went out it needed to immediately be either postponed or cancelled?
(Mike): I was producing, along with Joel Shapiro of the Electric Lodge in Venice, the Edinburgh Fringe sensation “Hitler’s Tasters,” a brilliant dark comedy by Michelle Kholos Brooks. We were originally scheduled to run March 12-30, 2020. We had previews Thursday and Friday, March 12 and 13, 2020, opened on Saturday, March 14, 2020 and had to close on Sunday, March 15, 2020.
(SB): Here is “Hitler’s Tasters” promo reel on You Tube. How did you communicate the shutdown to the cast and crew?
(Mike): We communicated the heartbreaking reality of the shutdown in person with the cast and crew after the performance on Saturday night.
(SB): Are plans in place to present that production at a future date, or is the cancellation permanent?
(Mike): Fortunately, we made an archival recording on opening night and we were able to negotiate an agreement with Equity to stream that recording for a two-week period, May 8-21, 2020, so audience members who bought a ticket to the live performance, and some new audience members, were able to watch that recording during that window. It is possible that there may be a remount of the play at the Electric Lodge, but it’s tricky because the cast members, who were the actors in the Edinburgh Fringe production, are all from New York.
(SB): What future productions on your schedule are also affected by the shutdown?
(Mike): I had five shows lined up for the 2020 Hollywood Fringe Festival, including three shows from the UK (The Nights, The Tanner and West), a local sketch comedy show Gold Baby and the 7th annual “Combined Artform’s Pick of the Fringe”. With the Hollywood Fringe now cancelled this year, except for online shows, I have lost most if not all of the planned productions, although they may return for 2021.
We were also producing 7 shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, which has been cancelled altogether including Activities of Daily Living, Bard Overboard, Elton John: Rocketman, Elvis: He’s Back, Hiding Anne Frank, Once Upon A Time in Hollywoodland, and Two Girls: One Mic. Fortunately, it looks like most if not all of the shows want to perform at the 2021 edition.
(SB): I saw Joanna Lipari in her one-woman show Activities for Daily Living at the Sierra Madre Playhouse and believe everyone needs to experience her incredible and very personal observations about life and love in that show. So I certainly hope she will be able to take the show to Edinburgh in 2021. (Here’s the link to my review on Broadway World.)
So now that everything is on hold, how are you keeping the Arts alive while at home by using social media or other online sites?
(Mike): Well, I’m reading my daily reports from Broadway World, of course, following updates from various theatre companies, as well friends’, colleagues’, and various theatre forums on social media (and occasionally posting myself), and trying to keep up with the amazing explosion of content by artists of every stripe on YouTube, Facebook, Patreon, Twitter . . . the list goes on. I’m in touch with all of the artists involved with the delayed and cancelled productions referenced above, and working with a couple of them on developing new projects.
(SB): Are there any thoughts would you like to share with L.A. Theatre community while we are all leaving the Ghostlight on and promising to return back to the stage soon?
(Mike): Some people think the pandemic will move live theatre online permanently; some people think live theater will return eventually unchanged. I fall somewhere in the middle. I think there may be a hybrid model that combines live theatre with more digital innovation, both with respect to the design and production of live theater, but also respect to the supplemental, possibly complementary exploitation of those live productions. One thing I am certain of, having witnessed the resilience and creativity of our community over these past few weeks, is that the L.A. Theatre scene will adapt and thrive in whatever becomes the “new normal.”
Of course, this has been a very difficult time for all of us. One of the things that has kept me sane in spite of all the postponements and cancellations and missed openings is the knowledge that theatre has been around for a couple of thousand years and ain’t going anywhere. It may be very different or not that different at all; but in a few weeks or months we will all be sitting in a dark black box once again in thrall to the magic of live theatre!
This article first appeared on Broadway World.
Spotlight Series: Meet Gina D’Acciaro, an L.A. Actress and Regular Performer at Rockwell Table & Stage
This Spotlight focuses on Gina D’Acciaro, an actress in Los Angeles for over 19 years who I first met when she was a member of the Actors Co-op Theatre Company in Hollywood and appeared in their production of the Kander and Ebb musical revue World Goes Round. Gina is now a regular performer at Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Feliz, as well as the creator of many entertaining YouTube videos.
