Ok, ok, I’ll admit it.  I planned this Saturday’s LA Get Your Show Off The Ground seminar to take place in January partly because I wanted a break from this Godzilla of a winter we’re having, and partly because I had a craving for In ‘N Out Burger.

Well, I’m happy to report that the weather was a sunny seventy-something degrees on Saturday, and In ‘N Out Burger still has the best burger/fries/shake combo on the planet.

And better yet, I’m also happy to report that LA has some of the most passionate theater people I’ve met . . . anywhere.

We had a great session (and a great social later that evening).  Here are five of the takeaways that got tossed around:

• Test your titles, because what makes sense to you might not make sense to your audience.
• The rule of two:  sometimes it’s easier to raise twice as much money, and sometimes it’s easier to raise money for two projects instead of just one.
• Diversify your development.  Spend half your time working on adaptations and half your time working on original material.
• Critics from other cities don’t like to be told that a show is a hit before it arrives.
• Theater people face similar issues, no matter where they may call home.

This last one is what really got me.  Before the LA seminar, and before the Chicago seminar, I remember thinking, “How will this be different from the seminars in NYC?”

And for the most part . . . they weren’t.  The same issues that pop up in The City, popped up in every city: how do I raise money for my show, how do I market my show with no money, and how do I get started?

So next time you talk to someone from another theater world, don’t think that they’re that different.  Because they’ve got the same hopes, dreams, and obstacles as you. And maybe you can figure out how to get over them together.

We sure did.

Thanks, LA, for warming my body temp, filling me with sodium and trans fats, and for introducing me to some awesome people.

I’m sure I’ll do it again soon.

And thus ends the great January Get Your Show Off The Ground tour.  Don’t forget, there’s one coming up in NYC on March 19th, and if you register by EOD today, you’ll save $55.  Click here to sign up today.

The next city where the seminar may go will be London.  Taking the temperature now, so if you’re a Brit and are interested, email me and we’ll go from there.

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Enter to win this Sunday’s Giveaway: 2 Tickets to Catch Me If You Can!  Click here.