Winter 2008

Winter2008 Meeting - January 7, 2008

Attendance
I knew something was afoot when I arrived at five minutes before 7:00 and the parking lot at Longfellow House was full. This may have been the most attended meeting we’ve had since our original meeting at the Kennedy Library. Here’s who was there:

   * Ted Zalewski - aka Teddy Roosevelt, Postman Roulen, E Hemingway, our illustrious group leader
    * Bern Budd - aka Mark Twain
   * Kate Carney - aka Rachel Walker Revere, Bethinia Owens Adair, and others
   * Mary Ann Donnelly - aka Janis Joplin, Louisa May Alcott and others
   * Bill Hutchinson - aka Thomas Jefferson, Roger Williams, Henry David Thoreau and others
   * Wendell Refior - aka Ralph Waldo Emerson
   * Deb Goss - aka Mother Goose, Charlotte Cushman, History in Word and Song, the Proper Ladies
   * Josh Brackett - aka Pythagoras reincarnated
   * Janet Parnes - Royal Tea Parties
   * Camille Arbogast - aka Mary Stone (a servant)
   * Diane Strausberg - aka Catherine Codman (of Lincoln) with Camille Arbogast above
   * Mike Lowe - aka John F Kenndey
   * Jim Cooke - aka Calvin Coolidge, John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster
   * Sharon Wood - aka Mary Todd Lincoln, Betsey Phelps, Sarah Josepha Hale, storyteller, et al
   * Steve Wood - aka Abraham Lincoln
   * Stephen Collins - aka Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and others
   * Alex Daunis - aka Gilbert Stuart
   * JoJo LaRiccia - JoJo’s Dreamcart
   *Jessa Piaia - aka Susan B Anthony, Amelia Earhart, Rachel Walker Revere and others
    * Mike Francis - aka Galileo
   * Jim Shea our host at the Longfellow House

And new member:

   * Julie Marin - aka Julia Grant (wife of US Grant) and partner of Sam Grant aka US Grant who couldn’t attend

With so many attending, we broke from our usual agenda and decided to incorporate our topic, “What’s your best marketing idea?” into our “What’s up lately?” . Before we started though, the topic of the web site came up. This was the first meeting after the redesign and I was happy to find everyone seemed to like the new format. For several years we’ve had only the founding fathers (SoloTogether’s not the country’s) adorning the home page. Now we have all of the members who have been attending on a regular basis. This hopefully gives a first time visitor a better idea of the scope of performance they can find at SoloTogether. It was also decided that we will have an annual January donation (made to me, since we don’t have a bank account and I manage the expenses for the web site) of $10. Everyone seemed to think this was a good deal and I was quite happy since I’d just had the expense for setting up the new server for two years. We also solidified the policy that you need to attend two meetings to get onto the web page AND you also need to attend once in a while there after.

On to “What’s Up?”. Ted has come out of retirement already and is teaching (fill in) at Lexington High School. This hasn’t hampered his performance schedule too much though, he was at the Norman Rockwell Museum among several other bookings and will be heading to Japan in April and hopefully making a film at the Grand Canyon some time this Spring. Ted’s marketing tip - Sell again to whom you’ve sold before. You know they will book living history so remind them you and your character(s) are still available.

Kate Carney is heading out to Detroit with Juliette Daisy Low, her newest character. Kate’s marketing ideas included send the press action photos, they seem to like them better than portraits and she likes to send venues pre-made poster with some open white area for them to add their particular details for the event.

Stephen Collins is also doing some part time teaching but at independent living centers. He also has been marketing his shows to these organization with great success. He’s found a book with listings of all the independent living centers in Massachusetts. (contact Stephen if you’d like more information). Stephen also brought us up to date on how his Robert Frost second person program, poetry program and new Shakespear readings programs are going and encouraged all to find a good director or coach to work with when you put up a program. One other marketing idea which maybe you could adapt, Stephen found a Walt Whitman Dictionary, written by various Whitman scholars. It goes from a-z with the different scholars’ ideas on how Whitman felt about different subjects. Stephen sends a cover letter to the different authors and includes his program information, just in case they might have an opportunity to have Walt make a visit to their organization.

Alex Daunis has been working on several films this Fall so Gilbert has been put on the shelf for a while. If you go see “27 Dresses” look for Alex as the Episcopal priest, performing one of the weddings.

Steve Wood related his visit to a Civil War Expo and an interactive live TV program he performed as Abe Lincoln. Abe gave his address to 12 schools across the county as well as one class in the studio and then interacted with all. Despite some technical difficulties and the fact that students often do not listen to questions other students ask so they ask the same question again, it was quite an experience.

Sharon Wood, who also hires performers for her local library wanted to remind everyone to talk up SoloTogether when they are at a booking. Mr and Mrs Lincoln have gotten a job or two just because one of our other performers told the people who booked them to visit the SoloTogether web site. Sharon also wanted to let anyone interested to contact her if they are in the mood to perform at a library at a very reasonable price.

Josh Brackett (aka Pythagoras) has gotten a Mass Cultural Grant to perform his program for the first time for his hometown school. His suggestion for all, apply to your local cultural council and see if they’ve got any money for you. Josh also suggested SoloTogether find a way to use telemarketing to promote our group. If you can think of any ways to accomplish this let Ted know.

Camille Arbogast has been doing historical walking tours as well as her Mary Stone - 1806 maid along with her theatrical partner Diane Strausberg as Catherine Codman at the Codman House in Lincoln. Diane has also started doing walking tours.

Deb Goss has been visiting open mic nights for over a year and ran into Mike Lowe at working on his programs. Deb goes to test out songs for her History in Word and Song programs and also to just have fun. Jim Shea interjected how much the Longfellow House liked Deb’s participation in a program at the house last year.