Shari Barrett (SB): What production(s) were you involved with when word went out it needed to immediately be either postponed or cancelled?
Gina D’Acciaro (Gina): I was fresh off a 2019 Broadway World win for “Best Cabaret – Female – Intimate Space.” I was actually set to remount my one woman show “Gina D’Acciaro is… Famous Adjacent” in NYC when the theater world closed down.
(SB): How was the shutdown communicated with the cast and production team?
(Gina): We found a cabaret space that we liked best, and our creative team was juuusssst about to announce a performance date in late April 2020. So thankfully for myself, my director, Robert Marra, and my musical director, Andy Arena, no flights had been reserved yet!
(SB): Are plans in place to present that production at a future date, or is the cancellation permanent?
(Gina): No way! The show must go on! As soon as cabaret spaces are open to the public again, we will pick up right where we left off.
(SB): That’s great news! But what other future productions on your schedule are also affected by the shutdown?
(Gina): Mounting my show was mission number one while in NYC, but so was finally auditioning for Broadway. And as it turned out, Friday, March 13th was the last Equity audition I had scheduled, which was, sadly, cancelled. This is the first time in my life that I left LA to try to audition my face off and book a Broadway show. Guess I picked a fantastic time to give it a try, huh??
(SB): As they say, timing is everything! So now that we are “safer at home,” how are you keeping the Arts alive while using social media or other online sites?
(Gina): I spent the first month of quarantine in disbelief, shock, sadness, even depression. Then I decided to limit my news intake and created a virtual variety show with a group of actors in NYC. It’s called “The Corona Clubhouse” and is a weekly LIVE show featuring sketch comedy via Zoom calls. It’s a silly “kid show for adults” and it’s been great to have the chance to get the funny, creative juices flowing as a writer / performer. I’ve been writing/filming a script and a parody song every week with my writing-partner-in-comedy-crime, Jordan Goodsell, another LA actor / singer / friend finding himself in a Broadway-less NYC.
(SB): Here are links to Gina’s latest YouTube videos:
“Quarantine Dating Sucks [Love Is An Open Door Parody]”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwKCSGJQAkY
“Nobody Wants This Subscription Service”
(SB): What thoughts would you like to share with the rest of the L.A. Theatre community while we are all leaving the Ghostlight on and promising to return back to the stage soon?
(Gina): Friends! Feel all the feels. And keep hope alive. Don’t feel pressure to create. But don’t forget who you are. An ARTIST. Artists are always essential. And the Arts might be the last thing to come back, but that’s because they always save the best for last.
(SB): And with that wonderful tribute to the Arts to end the interview, I invite you to follow Gina on Instagram @duhchairoh for funny song parodies, sketches, and clips from Famous Adjacent when you need an escape from the daily news!
This article first appeared on Broadway World.
Spotlight Series: Meet Ashley Griffin, an L.A. Actor Who Moved to NYC to Follow Her Theatre Dreams
This Spotlight focuses on Ashley Griffin, an actor in Los Angeles since the age of five who moved to New York City to follow her theatre dreams – and is now both writing and acting in shows.
Shari Barrett (SB): What would you like readers to know about your theatrical background, beginning in Los Angeles which led you to decide to move to NYC?
Ashley Griffin (Ashley): I’m a 5th generation Californian (possibly 6th), but I’m the first actor/dramatist in my family. I grew up at the wonderful rep company, The Santa Monica Playhouse, and made my theatrical debut when I was 5. I worked professionally as a child actor in theater, film and TV and attended the Hamilton Academy of Music Performing Arts High School. I adore Los Angeles theatre, but was always a bit frustrated because it’s much more challenging to do theatre in LA than in NYC since there aren’t as many theatrical productions in LA and Broadway and touring shows rarely audition here.
Ashley Griffin playing Denise off-Broadway in the revival of “Dubarry Was a Lady,” directed by Evan Peters
It’s my experience that the culture is much more TV/Film focused here which was never my true performing interest. But I did appear quite a bit in productions at the Will Geer Theaticum Botanicum (making my Shakespeare debut when I was still a young child), as well as at Royce Hall, The Santa Monica Playhouse, the Morgan-Wixson Theater, and in touring productions, including taking the wonderful show Mary-Mary to the UK where I played Mary-Mary in London, Warwick and Stratford-Upon-Avon.
