Artist Management Plan by Janelle

Sara Saunier & Janelle Azmy

Table Of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Artist Mission Statements Artist Vision Statements Industry Overview Artist Bio Key Players Audition Log Artist Branding Training Headshot Critiques Resume Promotions Booking Log Representation Strategy Technology and Media Benefits/Special Events & Charities Partnerships With Other Artists Video Reel SWOT Analysis Goals Financial Conclusion Appendix Bibliography

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Executive Summary: Sara and Janelle began working together as a freelance management team in 2013. While they both are representing separate artists they believe working together makes them more capable managers because it allows them to brainstorm and implement bigger and better ideas. They believe that working together not only helps them to be better managers but it also benefits their artist representation. Janelle is currently representing T’Arah Julieta and Sara is currently representing Caeli Thoma. This plan will outline all that management has provided for their respective artists as well as what their marketing/business plan was and is for the future. During the 3-month time span Janelle was able t accomplish the following for T’Arah: -Setting up talent with an Actors Access account -Setting up talent professional email -Sending talent weekly lists of auditions, including the links and information needed for submission -Securing 2 auditions for T’Arah outside of Columbia College -Planning 2 open call auditions for T’Arah to attend, one of them an equity call to begin trying to get the talent an equity card -Revising and professionalizing talent’s resume -Helped talent network with photographer to get free headshots -Talent auditioned and received a call back for the Columbia College main stage production of “Violet” -Provided talent with cover letter for when she begins applying to agencies and a list of the best agencies for her specifically -Provided financial analysis for talent Sara’s was able to help Caeli further her career by: -Providing Caeli with a list of auditions to go on -Submitting her for four of these auditions while sending her on two open calls -Sending Caeli out to perform at an open mic at Comedy Sportz -Providing Caeli with a website -Introduced Caeli to a comedian who was able to give her more insight into the industry and performing -Creating a video reel for Caeli -Creating a cover letter for Caeli to use when she starts looking for talent representation -Revising Caeli’s resume and creating a more professional email to use -Create an account for Caeli on Actor’s Access

Introduction: Sara and Janelle work as freelance managers because they enjoy working with actors they are passionate about and focusing all their efforts on furthering their clients’ careers in the theater arts. T’Arah Julieta is an Actress/Singer/Dancer who previously performed with the Latin Ballet of Virginia for 5 years and was also in over 20 theatrical performances. She is currently choreographing for 2 shows at Columbia College Chicago where she is also pursuing her BFA in Musical Theater. From the get go management and the talent found they made a good team. When outlining the goals for talent there ideas matched up well. Both parties agreed that the main goal for the project was to get T’Arah to auditions outside of the college and ideally get her cast outside of school. Along with this main goal it was also agreed upon to work on T’Arah’s headshots and resume to get them into more professional shape. T’Arah is currently working as a choreographer for two different productions at Columbia College Chicago. Both parties would like to keep getting T’Arah hired as a choreographer. Both talent and management want to work around T’Arah’s busy schedule to build her as a performance artist and propel her into the Chicago theatre scene. Caeli Thoma is a comedian/actress from Chicago, Illinois with a background in musical theatre. She is currently a member of the all girl comedy troupe “Taco Tuesdays” while also starring in the web-series “Guide of the Dead”. Previously she completed improv training at the Improv Olympics. In September of 2013, Caeli and Sara Saunier from the management team began working together. Sara has seen many of Caeli’s performances with her improv group and was very interested to work with her. The two were both very excited to work with each other. It was decided that Caeli would focus on comedy but search for acting gigs also to expand her resume with. From then on, the main goal was to try and find more work for Caeli and expose her to a stand-up gig. As the weeks went on, it was decided that an open mic would be the best way to launch her career so the two went on to try to secure a booking for one for Caeli. In the process, they also managed to book Caeli as a performer for a comedy benefit show for 2 Dames. We are submitting this pitch with the hopes of getting our talents’ names out there and to procure them work.

Artist Mission Statement: T’Arah Julieta’s mission statement was a collaborative effort. T’Arah explained to management in her interview what it is she does and what she hopes to achieve when she performs. All of these ideas were then compiled by management to create her mission statement. Caeli Thoma did not have a mission statement before approached by management. Therefore, management created for her based on the kind of work that she does and how she wants to be perceived as an artist. T’Arah Julieta’s Mission Statement: “T’Arah Julieta creates because she wants her audience to leave, not only feeling changed, but also inspired to learn and discover.” Caeli Thoma’s Mission Statement: “Caeli Thoma believes that by bringing her jokes onstage, she can encourage others and expand the amount of women talent in the comedy industry.” Artist Vision Statement: T’Arah Julieta’s vision statement was a collaborative effort. T’Arah explained to management in her interview what it is she does and what she hopes to achieve when she performs. All of these ideas were then compiled by management to create her vision statement as an artist. This is the overall goal of T’Arah, in the long-term, as an artist. Caeli Thoma also did not have a vision statement before approached by management. Based on conversations with Caeli, management has created one for her. T’Arah Julieta’s Vision Statement: “To use performance as a tool to inspire, change and educate people.” Caeli Thoma’s Vision Statement: “Caeli Thoma hopes to expose her audience to new material that will keep them coming back for more and allow her to grow with them.” Both T’Arah’s mission and vision statement are imperative to her success as a performance artist. They are what will help brand her. They are what will keep her grounded when she needs direction. These statements are not only for the public, but also for her own personal use to remind her where she came from, what she wants and why she creates.

