The Commercial Theater Institute Guide to Producing Plays and Musicals

Starred review from April 1, 2007
Not since Stephen Langley's "Producers on Producing" (1976) has there been a book dedicated to professional theatrical producers. The late Vogel, founding director of the Commercial Theater Institute (CTI), and off-Broadway producer Hodges (editor, "Forbidden Acts: Pioneering Gay & Lesbian Plays of the Twentieth Century"), a CTI graduate, have assembled an eclectic but highly experienced group of Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway professionals to share their experiences, insight, and enthusiasm for commercial theater production. Following Vogel's definitive introduction, almost a third of the book is devoted to the "Developmental Process of Producing Plays and Musicals." Other sections cover investing and raising capital as well as advertising, marketing, and publicity. The list of 30 contributors reads like a who's who of working theater professionals, whose productions have together garnered more than 100 Tony Awards. Entries include articles written for this book, interviews, and transcripts of CTI presentations. A resource directory is also featured. Short of attending one of CTI's annual intensive programs in New York, aspiring producers will be hard-pressed to find a more complete look into the "infuriatingly glorious experiences" of being a commercial producer. Highly recommended for all advanced theater collections. (Index and resource directory not seen.)Laura A. Ewald, Greenville Coll. Lib., IL

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