The Geography of Off Broadway.

Tag: what you didn’t learn in school, and todes need to know.

Subject: Off Broadway Agreement — Off Broadway Area

Fact: The Off Broadway Agreement is only applicable to productions presented in the borough of Manhattan, so even though your theater is located in that alley way off of Broad St. in Richmond, Virginia you cannot call it Off Broadway (*cough *Firehouse *cough*).

For those of you who might be confused about the term “borough,” I’ll clarify. I live in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is one of 5 boroughs that give you the right to say, “I live in New York City.” A borough is essentially an administrative way to organize a city (because in America we don’t actually understand the real concept of a governing “state”).

The Actor’s Equity Association Off Broadway Agreement defines the geographical boundaries of Off Broadway. The Off Broadway Agreement states that it’s contract “may not be used in any theatre located in an area bounded by Fifth and Ninth Avenues from 34th Street to 56th Street and by Fifth Avenue and the Hudson River from 56th Street to 72 Street.” See map above.

Fact: Equity can give written permission to allow this contract otherwise, but it may not be used in any theatre having a capacity of more than 499.

Fact: Plays in development are not applicable within this agreement.

Next Post: My personal struggle of understanding  correctly the differences between Production and Special Production and other contracts….. and stuff….

~ by magic shel on June 15, 2009.