(see T’Arah’s “Talent Interview”: Appendix A) (See Caeli’s “Talent Interview”: Appendix B) Industry Overview: While both artists management is representing work in the performing arts they are each involved in different sectors of it. Therefore management has conducted an industry overview separately for each artist. The theatre industry for actress T’Arah Julieta, and the world of comedy for Caeli Thoma. The theatre industry took a major hit during the recent recession but, according to the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), it is making a healthy comeback. The numbers of season ticket holders, and ticket sales in general, is on the rise, giving hope for the future. However the past five years a new trend has been developing. Theatre’s have begun to struggle to pay for day-to-day operations and upkeep, a serious concern for anyone seeking employment in the field. Hopefully a few more years from now we will see a reversal of this lack of funding, either that or American theatre may give way to the trend for European troupes, non-permanent theatrical venues which greatly reduce the cost of overhead. According to Splitsider, Chicago is the place to be to start out in comedy. With venues such as iO and Second City providing classes and workshops, there are plenty of opportunities to start in comedy. Even though there is a clear lack of the entertainment industry in Chicago, many comedians have graduated from these classes and moved on to be some of the biggest comedians in Hollywood. Second City is home to some of the most famous comedians, especially most comedians who move on to become a player Saturday Night Live. There are bars and comedy clubs that frequently host open mics, allowing anyone to participate. Chicago is definitely a great city to start a comedy career in if the talent is committed and driven.

Artist Bio: T’Arah Julieta was born in Helena, Montana. Destined to perform, she began dancing and singing in her Father’s band at the age of 5. Since then she has lived all over, moving from Montana to Virginia to California to South Korea and finally to Chicago where she resides now, performing and training as she went. In Virginia T’Arah joined the SPARC theatre program where she met director Frank J Ballestros. Mr. Ballestros is the man who inspired T’Arah to really follow her dreams by pursuing musical theatre. T’Arah has always known she wanted to perform and musical theatre seemed the perfect

outlet to combine her love of acting, singing and dance. Throughout her career she has had the opportunity to play many roles ranging from Velma, in “Chicago”, to the Witch, in “Into the Woods”. T’Arah is currently furthering her studies at Columbia College Chicago where she is pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance. Caeli Thoma is a comedian from Oak Forest, Illinois. Since she was born, she’s been very passionate about singing and acting. In high school she landed lead roles in musicals such as “Grease” and “Beauty and the Beast”. She went to Columbia College Chicago to major in acting but left after only one year. She is currently focusing more on stand-up comedy. She first realized she wanted to become a comedian when she set a date to move to Los Angeles in 2010. Before she left, she took comedy classes to have more experience on her resume but loved it so much that she decided to stay in Chicago and advance in comedy. So far, she has graduated all levels of improv training at comedy club iO and is in the all girl comedy troupe, Taco Tuesdays.

Key Players: These are the bios of the people who helped make all of this possible, including management. Janelle Azmy has been involved in the Arts for the past 6 years. She began as an actress but has moved into management. Her previous experience involved dealing with scheduling and choreography for a local dance studio and event planning, fundraising and general organization for the KH Players theatre group. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri she is currently a sophomore at Columbia College Chicago where she is majoring in Live & Performing Arts Management. She is currently managing performing artists, T’Arah Julieta. Janelle can be contacted at janelle.azmy@gmail.com. (See Appendix C for Janelle’s business card) Sara Saunier has fundraising for various theatre and music groups in and around Chicago. With a passion for the arts, she is currently attending Columbia College Chicago majoring in Arts Management. She’s currently focusing on theatre management and plans to graduate in the spring of 2015. Sara has taken classes such as Entertainment Marketing and Information Management which led her to have extensive knowledge in creating press kits and marketing plans. Originally from Oak Forest, a small town outside of Chicago, she has always had a love for theatre. She is currently managing comedian Caeli Thoma. Sara can be contacted at Sarasaunier@aol.com. (See Appendix D for Sara’s business card)

Audition log: Management’s first action taken for T’Arah was to begin researching auditions for the artist. Management wanted to be able to give the talent as many options as possible due to her busy schedule and her desire to get cast outside of school. Management found the website “http://www.theatreinchicago.com/auditions/” the most useful for finding and securing the talent auditions. The website provides free access to a multitude of auditions in the Chicago area and also gives the contact information for the company so getting in touch with the company is easy. It is also easy to navigate. Management originally used Actors Access for auditions but found the other website easier to navigate (especially since it was only in the Chicago area) and it had the same auditions posted. Regardless management set up an Actor’s Access account for T’Arah. Management would send T’Arah a list of upcoming auditions via email with all the information and a link to the website so that she could email her headshot and resume. Management sent a total of 29 audition listings to the talent. The only problem was that the talents schedule was very busy and she was unable to find the time for many of the auditions but management did not stop sending her possible auditions. Now that the shows T’Arah was working on are coming to an end she plans to go on many more auditions so management will continue its strategy of providing listings. Thru this strategy T’Arah was able to submit and secure two auditions outside of Columbia College, one at Columbia College (and a callback) and she is scheduled to attend two open call auditions within the first weeks of December. (See Appendix E for audition log) Before starting the management process with Caeli, management asked her if she had any sites that she knows of for finding comedy auditions and stand-up gigs. She knew of “http://www.chicagoimprov.org” which led management to find a couple of auditions around the comedy scene in Chicago. This included auditions for improv house teams and open mics. The website was checked frequently but wasn’t updated as much as management would have liked. Management then looked into all the possible open mics where she can perform at “http://www.comedyofchicago.com/p/chicago-open-miclist.html”. Because she wants to branch out more as an artist, management was also looking into auditions for musical theatre and acting. Caeli and management would meet a few times and management would give her a list of possible auditions. She seemed very hesitant about most of them and the others didn’t agree with her schedule. It was very difficult to agree on the same thing and for her to go on these auditions that she was sent. (See Appendix F for the audition log)

