Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) will bring together three pianists from distinct musical traditions for its latest weekly Community Gathering, continuing a virtual program that has developed into a regular forum for theater and arts professionals.
The New York-based nonprofit will present “Celebrating the Power of Music: Bringing Three Worlds Together in One Spotlight” on Friday, Aug. 21, at 5 p.m. ET via Zoom. The session will feature members of the crossover consortium pianoFORTEpianoFORTE!: avant-garde jazz-classical pianist Ethan Iverson, classical-to-contemporary pianist Beth Levin and vocalizing contemporary pianist Kathleen Supové.
The event comes during TRU’s sixth year of continuous weekly Community Gatherings. Since the series began on April 17, 2020, the organization has conducted more than 300 consecutive conversations covering theater, music, arts management and other issues affecting creative professionals.
Three Musical Perspectives Share One Spotlight
The Aug. 21 discussion will examine how Iverson, Levin and Supové developed their individual artistic careers and how their different musical approaches eventually brought them together to create pianoFORTEpianoFORTE!.
The conversation will explore the experiences and influences that shaped each musician’s artistic direction, as well as the ways their individual styles contrast with and complement one another.
TRU also plans to examine the business considerations behind the collaboration. Among the topics will be the audiences the three musicians hope to reach and whether combining their individual followings and cross-marketing their work could create a stronger audience base.
The Community Gathering series was originally established during the shutdown of live theater in 2020. Its initial purpose was to provide a place for professionals to discuss how art and theater could continue to be created during a period of widespread disruption.
TRU has continued the Friday gatherings as the performing arts sector returned to regular operations, expanding the discussions to cover artistic development, theater management, producing and the business of the arts.
The gatherings are free for TRU members. Non-members may also participate, with TRU requesting support through a $12 ticket, a donation or membership in the organization.
Upcoming Gatherings Turn to Theater Management
TRU has scheduled additional Community Gatherings following the Aug. 21 music discussion.
On Aug. 28, the organization will present “How a Playwright/Producer Found Himself Running a Theater. (More Than One.)” featuring Tony Sportiello, a playwright, librettist, producer and current artistic director of ATM Theater in New York City.
Sportiello’s work as a playwright includes LOL, National Pastime, Tickets, Please and Contract Time. His producing credits include the off-Broadway productions National Pastime, Sessions, An Evening at the Carlyle and The Devil and Billy Markham.
His career also includes involvement with The Workshop Theater and the formation of Algonquin Theater Productions. Sportiello and partner Al Tapper later transformed the former Blue Heron theater space into The Algonquin Theater. Following the pandemic, they took over the former 45th Street Theater and developed it into the AMT Theater.
B Street Theater Leadership to Join September Discussion
TRU’s Sept. 4 Community Gathering, titled “A Theater That Seems to Be Getting It Right: Why the “B” Gets an A!” will feature Lyndsay Burch, executive artistic director of B Street Theater in Sacramento, California.
Now in its 40th year, B Street Theater received an Outstanding Theater acknowledgement at the 2025 National Theater Conference. Originally established as a theater for children, the organization has developed a broader theater-for-all approach while maintaining a focus on family productions and educational programs.
The conversation will examine B Street Theater’s approach to programming and how the organization has worked to build consistently successful seasons.
TRU Continues Professional Development Programs
Theater Resources Unlimited is a 33-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on helping producers, emerging theater companies, writers, self-producing artists and other professionals understand and navigate the business of the arts.
Beyond its weekly Community Gatherings, TRU organizes monthly Town Halls addressing current social issues and operates a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught by established producers and general managers working in New York theater.
Its programs also include Producer Boot Camp workshops, the TRU Voices Play Reading Series, TRUSpeak: Hear Our Voices, Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab.
TRU additionally publishes a community newsletter highlighting services, opportunities and productions. Past Community Gathering discussions are available through its video programming, while selected 2023 conversations are featured in the “TRU Talks About Theater” podcast series.
TRU’s programs receive support in part from the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Merrie L. Davis, Dunbar Hofmann Productions and the New York State Council on the Arts, with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
