CoHo Productions Submissions

CoHo Productions Applications For 2008-09 Season

About CoHo Productions and the CoHo Theater

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

In 2001, CoHo Productions 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, with rows three deep. This provides an exceptionally intimate theatrical experience for our patrons.

CoHo has garnered critical acclaim and multiple Drammy awards for our productions over our distinguished 11-year history. From world premieres to innovative interpretations of older scripts, CoHo has an exceptional track record of excellence in our unique co-production model.

CoHo plays run for six weeks, with performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. Each production generally runs for 22 performances, with the opening performance on a Friday and the closing performance on a Saturday.

Application guidelines for co-producers

The submission deadline for the 2008-09 season is January 7, 2008.

The work at CoHo Productions is done on a co-production model. Co-producers in the past have been actors, writers, or directors. In brief, co-production means that CoHo enters into an agreement with an individual (or sometimes, several individuals or a group) to produce a particular script. Co-producers are active partners: 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. We act as co-producer and share responsibility for the production.

What CoHo provides (all pro bono, as part of our co-production model):

• Financing for the production (budgets have ranged from 7 – 14K)
• Use of the acclaimed 99-seat CoHo Theater for rehearsals (limited) and all performances
• Marketing and media relations resources (hard-copy marketing collateral ie posters, postcards, brochures; active website; email newsletter; press releases; etc)
• Co-Producer liason from CoHo Productions
• Assistance from CoHo senior staff
• Coordinate with Co-Producer on production meetings, planning, etc.

What our Co-Producer provides:

• The vision for the production
• A high level of artistic leadership, commitment and professionalism
• Audition, hire and coordinate with all technical, production and artistic staff and cast
• Coordinate with CoHo on production meetings, planning, etc.

A Co-Production Proposal to CoHo needs to include the following:

1. 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

2. Production narrative (approx. 1000 words):

Provide a brief outline of the proposed production, and comment as to why the script you are proposing (or your proposed production of this script) 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. (i.e. 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.

3. Marketing description (approx. 500 words):

Discuss what interesting or unique angles or “hooks” your proposed production may have, and any ideas you might have for the media and marketing aspects of the production. Please specify any Portland connections to the production.

4. Budget:

Use the template provided at the bottom of this page to provide a budget forecast for the production. Approximate figures will do. [NB: A standard Equity “special appearance” contract for rehearsal/performance run for one actor is approximately $2,500]

5. 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.

We strongly and emphatically encourage that you submit your materials (including the most important thing, the script) electronically. It enormously simplifies the process if you do this. We will accept hard copies from the electronically challenged, but we would much rather have the materials in electronic form.

Send via email to admin@cohoproductions.org. Otherwise, send your proposals and materials by regular mail to Faith Verrill Chandler. Attn: 2008-09 Submissions, CoHo Productions, 2257 NW Raleigh Street, Portland, OR, 97210. Stephen Weeks is the dramaturg for CoHo Productions, and he and a literary intern from Lewis & Clark College will handle the submissions process.

Submission materials will not be returned. Contact Stephen Weeks at 503 768 7498 (or at admin@cohoproductions.org) for additional information and clarification.

Other considerations for co–producers:

• CoHo does not yet have a permanent rehearsal space or set construction shop. Rehearsals will be accommodated as often as possible in CoHo Theater. Sets should be constructed prior to load-in.
• We take our role as a community arts organization seriously. Since our beginning, we have worked closely with area high school groups, and would expect our co-producer and other artists to be willing to take some time to visit classrooms to talk about the production.
• The availability of performance rights for a particular script is of paramount interest. Please bear in mind that rights are generally most difficult to secure for “hot” scripts coming off strong regional or off–Broadway productions. In those cases, playwrights and their agents may be bargaining for the best deal they can get and may not want to release rights to small theatres in a relatively small market. Please do as much advance research as possible as to the availability of rights for the script you are applying to co-produce.
• 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, please 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).

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 steps for submitting a proposal #1 and #2 as stated above for co-producers. You do not need to complete the additional three steps.  Please state in your cover letter that you are the author of the play that you are submitting.

What CoHo has 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 CoHo will not produce:

• One-act plays (unless the proposal is for an evening-length assortment of shorter works)
• Unfinished or in-process scripts
• Musicals and non-traditional theatre works (ie dance theatre, spoken word, cabaret, unscripted works) have not been produced in previous seasons, but could be produced if the proposal is of high artistic merit

Criteria for proposal selection:

CoHo will select three (3) or four (4) co-productions for our 2008-09 season based on the following criteria:

• Artistic merit of proposal
• 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)

All applicants will be notified as to the status of their proposal as our deliberations progress from January – March, 2008.

CoHo Productions is: Robert Holden, Board president and co-founder; Gary Cole, Board vice president and co-founder; Jesse Smith, technical director; Stephen Weeks, dramaturg; Ildiko Arndt, public relations and program design; Winston Goodbody, Secretary; and Faith Verrill Chandler, General Manager

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

OPEN MEETING FOR INTERESTED APPLICANTS:

Tuesday, November 27, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the CoHo Theater, 2257 NW Raleigh (NW 23rd and Raleigh)

*Come and meet with CoHo staff and board members. We will explain the application process to you and answer questions regarding the submission and selection process. Light snacks will be served.

Budget Template:

Note: This document represents a range of line items and a range of fees compiled from a sampling of productions over the last few years. It is intended as a guideline only; it is not intended to be comprehensive or definitive; its purpose is to serve our potential co-producers by helping them to think realistically about a coho budget.

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 $200

Set materials $200 - 800

Costume materials and maintenance $25 - 200

Box Office $400

Rehearsal Space usually begged or borrowed

Props $0 - 100

Publicity $500-1000

Equity Actor $2500

Non-Equity Actor $400 – 1500 (per actor)

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