Elsie Management

The Middle Woman - a roadmap to managing the performing arts

Arts EN ↓ 31 episodes

Laura Colby is a performing arts manager, based in Brooklyn NY. As founder and president of Elsie Management, she has managed a roster of international contemporary artists for 30 years, bringing dance, contemporary theater, outdoor spectacle, new circus and puppetry arts to global audiences. She has focused her work on developing best practices for managing, touring, and presenting the performing arts from the lens of a working artist. In The Middle Woman, Colby shares her collected learnings with the new generation of performing arts professionals.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.elsieman.org

Author

Elsie Management

Episodes

Ep. 6: Conferences Part 1 20.12.2023 32:45

How do you prepare for a conference? In the first part of the conference episode, Laura Colby talks about all the material and email preparation for attending conferences. Thank you for listening! Follow The Middle Woman on your favorite streaming platform and on Instagram @themiddlewomanpodcast. Link to transcript, glossary, and more!⁠⁠⁠ Credits Created by Elsie Management Opening & Ending Cr...

Ep. 5: How to pick an agent, How an agent picks you (with Sandy Garcia) 06.12.2023 33:39

How do agents work and how do you get one? In this episode, Laura Colby is joined by special guest Sandy Garcia, Director of Booking at Pentacle, to talk about the process of getting an agent and what artists should expect when they find one. Thank you for listening! Follow The Middle Woman on your favorite streaming platform and on Instagram @themiddlewomanpodcast. Link to transcript, glossary, a...

Ep. 4: Career Stories (with Michelle Grove Herzog) 17.11.2023 29:44

Looking for a career in this industry? Join Laura Colby and special guest Michelle Grove Herzog as they talk about the many levels of Herzog’s career and how she got to where she is today. Thank you for listening! Follow The Middle Woman on your favorite streaming platform and on Instagram @themiddlewomanpodcast. Link to transcript, glossary, and more!⁠ Credits Created by Elsie Management Opening...

Ep. 3: Skills 01.11.2023 30:46

What are the skills needed to be a performing arts manager? In this episode, using technology, communication, and kindness to her advantage, Colby gives insight into how these skills combine to shape a productive and professional manager of the performing arts. Thank you for listening! Follow The Middle Woman on your favorite streaming platform and on Instagram @themiddlewomanpodcast. Link to tran...

Ep. 2: Who's who? (with Anna Amadei) 18.10.2023 27:31

Who is who in the field? What does a manager, an agent, a presenter, and a producer do? Where do they all meet and how do they get to know each other? Laura Colby is joined in this episode by guest Anna Amadei, Elsie Management’s Vice President, and her right hand for over 15 years. They will chat about the roles of this industry and what makes them interdependent and essential to the ultimate goa...

Ep. 1: Laura's story - Intro 04.10.2023 29:09

Why a podcast on managing the performing arts? In this episode, Laura Colby shares her journey of becoming a performing arts manager, creating Elsie Management, and the evolution of her roster. Self-taught, her skill-set evolved as her role in the field developed. Colby reveals her learning process and the choice to put her skills at the service of artists with the higher purpose of bringing lesse...