But at the end of the day, it always felt like if you wanted to do Film/TV you needed to be in LA, and if you wanted to do theatre, you needed to be in NYC. After doing a good amount of Film/TV, I realized my heart was always still within the theater. So, I went to college at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and stayed in the city after graduating, but I’m occasionally still doing work in LA when the right opportunity presents itself.
(SB): What production(s) were you involved with when word went out you needed to immediately postpone/cancel the show?
(Ashley): I’m a Broadway person, and I was literally on my way to a show when I was told Broadway was being shut down. In addition, I had just finished directing The Middleman at the Hudson Theater where we were fortunate to be able to complete our run, and was in meetings about productions I had coming down the pipeline which have obviously been postponed. We’re still trying to figure out next steps for three shows of mine in the wake of the shutdown.
Ashley Griffin playing the lead role of Arcadia in “Trial” off-Broadway, directed by Lori Petty. Photo by Micah Joe
(SB): How was the shutdown communicated with the cast and production team?
(Ashley): By the time we received an email about the closure, most of us had already seen it on the news.
(SB): Are plans in place to present that production at a future date, or is the cancellation permanent?
(Ashley): It depends. Some are being shut down permanently, some are figuring out how to reschedule, and some are in limbo. A lot will depend on when the shutdown actually ends, which is basically out of our hands.
(SB): What future productions on your schedule are also affected by the shutdown?
(Ashley): I have three specific shows that have been directly affected, but since none of them have been officially announced yet, I can’t really say anything specific about them. I can say one is meant to go up this fall.
(SB): How are you keeping the Arts alive while at home by using social media or other online sites?
Ashley Griffin playing the lead role of Astrid in development with “Snow” off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons. Photo by Micah Joel
(Ashley): I’m fortunate that I’m a writer, so I’m working to get as much writing done as I can. I’m in talks to be a part of some virtual readings of projects, and my collaborators and I are meeting online to work and make future plans. I run a podcast for the Onstage Network and I’ve been doing episodes of that.
I am also taking some dance classes online whenever I can, and really enjoy Kathryn Morgan’s wonderful classes on YouTube. I also love Claudia Dean, anything from the Royal Ballet, and Westside Academy of Dance where I grew up studying – special shout out to Celeste Amos, Chason Greenwood, and Johnny Chong’s classes – and I’m very excited to stream Ashley Shaw’s class from Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Company.
(SB): What thoughts would you like to share with the rest of the LA Theatre community while we are all leaving the Ghostlight on and promising to return back to the stage soon?
(Ashley): I think this is a great opportunity to showcase work online and bring it to the attention of people outside our normal communities. I think this could be a great time for LA theatre to be seen and appreciated by audiences all over the country, and hopefully when we’re all back, the online experience can be a doorway to better supporting live theatre in the Los Angeles area.
If anyone’s interested in virtual Arts classes in acting / writing / directing / Shakespeare / business of theatre, I’d love to offer my services. You can reach me on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, my podcast on Onstage Network, and of course through my website.
This article first appeared on Broadway World.
Spotlight Series: Meet Selah Victor, Former Actors Co-op Theater Production Manager
This Spotlight focuses on Selah Victor, an actor and former Production Manager of Actors Co-op Theater Company in Hollywood whose next production, which is very personal, is due later this year. And while the “wait is on,” Selah is sharing her musical comedy talents by creating clever and very relevant “safe at home” videos on YouTube. So, with a toddler at home as well as a new addition to her family on the way, how is she fueling her creativity at home and sharing it with others?
Shari Barrett (SB): What would you like readers to know about your theatrical background?
Selah Victor (Selah): I have been a performing in the theater since I was 10 years old and graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Theater, which also included a year studying and performing in theater all over the UK.
Selah Victor with Floyd Van Buskirk in “Lend Me a Tenor” at the Actors Co-op
After college, I moved to Los Angeles where I continued to perform on the stage all over the city including Actors Co-op, The Garry Marshall Theater, Theater West, Pico Playhouse, and Second City. I became a member of Actors Co-op Theater Company in 2003, serving on the Production Committee and producing several shows before becoming the Production Manager from 2015-2019. I also co-founded an independent theater production company called Standing Room Only to bring shows from concept to creation.