Artist branding: T’Arah’s real name is T’Arah Craig but she wishes to go by her stage name, T’Arah Julieta. T’Arah wants to present herself using this name as a way to differentiate herself from the masses. She want to use it a brand, a way to make her unique. She also feels that it suits her better. T’Arah Julieta, she believes, is closer to the person she presents than T’Arah Craig. T’Arah has been using this stage name for several years now and has altered her social media to use this name also. Management did not fight talent on T’Arah’s wish to use her stage name. T’Arah is an extremely versatile performance artists. She is able to play a wide range of ages and is a UE (unidentified ethnic) which allows her to play many different ethnicities. The name Julieta suits that sort of artists better than the name Craig. Management also believes that it IS a way for the artist to differentiate herself from the other artists she will be competing against for roles. The name also has a nice ring to it, it rolls of the tongue and has a sing-songy quality to it, making it more memorable. Management believes T’Arah’s stage name could be very effective IF it is marketed correctly. It should also be noted that since most of T’Arah’s social media accounts have been altered to use her stage name the name already has a digital footprint. That said management knows that allowing the talent to use this name could be problematic. The name Julieta could box the talent in to Hispanic roles instead of allowing her to play off her versatility. The name can be a mouthful. Management has already received some critics on the use of the stage name and knows that many agents will not like it. Management has presented these problems to the talent, but talent is set on keeping her stage name at present. Management will continue to advise talent on this issue, especially when the team begins to seek agent representation. Management knows it will not be easy but is currently standing by talents wishes. Caeli’s headshot is appropriate for her career in stand-up. In the one that was sent on auditions, she is smiling and looks full of life. Comedians are supposed to be portrayed as light hearted and not too serious and her headshot gives off that exact image. Further down in the plan, management explains the problems that they had with the headshot that management was given by Caeli. Training: Both artists represented by management have had previous training in their field of interest. This is a description of the talents training and what management believes each artist could do to improve themself.

T’Arah has been trained as a dancer for many years. She spent 10 years studying and performing with the Latin Ballet of Virginia as well as the Ann Catherine Cross School of Dance in Virginia. There she studied Flamenco, Argentine Tango, Hula, Tahitian, Ballroom, Latin, Hip-Hop, Break dance, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, African and Musical theatre style of dance. She also studied Aerial Silks under Robin Berry for 2 years. T’Arah is currently taking private voice lessons under Sharon Carlson at Columbia College of Chicago, and has been doing so for 2 years now. T’Arah is currently receiving further training by pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at Columbia College of Chicago. Management believes that T’Arah could benefit from a private acting coach, since she has never done so and it could help not only her performance but also her resume. While she will be receiving acting training at school she has yet to receive one-on-one training. If one of her professors offers one-on-one lessons that would be entirely reasonable. If not management’s research discovered that one of the premier acting coaches in Chicago (Janet B Milstein) offers one-hour lessons for $50. T’Arah is already receiving dance and private vocal training through her college education at Columbia. Management does not feel the need for her to have any further training in those areas at this time outside of school, especially due to the fact that T’Arah is extremely busy and is having trouble finding time to audition as is.

Caeli has completed all five levels of improvisation training at the Chicago comedy club, iO with teachers Timmy Mayse, Colleen Doyle, Jason Shotts, Craig Uhlir, and Tara DeFrancisco. She has also completed level one training of stand up for Zanies comedy club. At Columbia College Chicago, she took Acting I with Kristen Fitzgerald and the class Voice Training for the Actor with Paul Amandes. She’s taken two improv workshops with Farrell Walsh and Jorin Garguilo at Chemically Imbalanced Theatre. She also took a workshop at Committed Character, Committed Scene at Second City with Andel Sudik. Management believes that Caeli should take the Solo Performance class offered by iO. The cost is $280 for an eight-week class. This will give her more insight and preparation into performing on her own. She should also take Writing for Stand-Up 101 at The Second City so she can get more experience with creating well-written, funny material. This class is $320 for taking a three-hour class for eight weeks

Management is under the impression that while both artists have received training they can never be done learning. We believe that continuing their education can do no harm and will provide them infinite opportunities to network and increase their skill sets. Headshot Critiques: T’arah’s previous headshots were well done and professional, she did not want to get new headshots. Unfortunately they were from several years ago, and while she doesn’t look very different overall her hair is significantly shorter. Right before she had those headshots done she had just played the role of Velma in “Chicago” and had to cut her hair off into an extremely stylized and short bob cut. T’Arah is now growing her hair back out to its original length and so this difference demanded management get her new headshots. Short on time (she had auditions coming up) and money, management was able to use the services of Hayley Haaland, a photography major at Columbia College Chicago. Hayley was not seeking payment. The class heavily critiqued these headshots. Management explained to talent that they would begin seeking a more professional photographer for more headshots, talent did not want to. Talent wanted to keep Ms. Haaland’s headshots for now as “interim” headshots at least until after the winter holidays when talent felt that she would have the time and money to pursue professional headshots. Management conceded knowing that while T’Arah does need new headshots as soon as possible she is also under the pressure and stress of many commitments. Management did however do the research for possible photographers when talent is ready to seek headshots. Aaron Gang Photography ($250+), Organic Headshots ($220+), Austin D. Oie Photography ($350) and 312 Elements Photography ($299+) all received high ratings at competitive prices for good headshots. Management has sent the information and the links for these studios to T’Arah. (See Appendix G for T’Arah’s previous headshots) (See Appendix H for T’Arah’s interim headshots) Caeli worked with photographer Lauren Rady when she got her initial headshots. She was able to get them at a extremely discounted price ($20) since she worked with the photographer before. But before working with management, Caeli was sending out a headshot where she wasn’t smiling and it seemed very dramatic. While the headshot would be great for acting auditions, it was not good for her comedy career. After approaching Caeli with this concern, she agreed and then stated that she needed new headshots. That headshot was only sent out when she was submitted for acting roles. We were able to use another headshot where she was smiling that seemed more comedyesque. That headshot was sent out when she was submitted for improv auditions. Caeli plans on getting new headshots with the same photographer, who is now charging $50 for

