MITF Symposium December 6, 2011

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) presents the third annual MITF Symposium on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 7pm at The June Havoc Theatre in the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, 312 W 36th St., first floor, NYC. Admission is FREE and reservations are not required.

This year’s Symposium will feature a panel of festival staff and previous Festival participants. The panel will discuss the Festival and the reasons to choose the Festival. There will be a short presentation followed by a question-and-answer session; the panelists will also be available after the symposium to address individual concerns.

“The panel will illustrate for self-producing artists and would-be Off-Broadway producers why the MITF is a valid alternative to bigger festivals,” said John Chatterton, executive producer of the MITF.

The thirteenth season will run from July 17 – Aug. 12, 2012. Applications for the 2012 season are currently available online at www.midtownfestival.org.

The Festival accepts submissions in all genres – any sort of stage play, musical or otherwise, new or classic, mainstream or specifically focused on an ethnic or cultural niche, including solo shows. To be eligible, each show must have a producer and production team attached to the project. In addition, the MITF will include a Short Subjects division.

Mr. Chatterton created the MITF in 2000, a Midtown alternative to other theatre festivals, as a way to present the finest off-off Broadway talent in convenience, comfort, and safety. The MITF’s artistic emphasis is on the script itself and therefore the Festival requests minimal production values. It styles itself as “the festival that cares,” because of its high ratio of paid staff to participants compared to other festivals.

In addition to Mr. Chatterton, this year’s panel will include Erica Ruff, producer of last season’s ALICE: A NEW MUSICAL; Gerald vanHeerden, one of the Festival’s artistic directors; and Calvin Wynter, Internet outreach coordinator.

Application forms for the Midtown International Theatre Festival are available online at www.midtownfestival.org. Completed applications, scripts, production materials and a non-refundable reading fee of $30 (none for Short Subjects) must be mailed to: The Midtown International Theatre Festival, 1 Penn Plaza #6228, New York, NY 10119. All submissions must be postmarked by January 20, 2012 to guarantee consideration for the 2012 Festival. Pricing plans for shows vary. Details may be found at www.midtownfestival.org.

The 2012 Festival will take place at the June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the TBG Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 3rd floor; the Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor; and the Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor.

Further information about the MITF can be found in the Festival Manual at www.midtownfestival.org.