2013-14 Season Submissions

ABOUT COHO PRODUCTIONS AND COHO THEATER

CoHo Productions, Ltd. is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization whose mission is to foster, nurture and support Portland area-based theatre artists through a model of theatrical co-production.

CoHo was founded in 1995 by Gary Cole and Robert Holden. In 2000, CoHo opened the 99-seat black box CoHo Theater to great audience and critical acclaim. Located at 2257 NW Raleigh Street, just off the busy NW 23rd corridor in Portland’s thriving Nob Hill neighborhood, the CoHo Theater features a three-quarter configuration, just three rows deep, providing an intimate theatrical experience for our patrons.

CoHo has garnered critical acclaim and more than 23 Drammy awards for our productions over our distinguished 17-year history. From world premieres to innovative interpretations, CoHo has an exceptional track record of excellence in our unique co-production model.

CoHo plays run for four weeks, with performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. Each production generally runs for 15 performances, with the opening performance on a Friday and the closing performance on a Saturday.

THE CO-PRODUCTION MODEL

CoHo is different from many other theatre companies in that we operate on a unique model we call co-production. Each year, CoHo receives submissions of project proposals from the Portland theatre community. These submissions usually identify key personnel (producer, director, lead actors). CoHo picks three projects to be produced at the CoHo Theater in Northwest Portland. The projects to be performed are selected by CoHo’s Board of Directors and The Artistic Council, comprised of esteemed members of Portland’s theatre community.

CoHo provides:

  • Funds for the production.
  • Use of the 99-seat CoHo Theater for rehearsals and performances.
  • Marketing and media relations resources (hard-copy marketing collateral, i.e. posters, postcards, brochures; active website; email newsletter; press releases, etc.).
  • Ticketing, house management and front-of-house volunteers and staff.
  • Assistance from CoHo staff.
  • Coordination with Co-Producer for production meetings, planning, etc.

Co-producers are active partners with CoHo. They organize an artistic and technical team, oversee the implementation of their designs, prepare a budget, and take responsibility for many of the details of production. Specifically, the co-producer provides:

  • The vision for the production.
  • A high level of artistic leadership, commitment, and professionalism.
  • The personnel. You audition, hire and coordinate all technical, production and artistic staff and cast.
  • Assistance with marketing and selling the production.
  • Continuous, clear, and timely communication with CoHo throughout the process.

THE APPLICATION

Timeline
February 11, 2013 – Co-producer’s Open House at the theater
March 15, 2013 – Submission deadline
Late April to early May – Interviews with co-producer finalists
Mid-May – CoHo’s 18th season selected and announced

Application Requirements

  • A one-page summary that gives the following information:
    • Your name(s) as co-producer
    • Your contact information including phone and email
    • The name of your script, its author, and the date of its first production (if any)
    • A concise plot summary of your script
  • Production narrative (approx. 1000 words) – Provide a brief outline of the proposed production, and comment as to why this project is noteworthy, artistically exceptional, unique and especially timely or relevant. Discuss your vision for this production, name and tell us about your proposed artistic partners (i.e. actors, directors, designers, etc.). Please also provide a brief production history. Has this production/script been seen in Portland previously? If it is a new work, what sort of advanced readings or workshops has it enjoyed? If the play has been previously produced, we strongly encourage you to submit copies of reviews. A range of comments would be most helpful to us.
  • Marketing description (approx. 500 words) – Discuss interesting or unique angles your proposed production has, and any ideas you may have for the media and marketing aspects of the production. Specify any Portland connections to the production.
  • Budget – Use the following template to create a budget for the production. The numbers below are illustrative estimates based on recent CoHo productions. You should replace them with more specific estimates for your project, recognizing that the budget may need to be adjusted if your project is selected.
    • Royalties $600 – 2000
    • Director $800 – 1000
    • Stage Manager $800
    • Light Designer $400 – 600
    • Set design and construction $500 – 700
    • Costume design $25 – 500
    • Sound Design $250 – 350
    • Board Op/Equipment Rental $200
    • Set materials $200 – 800
    • Costume materials and maintenance $25 – 200
    • Lighting materials $0 – 100
    • Sound materials $0 – 100
    • Props $0 – 100
    • Equity Actor $2600 (standard Equity umbrella contract for rehearsals / performances)
    • Non-Equity Actor $400 – 1500 (per actor)
  • Co-producer(s) biography (approx. 500 words) – Tell us why you feel qualified to lead in a Co-Producer capacity, and why this might be important or meaningful to you at this particular time in your career. We are interested in knowing what level of commitment, professionalism, and savvy you bring to the Co-Producer role with your proposed production. Also, detail any former producing experience you might have.
  • Statement of Rights Availability – It is vital that you inquire into rights for your project before you submit it to us. Please contact the relevant organization and confirm the rights are available for your show.
  • The Script