Caeli, but is still in the process of making the appointment since her schedule has been busier lately. (See Appendix I for Caeli’s headshot selection)

Resume: As stated in the previous section T’Arah required new headshots. These headshots are not perfect so they are serving as more interim headshots while both T’Arah and management research and secure a professional photographer with experience taking headshots. T’Arah’s Resume was in pretty good shape. Management edited it for spacing and formatting mostly. The only conflict that arose out of it was that talent wanted to keep her personal email listed, “rockabillygirl”, and management encouraged talent to get a more professional email. Talent was reluctant because original email address was “a conversation starter”. Talent eventually conceded and got a professional email that she now uses, tarah.julieta@gmail.com. (See Appendix J for T’Arah’s final headshot and resume) (See Appendix K for T’Arah’s original resume before management’s editing) As mentioned in the previous section, Caeli’s current headshots were taken by photographer and friend, Lauren Rady. Caeli is currently working on setting up an appointment to create more current headshots since the ones shown were taken over a year ago. Caeli’s resume was better than management expected. Not a lot of tweaking was needed. There were some formatting issues with it such as not all of the columns were aligned. She also needed to update her emails address. She’s been using the email address that she got while attending Columbia College Chicago for one year and has never updated it. Management convinced her to change it and use a more professional email address. She’s now using caeli.thoma@gmail.com. (See Appendix L for Caeli’s finalized headshot and resume)

Promotions: T’Arah’s current works have been as choreographer for Columbia College Chicago’s “New Stew: Student Showcase” and the senior directing project of “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot”. The showcase was promoted thru the school and T’Arah promoted it as well thru word-of-mouth, social media (Facebook) and

putting up posters for the production. “References to Salvador Dali” goes up in early December so T’Arah and the rest of the cast are busy finalizing the show. However T’Arah has begun getting the word out there about the show by promoting it to friends and colleges. Management has not focused on promotions for the artist because management believes that at this time is has a more important job to do, getting the artist booked. T’Arah is currently working on getting booked outside of her college, no small feat, so management has been focusing on finding auditions and helping T’Arah prepare for them. Caeli has not had much solo work to be promoted although when she does it is through her Twitter and Facebook accounts. Before working with management she did not have a video reel so management created one for her. Management has also suggested creating a “fan page” for Caeli on Facebook to differentiate between her personal account. The idea was initially declined but she has agreed to create one when she starts creating more work. Since she had no way of promoting herself, management started creating hype for her by word of mouth. Her twitter was posted on websites such as Tumblr and Facebook. Her work with improv troupe, Taco Tuesdays, is always being promoted. They have also posted on Twitter and Facebook but they also have created an emailing list that sends its recipients (friends and family and now fans) information about events.

Booking: Management struggled to get T’Arah out on 10 auditions because her schedule turned out to be more hectic than originally thought. Between school, homework and two productions she had very little time or energy to go on auditions. Management encouraged T’Arah to go on auditions but didn’t want to exhaust her. However they worked together as best they could to get her out on as many as possible. Now that both of the shows T’Arah is choreographing for are coming to a close she should have more time to audition and management has already begun planning for that. T’Arah was able to book as a speaker and performer in President Kwang-Wu Kim’s Induction ceremony at Columbia College of Chicago. T’Arah was able to get an audition slot for two shows, “Folk Bound” at the Duplicity Ensemble (See Appendix M) and “How Can You Run With a Shell On Your Back?” at the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center (Appendix N). T’Arah also auditioned for the Columbia College Chicago upcoming show “Violet” and got a call back (Appendix O). T’Arah will also be attending two open call auditions. One for the show “Passion” at the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre and for Drury Lane’s production of the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”. The Drury Lane show is an open call equity audition. This will be the first equity audition T’Arah will try to go for. It was recommended to her by

her teacher and director Ashton Byrum and researched by management. T’Arah will be attending the audition with the hopes that they will see her and she can begin working towards getting her equity card (one of her and managements future goals). (See Appendix P for a complete list of bookings) With her work with “Taco Tuesdays” and her part time job taking up mornings and afternoons, it was hard to find Caeli auditions that she could actually go on. She was submitted for a few acting roles on “www.casting-call.us” that she was interested in along with a modeling gig. Currently, we are looking into getting her to be an extra on the show “Chicago Fire” as that can be great to start putting more professional work on her resume. The main issue that we had with getting Caeli to auditions was that she did not like most of what was suggested and was uncomfortable with them which is why she was only submitted for a few. Management did they best they could trying to pick the auditions that Caeli would go on which is when we turned to comedy. Focusing more on comedy, she has gone on a few auditions that she unfortunately didn’t get. Management decided to convince her to do an open mic which was a difficult task to get her out of her comfort zone. Management and Caeli have agreed upon getting her to perform at an open mic at a local bar with the comedy company “The Standdown”. She was also booked for a stand up spot with the women of 2 Dames. (See Appendix Q for a complete list of bookings) Representation Strategy: T’Arah does not have agent representation at the moment and does not intend to seek it. Management agrees with this current decision but after graduation would like T’Arah to pursue agent representation so that she can begin to procure work more regularly and for payment. Even though T’Arah is not ready for agent representation Management has created a cover letter already for when she decides to pursue it (See Appendix R for Cover letter and Agencies). After researching different auditions to send Caeli on, management looked into all of the possibilities of representation that she can get. Many of the agencies that were found are in Chicago. If Caeli chooses to seek representation she should look into the local agencies in Chicago first before moving to L.A. or New York and signing with one there. At the moment, Caeli does not have representation and is also not intending on having one any time soon. It has been decided that it would be best for her to continue her training and become more skilled before finding working with an agent. Management has created a cover letter for her if and when she changes her mind about representation.

