What exactly constitutes "Off-Broadway"?

[BroadwayGirl107]

What exactly constitutes "Off-Broadway"?#1

Posted: 8/18/10 at 7:43pm

A lot of my recently-graduated peers and young (and not-so-young actors) I encounter seem to enjoy listing any theater experience they have had on the island of Manhattan as "Off-Broadway." I try to explain to them that things simply aren't that way, that "off-Broadway", like "Broadway" has its own set of criteria to make it so. When I'm challenged on this point with, "Why not? It's theater, it's in New York, and it isn't ON Broadway!" I realized...I don't actually know what that criteria is.

So, does anyone here know what the specifications are for something to be "Broadway" or "Off-Broadway"? Is it house size or specific theaters? Or does it have to do with the production itself?
Updated On: 8/18/10 at 07:43 PM

[Eris0303]

What exactly consitutes 'Off-Broadway'?#2

Posted: 8/18/10 at 7:46pm

The amount of seats in a theatre.

"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".

[BroadwayGirl107]

What exactly consitutes 'Off-Broadway'?#2

Posted: 8/18/10 at 7:47pm

...which is how many?

[AwesomeDanny]

What exactly consitutes 'Off-Broadway'?#3

Posted: 8/18/10 at 7:50pm

A Broadway theater is in the New York theater district (I don't know exactly how that is defined, but there are specific boundaries) with at least 500 seats. I believe that an off-Broadway theater is a theater in the same theater district with fewer than 500 seats.

[TonyVincent]

What exactly consitutes 'Off-Broadway'?#4

Posted: 8/18/10 at 7:50pm

"Originally referring to the location of a venue and its productions on a street intersecting Broadway in Manhattan's Theatre District, the hub of the theater industry in the United States, the term later became defined by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers as a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 99 and 500, or a specific production that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off_Broadway

[BroadwayGirl107]

What exactly consitutes 'Off-Broadway'?#5

Posted: 8/18/10 at 7:52pm

Thank you! Wow, I didn't even think to wikipedia it. Duh.

[AEA AGMA SM]

What exactly consitutes 'Off-Broadway'?#6

Posted: 8/18/10 at 8:08pm

BroadwayGirl, what you described in your original post is a common way for young actors to attempt to make their resume look more impressive, but it rarely works. Any casting director with any idea of what is going on will be able to tell if something credited as "Off-Broadway" truly was Off-Broadway.

The other "trick" I would like to see die, and strongly recommend against, is when they list their college credits using the actual name of the theatre on campus. For instance, just using my own alma mater, since I know the names, instead of saying they did West Side Story at Baldwin-Wallace College they will list the credit as the John Patrick Theatre. I find it works against them because then you are looking at the name of this theatre with absolutely no idea of where it is or what kind of work they produce. With the name of a college/university at least whoever is looking at the resume has a much better idea of what the credit really is, and a much better chance of being familiar with the kind of work that school produces, as opposed to just thinking it's some no-name theatre that they've never heard of so who cares that they played Anita, or Maria, or Tony there.

[BroadwayGirl107]

What exactly consitutes 'Off-Broadway'?#7

Posted: 8/18/10 at 8:11pm

AEA, I think it just makes them look stupid when they list credits like that. But to be honest, some people I encounter seem to genuinely believe that their 5-performance Equity showcase, Fringe show, or sketch comedy routine is "Off-Broadway."