Theatre Subsidy
After a project has been reviewed and approved by a
play-reading committee, TDF agrees to purchase 300 to 6,000 tickets during the
first eight weeks of the show's run and offer them to TDF's membership of more
than 90,000 enthusiastic theatre-goers.
For Broadway shows, TDF pays $46
per ticket for plays and $51 for musicals, and offers them to TDF members for $39 and
$45, respectively. The per-ticket difference constitutes TDF's
subsidy. For Off Broadway shows, the subsidy is similar: TDF pays $36 per
ticket for a play, $38 per ticket for a musical and sells them to members for
$28 and $30, respectively.
In return for this support, productions are
asked to acknowledge the TDF subsidy on the title page of their program. They must
also repay five percent of any profit after recoupment until the full amount of
the subsidy is repaid.
TDF will only consider subsidizing productions
with a firm booking of at least two months in a proper Broadway or Off-Broadway
theatre (with a minimum seating capacity of 199).
Dance Subsidy
TDF contracts to buy up to 6,000 tickets to performances of
companies that have been approved by the TDF Dance Selection Committee for
seasons in New York City; TDF then offers tickets to members at $17 or $21 (for
dance engagements of at least one week in houses with 199-499 seats and tickets
with a $35 or $39 minimum face value, respectively) or $33 (for engagements of at
least one week in houses with 500 or more seats and tickets with $49 minimum
face value), and pays companies $23, $30, and $40, respectively.
How to Apply
Bona fide producers or managers (sorry,
no playwrights or agents) may apply to TDF at least eight weeks before the first
performance date.
To be considered, please submit the following:
- a cover letter including the producing entity (LLC, LP, etc.) and producers'
names
- two copies of the script (please indicate if you require that these
copies be returned) or a pdf of the script to send to committee members electronically
- for musicals or dance performances, include six
CDs
This material is reviewed by selected consultants and members of the
TDF Board of Trustees, who then make a recommendation to the full
board. Material should be sent to:
Theatre Development
Fund
Attn: Julian Christenberry
520 Eighth Avenue, Suite 801
New York,
NY 10018
TDF's Dance Subsidy program is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