Wendell Refior (second meeting) spoke a little about Ralph Waldo Emerson gigs he had this Fall and announced he will be delivering a “sermon” at the 1st Parish Church in Concord on January 22. He will be re-enacting on the spot where Emerson actually spoke. Wendell’s wife is also thinking of taking on Mrs. Emerson.

Mike Lowe related a horror story of the booking that got away. He was approached by major financial instituion (name withheld to prevent web spiders from cross indexing) to present as JFK at a corporate event. As you can imagine this could be a great booking, but as discussions progressed it turned out the financial institution was not so much interested in hearing the words of the former president, but rather have the former president herald the company line. Alas the “president” was not amused. The moral of the story, maintain the integrity of your character and you’ll feel better, though you may be a little poorer. Mike did appear at the Norman Rockwell Museum though (that’s two members so far, maybe you should contact them too) and he felt it may have been because he sends out 50 covers every week.

Bill Hutchinson was back for his second meeting though he’s been performing solo since 1980. Bill has started working with a student to pass his Thomas Jefferson program along to the next generation even though he seems to still be going strong. He related bringing his Roger Williams to a 5th grade class and was impressed with the reactions he got from the well prepared students.

Mary Ann Donnelly told us about her visit to the Key West Festival as Janis Joplin. She’s been getting around and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down as she will be going to the Edinburgh Frindge Festival in August. Mary Ann had several tips on marketing. She loves the Yellow Pages. She lists under several sections including historical performers and gets work. Suggestion, use a name that begins with A. She also showed us her business card (Do you have a business card? I’m out and needed one just yesterday.) and her’s has three in action photos so people can see just what she does. She also recommended everyone list with SEMLS (South East Massachusetts Library System).

Jim Cooke, who for someone who portrays Silent Cal, sure can speak quickly. Here is what I could catch. Jim had a great time in Russia with John Quincy Adams and at Mount Rushmore with Calvin Coolidge rededicating the monument. Marketing wise, he’s putting together a CD sampler of his Cranky Yankees, which should act as a demo and hopefully will be something he can sell at gigs. Jim also told us of an article Vermont Public Radio did which referenced him and he made sure to milk it for all he could. Jim tries to always respond to anything published about his characters in the press. One example, several years ago John Kenneth Galbraith had commented on Harry Turman’s autobiography and how it was the only example of a biography by a president in the 20th century. Jim of course contacted the noted economist to correct him and inform him of Calvin Coolidge’s biography. I’ve also gotten several ccs from Jim over the years with letters to the editors of all kinds of publications, setting the record straight on some blooper they had made on Calvin or one of the other Cranky Yankees. (Jim also responded to Stephen’s suggestion that we all try to find a good director or coach, reminding everyone that theater had survived until the last century with nary a director in sight.)

Bern Budd seems to have been collecting marketing ideas for quite a while. He likes to send out letters to places he’d like to perform, reminding them of Mark Twain’s birthday and somehow they get the idea it would be great to have Twain visit their institution for the occasion. Bern also suggested sending out your own press releases when you have a booking, many venues we visit have no pr department or any experience with press relations. Fill the house when they aren’t expecting it and they will remember you for a long time. He also told us about the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program. If you have a literary character you want to google this and see if you can get involved. Different institutions organize major events around literature and your character might fit in quite nicely.

Janet Parnes, the Etiquette Expert of 1890 suggested everyone look up the Association of Independent Schools of New England. http://www.aisne.org/ . They have a data base with all of the private schools of New England. She also recommended getting involved with the Massachusetts Housing TAP program. I haven’t had a chance to look this over yet myself, but Janet thinks they may be looking for programs just like ours.

JoJo LaRiccia’s next season of the currently running JoJo’s Dreamcart begins in February on RI Public TV. JoJo, along with being the principal talent on the program is learning how to underwrite and suggested, if you are going to a corporation to look for money, have an introduction, blind calls seem to go nowhere. JoJo also reminded everyone that besides being a performer she is a videographer for anyone who needs a demo, think of her. JoJo also had what may have been the blockbuster of the evening when she told us that the Boston University Ad Lab has a program that will allow you to have a marketing team of your own for one semester for $100. Her team redid her web page including adding interactivity, but they will put together whatever you think you might need.

Jessa Piaia told us about a little chat her Isabella Stewart Gardner had with Andrew Carnegie last year and a visit to Longfellow house by her Susanna Rowson. Jessa’s marketing suggestion, use email to market, it works.

Our last performer to speak was Julie Marin who portrays Julia Grant along with her husband Sam Grant who portrays Ulysses. The Grants visit with horses, swords and the general’s ever present cigar. Julie said they’ve had a lot of luck marketing to groups for fundraisers.

Jim Shea had lots to talk about, but time was running out so he focused on trying to find a way for SoloTogether to interact with the National Parks Service. They need programs like ours, we want to work in venues like theirs. How can we come together. Jim was hoping we could put out a brochure that he could get out to his contacts (I’ve been working on something like this along with the web update, but it was also suggested maybe we should look into the BU Ad Lab for this project). Jim would also like us to think of a way to have a showcase for the Parks Service. Hopefully we can put together a committee to get this done.

Finally it was decided we’ll stick to the three meetings a year schedule, the next meeting being the pot-luck-supper. It took about 20 minutes for all of the cars to get untangled in the parking lot of the carriage house and everyone on the road. I did see Sharon and Steve headed west on Route 16 on my way home and suspect they’d gotten lost again (they got lost on the way in), but without a way to attract their attention other than run them off the road, I can only hope they made it back to NH.

Mike Francis
Webmaster SoloTogether

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