She would love to move to L.A. or New York and work with representation if, and only if, she is guaranteed work and has a steady income. (See Appendix S for Caeli’s Cover Letter and agencies) Web site/Technology/Social networking sites: T’Arah does not currently have a website. She has a Facebook and a twitter (https://twitter.com/rockabillygirl) but her wishes are that they remain for “personal use” at this time. Management is wary of T’Arah’s wishes to do so, because no social media is “personal” it is all out there for everyone to see. Management is working on getting talent to set up a “professional” twitter. Management is also working on getting the talent to censor her Facebook page so it is more business appropriate. This was one the talents weaknesses from the beginning (little censorship) and management realizes this is a very serious issue, however it is an issue that is taking time and much coaxing to resolve. Ideally management would like control, or at least the right to review the talents social media posts but at this time talent does not want that. Management is working on building the trust of the talent to where this strategy could be implemented. Management was hoping to start a business twitter account for T’Arah so that she could have a separate account to promote the productions she’s in with a more filtered system but she was not interested in the idea and didn’t want to do it because she didn’t think she would use it. Management then proposed that they manage the account to promote her shows but talent does not wish them to do that at this time. T’Arah did not have a professional email before management but management set her up an account. She can now be reached at tarah.julieta@gmail.com. Caeli currently does not have a website but management has created one for her. Branding her as a comedian, management believes that she needs all of the exposure that she can get. She also has a Twitter (Twitter.com/Caelilu) which was intended for personal use but after reviewing it by management, it’s clear it can be used professionally. She also has a Facebook, which is used just for personal use. As mentioned previously, management has suggested the idea of creating a fan page for her on Facebook but then both came to the agreement that Caeli should be producing steadier work before making one. Her comedy troupe, Taco Tuesdays, has a Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube account that are all updated frequently when new information is out.

Special Events/Benefits/Charity: T’Arah was involved in several SPARC Virginia benefit’s in the past as a performer. Most recently she was a speaker at the Columbia College Chicago induction for new president Kwang-Wu Kim. As of right now she is focusing on her school work and has no further plans for benefit work but is open to it should the opportunity arise. Management believes that while T’Arah should continue to put her energy into school and auditioning for professional theatre companies perhaps come summer she could participate in another charity event. Not only are charity events a good cause that helps build a resume, but they are a perfect opportunity for her to network with other artists that she wouldn’t have a chance to work with otherwise. Link to T’Arah’s performance at the SPARC scholarship benefit cabaret: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZmz8RYBJK0 In 2012, Caeli was able to perform with her improv troupe, Taco Tuesdays, to support the cause for eliminating domestic violence in the Chicago community. This event was hosted by 2 Dames Inc. to support Family Rescue Inc. She is planning on doing it again in December of 2013. Management strongly suggests Caeli to start becoming involved with more benefits and charity events. These events will allow her to make connections with people who could take her farther in her career and would also look great on her resume for future employers. Partnerships with Other Artists: T’Arah has collaborated with several other artists over the years. She and fellow Columbia College BFA musical theatre student, Lauren Griffith, co-choreographed the 2013 new student showcase, New Stew. During that production she was under the direction of Ashton Byrum, professor at Columbia College. T’Arah worked with Ashton previously in her own 2012 showcase where they met, he asked her back to choreograph the 2013 showcase. T’Arah has also worked with Diego Gomez, a directing student at Columbia College. She choreographed for his production of “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot”. Previously T’Arah collaborated with a member of the Latin Ballet of Virginia, William Sterling Walker. They created a performance piece together and performed it. (See Appendix T for Ashton Byrum’s credentials)

Caeli has partnered with fellow comedians McKenzie Morrell, Ali Carney, Kate Nolan, Jess Gisin, Kenzie Seibert, and Lauren Summers with her work with Taco Tuesdays. She’s also had hands on experience with working with teachers Craig Ulhir, Jason Shotts, TImmy Mayse, Colleen Doyle and Tara DeFrancisco. She has developed close relationships with everyone mentioned above. Caeli has met more connections through these people that have allowed her more work and has also heard of auditions through them. (See Appendix U for teacher biographies) Both artists had built up an artistic community around them before management's involvement. Management hopes to continue both artists desire to network and collaborate, which we believe to be extremely important and of infinite value to all parties involved. Video Reel: T’Arah Julieta does not currently have a reel. Some segments of her performances and choreography can be found online, but they are not professional or planned footage. T’Arah does not feel the need to have a reel at this point in her career. T’Arah wants to break out into the Chicago professional musical theatre scene, for which a reel is not required at this time. She does not seek to do film or commercial work. T’Arah is focusing on finding and attending professional theatrical auditions in the Chicago area and management agrees and supports this decision. Below links have been provided for the performances that can be found online of T’Arah: SPARC benefit cabarethttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZmz8RYBJK0 “The Stars and the moon” performancehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkP8aFy_mys 2013 New Stew Showcase (Columbia College Chicago)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt29_-7UP-E Before working with management, Caeli did not have a video reel. Management thought that a video reel would be prudent for her since a major aspect of her stand-up career will depend on videos of her material. Since she has not had much solo work, especially on video, it was hard to get a lot of good recorded material of her. Management had to take clips of her performing with her comedy troupe, Taco Tuesdays, and create a video out of those. While the videos that were uploaded were not the best

performances the girls have done, management was able to find clips of Caeli that allowed her comedy to shine.

