Two trips down to Manhattan’s West 36th St. this week showed once again how the arts somehow manage to go on, maybe even thrive, on a shoestring: That’s where, for the most part, the Midtown International Theatre Festival is taking place in its 11th incarnation, offering plays and readings on several small stages.
If you’re looking to take in new works, you could do far worse than making the trip yourself — the festival of staged plays, readings, musical and short-subjects started July 12 and runs through Aug. 1. (Both theaters I went to were air-conditioned, so you can even escape the heat.)
Both plays I saw — out of more than two dozen on offer — showed real promise; they were not perfect, but what is? Most of the acting was polished, too.
The festival was started and is run by John Chatterton, who in the program says that last year it “posted solid financial numbers due to strong shows.” That amazes me — this is a fringe festival, and it doesn’t seem to get much press. The Daily News previewed it; Timeout gives it a small listing; New York has in the past, but not this year. It is covered in some theater publications, and it has a Facebook page and Twitter account, which were mentioned last night before the play — The King of Bohemia, about Franz Kafka’s literary trajectory and estate and Max Brod — began.
As for sponsors, it lists four on its website as “friends” and the program adds a couple of diners in ads.
In 2001, when the festival was very young, Chatterton, who also founded the off-off broadway review, gave an interview explaining the economics this way:
Now I’m renting the theaters and instead of working on a percentage, I’m taking the first 200 tickets worth of revenue and repaying my cost. I’m splitting the remainder 50/50 with the groups that are putting on a full program.
Whether that’s still operative, I do not know. I asked Chatterton, who via an email said:
Since the MITF is a privately held enterprise, I don’t have to go into detail of our finances, but I can tell you that we are for-profit and that I shoulder the burden of the finances myself. We are financed entirely by participation fees and ticket sales (and some ads in the Festabill).
Then he added:
I am planning to start a non-profit whose purpose will be to bring in shows from other countries.
As I and so many others have written, it’s harder and harder for arts groups to get attention for their work, and it’s hard for them to thrive without it. So Chatterton & Co. must be doing something right. I suspect he would say it’s quality.
UPDATED, 7/27: Chatterton steers people who’d like to know more about the festival’s finances and other workings, to the website, click on “About” and at the top you’ll see items like “Festival Manual.”
UPDATED, 9/11: The Festival’s winners were announced yesterday, and they are also posted on the Festival’s website.
Photo Credit: Courtesy MITF