(SB): What production(s) were you involved with when word went out it needed to immediately be either postponed or cancelled?
Selah Victor in “The World Goes Round”
(Selah): I wasn’t involved in any stage productions personally. But our two Spring shows at Actors Co-op, Marvin’s Room and A Man of No Importance, had to be postponed, and the closing weekend of A Body of Water (March 13-15) had to be cancelled.
(SB): Now that you find yourself at home, how are you keeping the Arts alive by using social media or other online sites?
(Selah): I have been having so much fun keeping the Arts alive while at home by producing sketch comedy with my toddler! And I am pregnant with our second child due later this year. As busy as I have been, it has truly helped to keep my spirits up and I have found it such a thrill to produce things at home, sharpening my skills as a performer, writer, and editor, as well as a Mom! It’s also been so rewarding to post my sketches on social media and YouTube and to get positive feedback from the internet audience.
(SB): My personal favorite, which I saw on Facebook, is your “Stay at Home Rap” which I watched over and over again, laughing myself silly over the cuteness of your son and your relevant lyrics with such important messages.
(Selah) Here are the links to my “quarantine” sketches:
Quarantine With Kids:
Stay at Home Rap:
(SB): What thoughts would you like to share with the rest of the L.A. Theatre community while we are all leaving the Ghostlight on and promising to return back to the stage soon?
(Selah): It’s been so wonderful to see how the LA Theatre community has come together throughout all of this. I’ve seen online rehearsals, performances, play readings, and more, all of which have helped artists to keep their spark alive to keep creating. I do think we need to support our small theaters to help them keep the lights on through this difficult financial time, and so many people have been going the extra mile to make sure these theaters can stay open.
Let’s stay in touch through my website, my instagram and my twitter accounts.
This article first appeared on Broadway World.
Writer Par Excellence Shelly Goldstein Offers Sage Advice During Covid-19
Writer/actress/cabaret performer Shelly Goldstein is very popular worldwide and is in a constant state of motion with a unique sense of humor. In this special creativity interview she talks about just that. Especially wonderful is her advice to everyone to stretch your horizons and reach out to others.
DG: Overall, what are you doing during this horrible CoViD-19 period to stay creative?
SG: First of all, Don, thanks for reaching out. One of the positive aspects of this wackadoodle time is the return to old-fashioned phone calls between friends, and emails/texts that are a bit more personal than a typical 6-word message. It’s been great to actually have conversations with people. I didn’t realize how rare such calls had become and I hope they don’t disappear.
Human interaction inspires creativity.
I’ve been doing a lot of writing. Like everyone, I’ve lost a ton of work. Any gig I had on the books since mid-February was either cancelled or put on indefinite hold. That meant a lot of performances and many gala/award show events went away. The biggest disappointment was a gig where I was going to work with Julie Andrews on a lifetime tribute she was going to receive! But such is life. And “life” is what matters now.
My husband and I had a few projects that were in the works before this happened and we’re still inching those forward. There’s a series coming out this year in Europe called Cold Courage that we worked on: he wrote & Story Edited. I was a Script Consultant and I actually had the joy of writing a song lyric that is part of a key scene. Can’t wait to hear the final mix as, obviously, we weren’t able to be there as it was finishing post. I think it will air in the US in 2021.
And I also try to do a vocal warmup for every one of the 4,372 times each day I wash my hands.
DG: Have you been helping create projects online for people to watch or listen to?
SG: Yes! It’s a lifesaver.
My favorite thus far is a song parody I wrote (re-wrote Lee Adams great lyric) and uploaded to YouTube called “How Lovely When News Was Stupid.” It’s a parody of Bye Bye Birdie‘s song, “How Lovely to Be A Woman”, written by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse.
No production value! I’m just sitting in a chair in my living room. But it’s struck a nerve. It’s gotten thousands of views and shares and online posts. I’ve gotten some very kind emails from people telling me the song caused them to laugh for the first time in weeks. That’s a blessing.