SWOT Analysis on each talent: Management created a SWOT analysis for both artists, neither had one previously. We created these analyses based upon our previous knowledge of the artist, their resume and by interviewing them. This helped management to get a greater understanding as to what the artists themselves believed to be their strengths and weaknesses, along with what management already saw to be. T’Arah Julieta: Strengths: Artist is driven extremely versatile Talented Her look allows for versatility Fast learner Varied dance background/ highly trained Excellent singer Easily liked Weaknesses: Artist is extremely lively which can come off as sporadic at times and she doesn’t filter her social media (can be unprofessional) She can get very stuck on an idea just because she likes it and not want to change for practical reasons A little hardheaded Opportunity: Artist already receiving offers as a choreographer Connections of professors Artist is new to the Chicago scene so there is a real chance to brand her and get her out there Threats: Highly competitiveness of the city My limited experience as a manager Artist has a fairly busy schedule already

Caeli Thoma: Strengths: · Multi-talented (acting, singing, dancing, comedy) · Charismatic and naturally funny in every day conversations · Always aware of when she has auditions · Takes criticism very well and not afraid to improve · Has the personality that will make people fall in love with her Weaknesses · Not always punctual · Can sometimes be lazy · She’s her worst critic which could lead to possible self doubt · Her job as a nanny might conflict with her auditions · The comedy troupe she’s in might be more demanding of her Can be afraid of going out of her comfort zone Opportunities · Always new rising comedians · Open mics will never be in short supply · She’s got the “Hollywood” image to possible progress her career · Podcasts are becoming more popular so there’s a chance she could have an opportunity on one · Even though they’re not very big, she has some connections · Not restricted to only comedy Threats · New rising women comedians which could lead to more competition · Stigmas against women comedians could hurt her chances · Might not have many opportunities in Chicago · The industry may be too financially demanding in the beginning

Goals: Management created T’Arah’s list of goals based upon her interview. We took into account what the artist herself desired to accomplish and created the timeline based upon what management saw as attainable. Some of the goals further down the timeline were added solely by management (such as seeking agent representation) because management believes these to be vital steps in T’Arah’s career even though she hasn’t yet thought to seek agent representation.

3 months (this semester): - Compile/perfect artist’s information (headshot, resume) - Get artist auditions outside of Columbia - Really create a definite brand for the artist - Continue seeking work for artist as a choreographer - Get artist booked as a performer 6 months: - Get artist booked outside of Columbia - Get artist back into Health Coaching - Begin seeking work for artist as a choreographer outside of Columbia - Collaborate with other artists to create a Cabaret show to showcase artist - Get artist auditions for ingénue type roles 1 year: - Reopen artists website for health coaching, start offering group sessions - Produce Cabaret to showcase artist to draw attention - Get artist bookings with and outside of Columbia - Ingrain artist in the network in the city 3 years: - Hire other help on to help artist (agent, etc.) - Continue to get artist bookings in Chicago - Send artist on Auditions to other major cities - Artist gets into Grad. School for Dance Therapy - Artist continues health coaching, one-on-one and groups - Get artist unionized and equity 5 years: - Get artist booked outside of Chicago - Artist is still getting booked and is well ingrained in the Chicago scene - Start working on artist opening own dance therapy studio - Artist still choreographing on the side Caeli’s Goals 3 months: · Attend open mics and participate in at least one to gain more experience in stand up · Get booked for a show no matter how small

· Have artist make more connections with more comedians and teachers - Get Caeli to do more things out of her comfort zone such as auditioning for gigs she wouldn’t normally audition for 6 months · Move onto open mics that give more than five minute stage time · Take more stand up classes - Create a Facebook page after having developed a steady following 1 year · Have Caeli be a recognizable name for fellow comedians in Chicago · Double Caeli’s Twitter followers from 350 to 700 - Create a website for Caeli’s comedy - Have a tight, well written stand up set 3 years · Try getting into commercials · Be on a touring comedy troupe or a sketch show 5 years - Start looking into talent representation - Move to LA or NY to attain better TV opportunities - Open for a well known stand up comedian · Look into the process of auditioning for Saturday Night Live

Financial: Since T’Arah is currently in school most of her training she pays for with tuition, which cannot be included in the financial form. However there were a few things she pays for out of pocket that management was able to record (sheet music downloads, dance workshops, vocal workshops, tights and dance shoes). (See Appendix V for T’Arah’s financial form) Caeli is currently paying for everything out of pocket. She uses public transportation which is not included on the financial form but she’s taken many workshops and classes that can be included and more. (See Appendix W for Caeli’s financial form)

Conclusions: Although talent was unable to secure a booking outside of Columbia it was a step in the right direction and progress was made. The team up has proved advantageous for both parties involved. Talent was able to find and seek auditions outside of school with the support and help of management. Management was able to get experience working with an artist, and a talented hardworking artist at that. T’Arah was able to grow as an artist and Janelle was able to grow as a manager. That said it wasn’t without its mishaps. Scheduling for such a busy artist was a challenge for management. Janelle struggled to know when to push T’Arah and when to cut her some slack. T’Arah also found it a new challenge having someone so personally helping her with her career choices, since she was so used to doing it all herself. It wasn’t easy, but both learned a lot from each other. The duo has decided to continue working together for the rest of this year, at least, to see what else they can accomplish together. Caeli and Sara made a great team together but struggled to find the time to work together that fit both of their schedules. While it was a great experience for both, the two will not continue working together. This decision was mainly due to schedules. The two did have a great time working together and took tips from each other to grow as an artist and as a manager. Caeli learned that she must be fully committed to her work as a comedian if she wants to break out in the industry and Sara learned that she must have the patience and dedication to trying to find another person work.

24. Appendix A. Preliminary Interview Questions Real Name: T’Arah Craig Stage Name: T’Arah Julieta 1. What are their goals? (3 months, 1 year and 5 year) Will you be able to achieve those 3 month goals with them or are you in over your head? Are you on the same page and heading in the same direction regarding their goals? 3 months: T’Arah wants to be performing and choreographing through Columbia and to be auditioning outside of Columbia. 1 year: T’Arah wants to be getting booked outside of Columbia as a dancer and in musicals 5 years: T’Arah wants to be finishing Grad. School here (Dance Therapy) and to begin the process of opening her own studio for dance therapy. She wants to be working as a dance therapist and also as a performer/choreographer. I will definitely be able to handle her 3-month goals and I am on board for her vision of the future. If it works out well I’d love to continue helping her in her in her bigger goals.