Submission

We will only accept materials electronically. Please send the materials to submissions@cohoproductions.org in an e-mail with the subject line in the following format:
[Your First Initial. Last Name] [Play Title] by [Playwright’s Full Name] (For example L.Chamberlain Hughie by Eugene O’Neill)

All materials, including the full script, must be attached as either Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) or Word (.doc or .docx) documents.

The script must include a title page with your name, email address, current residence address, and contact phone number. Script pages must be consecutively numbered.

Please label your files in the following format:

Script – [Your First Initial.Last Name].[Play Title].[Playwright’s Last Name]Script.doc or .pdf (for example: L.ChamberlainHughie.O’NeillScript.pdf)

Project Proposal – [Your First Initial.Last Name].[Play Title].Sub.doc or .pdf
Example: L.Chamberlain.Hughie.Sub.doc

Additional Materials – [Your First Initial.Last Name].[Play Title].[description of the materials] (for example: L.Chamberlain.Hughie.NYTimesReview.pdf)

We will confirm receipt for every script/application received; if you do not receive a confirmation email, resubmit and/or e-mail Mary Blair at mary@cohoproductions.org for information on how to proceed.

Questions – Please submit any questions about the competition to submissions@cohoproductions.org.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR CO-PRODUCERS

  • CoHo does not have a permanent rehearsal space or set construction shop. Rehearsals will be accommodated as often as possible in the CoHo Theater, but you should plan on finding your own rehearsal space. Sets should be constructed prior to load-in.
  • CoHo may rent out the theater for other uses during the run of your show. To accommodate late night performances and day time activities, there is an “8 foot set rule”. The permanent set left in the theater during the run of the show may not extend farther than 8 feet from the rear wall. Obviously, during the show the set may extend farther.
  • Our performance slots are generally October/November, January/February/March, and May/June. If you know you or your key collaborators will be unavailable for a particular slot, let us know.
  • CoHo does have the ability to contract with Actors’ Equity to hire Equity member actors. The maximum number of Equity actors CoHo can accommodate per production is two (2).
  • There is no profit-sharing for CoHo’s full season shows, and co-producers will be required to sign a written agreement stating that all production revenues are for the benefit of CoHo.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS
If you are a playwright with a script, but you do not wish to be considered as a co-producer, we suggest you follow the guidelines as stated above. Please state in your cover letter that you are the author of the play that you are submitting.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • What has CoHo produced in the past?
    • World premieres
    • Works by Portland-area-based or Portland-reared playwrights.
    • Old plays and new plays (ranging from “A Doll’s House” to “Tales of Ordinary Madness”)
  • What won’t CoHo produce?
    • One-act plays (unless the proposal is for an evening-length assortment of shorter works)
    • Unfinished or in-process scripts
  • Can I submit more than one proposal?
    • Yes! Submit as many as you like! However, you must complete a full application for each project submitted. Only one will be selected for production.
  • What are the criteria for selecting a proposal?
    • Artistic merit of the proposal and the script
    • Professional qualifications of applicant and related artistic partners
    • Evidence of innovation, creativity and timeliness of proposed production
    • Availability of script rights

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

  • Summary
  • Completed proposal
  • Script
  • Reviews, feature articles or other press relating to show and to applicant (include as attachments)
  • Biographies and/or resumes of applicant and production partners (include as attachments)

Thank you for your interest in CoHo Productions, and we look forward to receiving your proposal.