This is the song. Please enjoy and share with anyone who could use a smile!
My friend Mark Evanier wrote a terrific parody about the mess we’re all in and he’s asked me to sing/record. As soon as I learn the lyric, it’s next up.
DG: What about interviews?
SG: I’ve done some online (ZOOM) theatre and interviews and just today was asked to write & perform a piece for a benefit for the Chicago Actor’s Fund.
When John Prine died, I was heartbroken. Loss of a giant. I adored his songs. A couple of years ago I wrote a concert special for the Lyric Opera called Chicago Voices that later became a PBS special. Prine was in the cast and he won an Emmy for his performance.
The night he died I kept crying and singing his songs. I’d done, “Angel From Montgomery” in a recent show and took that clip and put it online. It’s a perfect song and I love singing it. Playing/arranging is the great Doug Peck, who I met when he conducted and was the Music Director on Chicago Voices.
This is that video:
I have so many friends writing songs, recording songs, writing commentary/jokes – I think it’s so vital to have that outlet. I love seeing how singers, actors and writers are reacting to what we’re collectively experiencing.
I was so impressed by the song written by dear friends, Michele Brourman & Hillary Rollins, “While There is Still Time,” sung by another woman I adore – Maude Maggart. (I always say Maude’s is the voice that angels wish they had.) It had a touching video made by Christine Lavin who I’ve never met, but whose work I so admire. A gorgeous effort.
Seeing how other people are speaking out inspires me and makes me stronger. I am unofficially mentoring a few people – We keep in touch and I follow what they are doing.
I probably post much too much online – but it’s impossible not to see the insanity swirling around us and ignore it. I try to do it in a way that makes people smile and think – and I delete any responses that call for violence or cruelty. There’s enough of that in a million other places.
I feel like people are moving to a different place this week. Now that we’re sheltered-in-place for over a month, we’re all looking for the next step. I’ve started to get calls and e-mails asking my availability for writing special material or full shows/acts. I love how many performances are happening online and I’m always happy to help!
DG: Do you have any recommendations for people on how to extend their creativity? Should they stick to what they know best or venture into uncharted territory?
SG: If there ever was a time to venture into uncharted territory – it’s now! We are flooded with emotions right now – fear, uncertainty, impatience, vulnerability, anger, gratitude, love – if that doesn’t inspire a song or a script or a joke or a dance or a painting or an opera or a concert…what will?
This is a rare moment of stillness, although it’s impossible to be still in this political climate. We’re all feeling a ton of stress and anxiety. It’s helpful – emotionally, psychologically and physically – to challenge yourself.
One practical thing I need to learn how to do is add more production value to my videos. The days of just singing to camera aren’t enough anymore. I don’t have a green screen and don’t know how to do it…yet. But I am going to learn.
I finally got pulled onto Instagram – I’m GroovyShelly (and at Twitter also @GroovyShelly) Follow me! I’ll follow back.
If I’m not creating, the only options left are worrying/crying/obsessing – or eating carbs. I spent 3 years carb-free and that has gone out the window. I can attempt many things of value during a pandemic. Giving up pasta and bagels is not one of them!
There is so much literally at our fingertips right now. Go online. People are giving classes, sharing shows, major theatres and cabarets are streaming past productions. Take a class – then teach a class. This is a great time for bartering. What can I learn from you? What can I teach you?
No one knows how or when we get out of this, but when we do – I hope it’s with more of a sense of compassion and community. If we don’t learn it now, we never will.
DG: There are so many lies out there. It seems that we have to make our own truth and that is scary. Do you have any predictions on how and when this whole nightmare will be over?
SG: Wow. We must, must, must fight to keep the truth alive. We must dig for it and we must counter that dangerous lies that we face every hour of every day.
Right now, the single most important thing is to listen to the experts and leaders like Governor Cuomo, Newsom, Pritzker, Whitmer, Inslee. We also need to “Stay at Home!” Yes, there are a million other places we’d like to be free to go right now. Be patient. Tough it out. If you don’t want to do it for any other reason, do it to show respect for the medical personnel who are working superhuman hours to keep people alive. It’s literally the least we can do. We must “Stay the F Home!”