2. Do they currently have a headshot and resume? How current are the photos? T’Arah currently has headshots (a year old) and a resume. In the headshots she has short hair, while currently her hair is longer and she plans on growing it out. 3. Do they currently have any of the following: • Website (personal or affiliated with any other entertainment websites)? She has an old website that she no longer updates related to Health Coaching. • Social networking sites (will you be allowed access to any of these?) She has a non-professional Twitter and Facebook. I will not be accessing these. • Reel She does not currently have a reel. 4. What type of training has your talent had?

-Health Coaching Program -18 month program -Barbazan Agency as a child -Dance training since 5 yrs. old -Latin Ballet of Virginia 5 yrs. (15-20) -Voice lessons - Mezzo-belter, currently a student of Sharon Carlson (CCC) -SPARC program -Been involved in approximately 20 shows all together -Sophomore Musical Theater CCC BFA 5. Do they absolutely love what they do? Are they doing what they do for the love of it or do they want to make a million dollars and live in a mansion on the hill? Either way, can you handle it? T’Arah is a performer because she loves it. She is in no way in it for money or fame only, which I can definitely handle. 6. Do they have any existing deals (management, productions, theater or dance company?) Will any of these deals conflict with or complicate your involvement? Can they legally move forward with you or do you have to buy somebody out, co-manage with somebody else, help get the artist out of an existing contract, etc.? No existing contracts but she is currently Co-Choreographing the ‘New Stew Showcase’ (CCC, Ashton Byrum) and Choreographing ‘References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot’ (CCC, senior-student directing project) 7. Where do they live? City. How often have you agreed to contact each other regarding this project? And how? (in-person, internet, phone) Best way to stay in contact will be phone and Facebook. Email is also an option: tarah.craig@colum.edu OR rockabillygirl93@gmail.com. I will be in contact with her on a regular basis, but at least weekly updates are in order. She lives in the city, off the Addison stop (redline), which makes face-to-face contact easier. 8. Do they belong to any unions, organizations, associations or guilds? Do they have any contracts that affect your involvement with them? She does not belong to any of these.

9. Have they had an agent or a manager previously? If so, what is the status of that relationship? T’Arah had an agent as a child (Barbazan Agency) but she has not since then. She left the agency because they were ripping her off. 10. Are you interested and ready for agency representation? Any plans on moving to LA or NYC? She is unsure about agency representation at this time and currently has no plans on moving out of Chicago. 11. What age range do they see themself being submitted for? (Actors or commercial dancers only) T’Arah can be submitted for ages 16-25 or 26 (she is currently 20 going on 21) 12. What age range do they see themselves right for? (Actors & Commercial Dance) T’Arah enjoys playing older characters, this is what she is usually cast for, however she would like to also play her actual age group. 13.

What is their current availability for sending them out on auditions? She is free for auditioning weekends (Fri-Sun) and weekdays (afternoon/evening). She is ready to begin being sent on auditions.

14.

What do they believe are their strengths and their weaknesses as an artist? T’Arah believes: Strengths: varied background in dance, has more ethnic look, strong singer, dedicated, driven, wide vocal range, pick up stuff well, choreographer, random special skills, pig training, independent eye movement, character actress (wants to try ingénue), good at memorization, comedian Weaknesses: takes some time to learn accents, busy schedule

15. From the artist point of view, what do they believe is their mission statement? (What does the artist offer to their audience? what is the essence of their craft? What makes them different from any other actor or dancer out there?) “I think that in order for a performance, or performer, to be good you have to be aware of what the audience wants and be aware that there watching you. Instead of just performing stuff and memorizing stuff and losing my mind I want to make sure every single word in a song, or a word in a script, is there for a reason, and I think that artists need to be aware of that and see the subtext. The authors put everything there for a reason! I want people to walk away with an understanding of subtext and they need to understand musical theatre as an art and as a form of communication. I want it to be appreciated. People rely on the actor to create the character rather than seeing the music as telling the story and creating the character. It’s meant to say this is how it is; this is how it is through my eyes, as the character. That’s what makes it so good, it gives it so much more context.” - T’Arah 16. What was your last booking (show, performance, etc.)? How did you obtain that booking? As a performer: the Dragon/Witch in Shrek this summer. The company sought her out because they knew her (she worked with them as a kid). She sent them in a video audition at their request.

B. Preliminary Interview Questions Caeli Thoma 1. What are their goals? (3 months, 1 year and 5 year) Will you be able to achieve those 3 month goals with them or are you in over your head? Are you on the same page and heading in the same direction regarding their goals? Caeli’s goals for the next three months are to get booked for at least a webseries or a sketch show. For the next year, her goals are to start doing commercials and in the next five years she would like to be on a touring company for improv or on a main stage for stand-up. 2.

Do they currently have a headshot and resume? How current are the photos?

She currently has headshots and a resume. She needs to spruce up the resume a bit and would like to update her headshots but they are very recent. 3. · · ·

Do they currently have any of the following: Website (personal or affiliated with any other entertainment websites)? Social networking sites ( will you be allowed access to any of these?) Reel

She only has a twitter and a Facebook that I will be able to access but won’t be managing the accounts. 4.

What type of training has your talent had?

