For those of you who personally know me, you know I am very vocal when it comes to musicians, actors, and other artists getting paid fairly in the theatrical world of Sonoma County. As such, there might be some questions as to my reasoning for asking for volunteers in some of my current productions. Well, unfortunately, starting a new theatre company is rather hard (who would have thought) and it is extremely challenging to find funding for productions at the start. However, I do have a detailed plan to make this a sustainable business practice while still producing high quality theatre and paying all artists fairly. I have developed a 3 stage plan in order to accomplish this goal. 

Phase 1: 

The start of the theatre company for the first year or two will consist of few productions consisting primarily of volunteer positions for all theatrical productions. This allows for covering startup costs, rehearsal and performance spaces, rights, and paying the positions that need to be paid. This allows the company to get off the ground and work towards matching the local market with the shows it currently puts on. This also allows our company to make a name for itself to prove itself to donors.

Phase 2:

Once the theatre company has proven to be viable, NBP will transition to matching the local theatre companies in the area in terms of compensation while sustainably being able to push the quality of productions significantly in the area. This will allow NBP to really make a name for itself and prove that the quality of its productions it puts on are top notch and don't cut corners. We will strive for quality, equality, and expansion during this phase. We predict this phase will last 2-5 years depending on the rate of growth and the companies ability to secure reliable places to put on productions in the area. 

Phase 3:

The end goal of the NBP is to assure all artists are paid fairly and our administration costs are kept to a minimum. This means outpaying other local theatre companies for all creative positions, allowing artists to create with minimal limitations to produce the highest quality of theatrical production this county has seen. Creating an environment for artists to be artists and for their work to be valued and appreciated, not to be diminished by administration and capitalistic desires. 

What makes this different from other theatre companies?

The practice in this area for years has been for theatre companies to establish a non-profit to allow for ease of certain regulations on their company. By establishing an LLC as opposed to a non-profit organization, NBP doesn’t require a huge board of directors with tons of salaries to be paid while they waste time and resources that the artists deserve. I have found this to be a major issue for other local theatre companies when it comes to money management, where the company has to spend more on a board than on the actual artists themselves. As the company grows, we will still have human resources, customer support, and other necessary positions to guarantee fair and equal wages for all, but the overhead for having a board of directors is avoided entirely. 

What about your own salary?

I am not currently taking any salary from NBP at all. Every cent I earn is going back into the company (including work outside of productions) to hire out needed contractors, employees, and to cover production costs. Once the company is sustainable, a salary will be considered to cover basic expenses and not more.