We all see how hard the medical first responders are working. The best way we can help them is to flatten the curve. Which means staying home. Another great way to help them is to send food to your nearest ER.
If a friend is alone or vulnerable, send them a GrubHub gift card or find out what you can send them.
I have no idea when this will be over – or even how it will be over. I know it will not absolutely end in one single day. But I can’t fathom what the stages will be that will put us on the road to “normal.”
I think it’s important to say, “I don’t know” when you don’t know. People don’t like those 3 little words and they also don’t like, “I was wrong.” The inability of some of our leaders to honestly say those 2 phrases when needed is one of the things that got us into this mess.
Spread facts. Spread science. Spread art. Spread love. Spread kindness & compassion – and a healthy heaping of dish. Keep washing your hands.
And to quote that great philosopher, Dolly Gallagher Levi (by way of Jerry Herman) – “Whatever you do, for God’s sake, KEEP BREATHING!”
Watch Shelly on YouTube, connect with her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.
From Self-care to Self-promotion: Making your Social Media Marketing Work Better For You – PART I
As part of a series, this column highlights communication strategies for handling unpredictable circumstances and a variety of essential online tools and suggestions for you and your teams to implement in the coming days.
As many productions are currently being put on hiatus, so are the kind of life activities outside of our homes that, now paused by social distancing and stay-at-home mandates, have brought us here to this new and challenging place.
This place, if it does not include addressing health issues exacerbated or caused by the coronavirus, is one that can be filled with opportunities that may not have been otherwise afforded to you before that invaluable and most priceless gift – newly found time – became available.
BUT FIRST, SELF CARE
Not much else is above the care for ourselves, for our families, and for all of whom concern us, during times of crisis. But outside of where health and all other urgent cares are met, as artists, found time also provides the new opportunity to re-evaluate and re-assess. The LA Stage Alliance recently published a guide to recommended assessments and self-care to help provide affirming perspectives and advice during these times.
When you once again can breathe, it might then be time to re-visit that other invaluable and unique gift that is only afforded to you, which can be also best be served by this newfound time – the ongoing maintenance of your own self-promotion.
ARMCHAIR SELF-PROMOTION – A CUP OF COMFORT AND A SMART DEVICE
Self-promotion is not just a tool for self-marketing and networking. As artists in the entertainment fields, it is also sought for and expected by those who seek to promote on your behalf. Having a website to that effect is key, for sure. Having reviews to share are as well. But entertainment marketers who are considering “you” as that star power–the one who is going to make their project shine and bring in audiences – will want more tangible results from your self-marketing which come in the form of numbers.
And the numbers I am talking about are in followers.
A larger number of followers, depending on when an account was opened—and where viewable—shows marketers that you are not just active in your own self-marketing, but active in the engagement of your audience—which they see as their soon-to-be-audience as well. This is tangible. This is sometimes seen as bankable. It is an asset.
QUANTITY, BUT ALSO QUALITY
Follower numbers and social media activity tells marketers several things, both good and bad. Lack of social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, all where analytic information is most easily tracked and gained, can tell a marketer that you might not care enough to self-market. With regard to follower numbers on Twitter and Facebook, especially when low in older or abandoned-looking accounts, can signal that as well. In newer accounts, it can look like an after-thought, especially if close to a project’s inception date.
A larger number of followers, depending on when an account was opened—and where viewable – shows marketers that you are not just active in your own self-marketing, but active in the engagement of your audience – which they see as their soon-to-be-audience as well.
This is tangible. This is sometimes seen as bankable. It is an asset.
But outside the actual “numbers” of followers, the number of posts, the quality of the posts, the type of content within, and the active, on-going, and regular engagement and conversation, both with and within your audience, is also seen as a tangibly marketable and well-branded tool that someone else can use to promote who is in the business of promoting.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
“Hashtag” in “Comic-Con, the Musical,” Sacred Fools {now The Broadwater], Hollywood Fringe Festival, June 2, 2017. ~ Photo by Monique A. LeBleu
If you are completely new to the use of social media as a promotional tool, and not just for casual social and family engagement and communication, here’s a handy checklist to review first before you get started.
