My play is being staged - a question about agents

Marce1184

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Hi all, this is my first time posting here -

A one-act I penned goes up in two weeks, at the 78th St Theatre Lab in NYC. I'm new to the game, and I was hoping to maybe parlay this small achievement into getting an agent.

I have invites printed and a list of NYC agents. I had planned to send the invite to some of the agencies, but the tickets for the festival that my play is part of are $20.

It seems audacious for me to ask an agent who has never heard of me to pay $20 to see a 40-minute one-act. Should I send the invites anyway? I don't mind the time spent and costs incurred on my part, but is it fruitless?

Any suggestions and/or personal stories are welcomed.
 

MarkEsq

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I have neither the experience or knowledge to allow me to answer your question or give advice. But I did want to say "Congrats!" for having your play performed - I imagine it will be a real thrill to see your work come alive on stage.
Best,
Mark
 

endless rewrite

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Congratulations on having your play staged.

If you are inviting an agent as your guest the ticket should probably be complimentary. If I were you I would contact the agents you have in mind by letter or email, tell them a little bit about your play and yourself and ask if they would like to attend and if so you will arrange a ticket for them at the box office. That way you know who is coming, you open up a dialogue and can have a chat with them on the night and you don't waste a ton of money buying tickets for people who don't show. The agent you want might not be able to make it but they could well send somebody in their place . If you are inviting people for your benefit then the done thing is to supply the ticket. Think of it as your guest list. Also check with the venue, you should get a few complimentary tickets and if not they may be willing to supply them for agents especially if your work is being shown alongside other writers.

Best of luck.
 

bison

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First, congratulations and best of luck with your work.
I agree that any agents invited should be complimentary. Also, any critics you want to invite.
I wish it were my play and yours was next week!
Again, best of luck.
:D