Stage PResence

Laura Lee has resigned from her position as PR director for the
Moscow Ballet to launch her own arts, entertainment and literary PR
firm. However, the Moscow Ballet, which produces a 70-100 city U.S.
tours each winter, has retained Lee as its marketing and PR
consultant. Lee's firm, Small World Productions, Stephentown, N.Y.,
includes a team of publicists and writers with a special background
on international artists. Although "foreign" in the same breath as
"artist" can be a tough sell to the American media, Lee had a few
nuggets of advice for theatrical organizations and PR firms looking
to get exposure for international artists. Of course, a lot depends
on the type of act but a couple of PR tools are front-and-center
when trying to get exposure for that rare talent:

  • Focus on the niche of the performer or performance group but
    don't get too bogged down in the details. If the client has a broad
    target, play to the family doing something different -- but doing
    it together.
  • If the performer is on the more esoteric side, carefully sell
    the client's unique points as an activity that is off the beaten
    the track. "A great selling point is something that you can't see
    in your community theater," says Lee. For PR pros, "that should
    work to their advantage." Contact: Laura Lee @ 518.794.7838;
    smallworldpromotions.com