Because social media self-marketing does take time and maintenance, it is often the thing that gets pushed aside when the plates of creativity are spinning so fast that it might be perceived as just a plastic plate that won’t break should it fall. But with time as a new friend these days, along with the additional benefit of just such similarly captive audiences as of late, a unique opportunity is now provided for all creatives and self-promoters to look toward beefing up their social media marketing and making it a priority.
Which and how many platforms you wish to choose and how much time now, and in the future, you wish to spend, is key. Choosing them and determining which are to be in your portfolio and in future up-keep should be based on the benefits they provide, the benefits you want, and the perceived value they have to those who market you best. Consult those people, where you can, to learn where they personally see the highest value to you (and to them) and where you can and should best place your focus.
Then, assess your current social media and marketing strategies that are already in place, begin the work – alone and/or in teams where you can -, pick the platforms that will work best for all, and go forth to create any new accounts. If you have more than three you may eventually need to use a social media management platform that can share between accounts. But as many of these often only link back between platforms, but simultaneously ignore media-rich content in their wake, I suggest sticking with just a few initially and keep things simple. In time, you will see those numbers increase, as well as your brand visibility.
In my next column, I will talk of the TOP SIX PLATFORMS and how, when, and why to use them for self-promotion.
JUST A TASTE: Shows at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Opening This Week! – First Edition
The Hollywood Fringe Festival is celebrating its 10th year this year and opens today, Thursday, June 13, 2019.
Annually, for the month of June, this unique “open and uncensored” non-profit theatre festival occupies Hollywood’s Theatre Row, and many more adjacent venues and spaces in the Hollywood and Media District areas. Per the non-profit’s site, this “open-access, community-derived event celebrating freedom of expression and collaboration in the performing arts community” can be found in parks, community centers, churches, clubs, restaurants” housing a wide variety of productions created by new individual producers, seasoned production companies, member-fueled theatre companies and residencies, and a variety of other independent self-producers–both locally and from all over the world.
This year, there are nearly 400 participating shows, most of which are also registered on the Better Lemons Calender. Here are a few shows, opening this week and next, that talked with Better Lemons about their shows.
https://youtu.be/n9wvP0vP9eg
Vivi Thai, producer and actress of “She Kills Monsters,” spoke with Monique LeBleu of Better Lemons at The BLACK bar and lounge at the Hollywood Fringe Festival Office Hours mixer on May 22, 2019.
“She Kills Monsters” opens on Friday, June 14, 2019, at 11:00 p.m., at the Arena Theatre – Hobgoblin Playhouse at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
For more information on other dates and times for “SHE KILLS MONSTERS” visit:
Chris Bunyi & Matt Robinson of “Olivia Wilde Does Not Survive the Apocalypse” spoke with Monique LeBleu of Better Lemons at The BLACK bar and lounge at the Hollywood Fringe Festival Office Hours mixer on May 22, 2019.
“Olivia Wilde Does Not Survive the Apocalypse” which opens Saturday, June 15, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. at the Ruby Stage at the Complex, is a featured play at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Saturday’s show is currently sold out. For more information on other dates and times for “OLIVIA WILDE DOES NOT SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE” visit:
Christi Pedigo of “Bunny The Elf LIVE!” spoke with Monique LeBleu of Better Lemons at The BLACK bar and lounge at the Hollywood Fringe Festival Office Hours mixer on May 22, 2019.
“Bunny The Elf LIVE!” opens Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 8:30 p.m., at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
For more information on other dates and times for “BUNNY THE ELF, LIVE!” visit:
Jannica Olin spoke about her solo show “(IM)PERFEKT” with Monique LeBleu of Better Lemons at The BLACK bar and lounge at the Hollywood Fringe Festival Office Hours mixer on May 22, 2019.
“(IM)PERFEKT” opens Saturday, June 22, 2019, at 12:00 p.m., at the Lounge Theatre at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
For more information on (IM)PERFEKT:
All shows are available for patron and critic reviews where shows registered on Better Lemons can qualify for the LemonMeter! 🍋
More full videos on participating Hollywood Fringe Festival shows soon on the Better Lemons YouTube channel and at Better-Lemons.com!
Better Lemons
Twitter/Instagram: @betterlemons
Monique A. LeBleu
Twitter/Instagram: @moniquelebleu