Caeli has studied musical theatre for one year. She’s also had one year of improv training at Improv Olympics and has also taken an intro level stand up class. 5. Do they absolutely love what they do? Are they doing what they do for the love of it or do they want to make a million dollars and live in a mansion on the hill? Either way, can you handle it? Caeli loves what she does. She stated “I’m obviously doing stand up because I love it because you couldn’t make money as a comedian even if you tried.” I will be able to handle it because I feel it will make it so worthwhile and fun to work with someone who is so excited about what they’re doing. 6. Do they have any existing deals (management, productions, theater or dance company?) Will any of these deals conflict with or complicate your involvement? Can they legally move forward with you or do you have to buy somebody out, comanage with somebody else, help get the artist out of an existing contract, etc.? She currently does not have any deals going on. 7. Where do they live? City. How often have you agreed to contact each other regarding this project? And how? (in-person, internet, phone) She lives in Chicago and meeting up is not going to be a problem. We’ll probably meet up in person at least five or six more times. 8. Do they belong to any unions, organizations, associations or guilds? Do they have any contracts that affect your involvement with them?

She doesn’t belong to any of those. 9. Have they had an agent or a manager previously? If so, what is the status of that relationship? She has not had a manager. 10. Are you interested and ready for agency representation? Any plans on moving to LA or NYC? She is absolutely interested in representation and if she is guaranteed a job, she will most certainly move to LA or NYC. 11. What age range do they see themself being submitted for? (Actors or commercial dancers only) 18-28 12. What age range do they see themselves right for? (Actors & Commercial Dance) 18-28 13. What is their current availability for sending them out on auditions? She is available every day after five excluding Thursdays. 14. What do they believe are their strengths and their weaknesses as an artist? Her strengths are: taking criticism well (almost thriving on it), charismatic, can pick up things easily, always remembers auditions. Her weaknesses are: she can be lazy (which is why she never had representation yet), she’s her worst critic, and she can be late to things. 15. From the artist point of view, what do they believe is their mission statement? (What does the artist offer to their audience? what is the essence of their craft? What makes them different from any other actor or dancer out there?) Caeli believes that she can bring relatable comedy to the young adult to adult demographic by talking about relatable issues.

16. What was your last booking (show, performance, etc.)? How did you obtain that booking? She was on a web series in mid-June. She knew the writer and auditioned via video submission with the director

C. FRONT

BACK

29 Â

R. Sample Cover letter to Paonessa Talent Agency

Caeli’s potential buying clients: Big Mouth Talent 900 N. Franklin Street Suite 403-1 Chicago, IL 60610-3124 Gray Talent Group 727 S. Dearborn St., Suite 312 Chicago, IL Phone: 312-663-1659 Fax: 312-663-1797 Shirley Hamilton Inc. 333 E. Ontario Suite 302 Chicago, IL 60610 Phone: 312-787-4700 Funny Business Agency 100 Grandville Ave SW #040 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Phone: (616) 949-7387 Fax: (888) 308-9644 Fax Stewart Talent 58 W. Huron

Chicago, IL 60654 Phone 312-943-3131 Fax: 312-943-0527

T. Ashton Byrum’s Credentials “Acting credits include three seasons on Broadway in Susan Stroman’s annual A Christmas Carol as Young Marley with Tim Curry, F. Murray Abraham and Jim Dale. National Tours include Mel Brooks’ The Producers (Springtime Tenor), Fiddler On The Roof (Fyedka), Tommy Tune’s revival of Grease! (Eugene and Teen Angel) and The Will Rogers Follies. He toured Europe in Frank Dunlop’s production of My Fair Lady and has played roles in regional theatres around the country including Paper Mill Playhouse, Denver Center Theatre Company, Ogunquit Playhouse, Arkansas Repertory Theatre and Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Directing credits include: Orpheus Descending (Cincinnati Acclaim Award), Anything Goes, Urinetown (CEA nomination – Best Musical), Godspell, and Giving Up Later (Cincinnati Fringe Festival). He earned an MFA in Directing from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) in 2010. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA).” (http://www.colum.edu/Academics/Theater/faculty/ashton-byrum.php)

U. Craig Ulhir’s Biography “After performing with the Second City Touring Company for over two years , including tours in Alaska, Hawaii, Austria, and even Iraq and Kuwait, Craig did more. He went on to perform in Las Vegas for Second City at the Flamingo for another few years. He has played at ComedySportz and iO in the past, and still plays every week Sundays at iO in Deep Schwa and Middle Age Comeback. Craig has been teaching and coaching improv for over ten years and performing since 1995. Yes.” Colleen Doyle’s Biography Colleen Doyle grew up, and became terrified of professional sports, in Cleveland. There she wrote greeting cards and performed with The Second City. Since then she has had the good fortune to play all the way from Maine to Ireland to the waters of the Caribbean. Currently Colleen can be seen with the ensembles Mountain Dawn, Dummy, Ringo Starr and Virgin Daiquiri. She is very happy to teach at iO and grateful for all those who’ve gently shoved her along the way. Jason Shotts’ Biography Jason Shotts has been a part of the iO Theater for the past eight years. He’s been lucky enough to play with the groups Dummy, Henrietta Pussycat, Armando Diaz, OTIS, Willie Nelson Slept Here, Cougars, FELT, Brad Renfro, Mayhem, Chesterfield, Dr. Shotts and Big Rig. At the 2011 Del Awards, he received the Del for “Excellence in Teaching”. He knows that awards mean next to nothing and you should never take them seriously, but he still thinks that one is pretty cool. Meow, meow

Bibliography:

Actors Access. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://secure.actorsaccess.com/register/index.cfm?step=3 Byrne, Matt. "Guide to Chicago's Comedy Scene." Splitsider. Splitsider, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. Casting Call. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.casting-call.us/ Chicago Improv. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.chicagoimprov.org/activity.php Theatre communications group. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tcg.org Theatre in Chicago auditions. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.theatreinchicago.com/auditions/ Actor, director & performer expense worksheet. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.artstaxinfo.com/actors.shtml