Preparing for the Screenwriter's Salon:

Once your screenplay is accepted you'll work with a member of Central Productions to prepare for the Salon. The first step will be to determine a date that works for you, CP and the Coolidge Corner Theater. Currently, the Salons are held every third Thursday of every other month.

A month (4 weeks) before the Salon, we should attend to the following:

Casting:

By the end of Week 1
You'll need to provide us with a full list of characters and character descriptions, read by a maximum of 8 actors (including a narrator to read non-dialogue pieces). Please expect to have some actors read multiple parts, usually the secondary roles.

By the end of Week 3
Boston Casting, our casting partner, will find appropriate actors to read the various roles. They will also provide actors' contact information. We will ensure the cast receives a copy of the script at least a week before the Salon. You are responsible for contacting the cast before the Salon to go over the script, their character(s), and any questions they may have.

Adapting the Script:

By the end of Week 2
If your script is more than 70 pages, it should be shortened to 60-70 pages to conserve reading time. Each Salon runs 90 minutes: an hour for the script read and half-an-hour for discussion. CP will be happy to help you condense the script and give general feedback on the screenplay (e.g. characterization, structure, themes, etc.) The final version of the Salon script must be sent to CP in PDF format.

Your Screenwriter's Salon:

By the end of Week 2
We will promote the Salon, including an email notice to our extensive mailing list. We will need you to provide us with:

• A tag-line for the screenplay
• A writer's bio (1-2 paragraphs)
• Any contact information to be included in the email notice and Salon program (e.g. website, email address, etc.)

Salon Venue
The Salon will be held at the Coolidge Corner Theater, Screening Room (seats a maximum of 45 people.) The event will start at 7:30pm. Doors will open for the public around 7:00pm. Actors will arrive by 6:45pm, and we encourage you to meet with them before the start of the Salon.

Tickets for the event are $7.50 (a portion of which will go towards the Coolidge Theater renovation fund). You and all actors will not be charged for the event. You will also receive two complimentary tickets for the event, which will be held at the box office.

Day of the Salon
Arrive early, meet the cast, and enjoy the Salon. There will be a Salon moderator, who will:

• Introduce you as the writer and briefly describe the screenplay
• Get the actors to introduce themselves and the character(s) they will read
• Inform the audience that the script is an abridged version of the screenplay to accommodate the time limitation, and that the reading will be followed by a Q&A and discussion
• Moderate the discussion at the end of the reading, and direct the audience to any questions you may want them to consider

We look forward to workshopping your screenplay.