COMMERCIAL THEATER INSTITUTE

This Friday (today), and Saturday and Sunday, The Commercial Theater Institute (an organization) is holding its 24th annual Commercial Theater Institute (a seminar/conference).

It is quite a remarkable, detailed introduction to the inner workings of Broadway and other commercial theaters.

Over three hundred people are attending, including writers, producers, investors, and lawyers. Many of the participants are working on current shows (eg a co-producer of Bridge and Tunnel), some on new projects. Two of the many exciting new projects I heard about are: an attempt to bring Harmony back to Broadway, and a show about Woody Guthrie.

I suspect that over the last two decades, most of our successful producers have passed through one or more of CTI's events, as listener, speaker, or both.

My own main purpose in attending is to get an up-to-the-minute status report on mounting a production, since I am hoping to begin (soon) some semi-public previewing of my show, HOW TO PREDICT THE FUTURE: An Evening of Science Theater.

So far, the CTI seminar has been excellent -- interesting, informative, useful, and very well run.

CTI is a creation of the Theater Development Fund (TDF) and the League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc.