Malinda Petersen has a degree in theater and spent some time working on a career in acting and learning the business. But in 2009, she became a different kind of entrepreneur when she founded MP Talent Management Group LLC in response to the film incentives coming to the state of Michigan. "[I intended] to be a connection for actors from West Michigan trying to get roles in some of the films," she says.
Despite the initial rush of business, Petersen found the incentives to be less than stellar."I think that we weren't ready with a strong enough infrastructure to handle the amount of work and the level of work that was common to the state," she says. "The idea behind the incentives was to put Michigan residents to work, and California was bringing everybody with them and setting up shop."
When Governor Rick Synder changed the incentives, MP Talent changed their brand. "We quickly realized that this was not going to be a sustainable revenue stream, so we have diversified to add more types of talent, and we're reaching out to other things besides camera work," Petersen says.
MP Talent now works with actors, comedians, comedy troupes, cabaret singers, speakers and a bevy of various talents. They place their performers on stages and screens, wherever applicable. Some of their actors are seen in Bissell, Amway or Spectrum videos, locally, or working events like weddings or parties. One of their clients, Jana Veldheer will appear as a principal in the 2013 Sam Raimi film
Oz: The Great and Powerful, and has since become a SAG member. Tim Doty appeared in
Scream 4.
"Our performers are trained and highly skilled in what they're doing," Peterson says. "We're a performance art-based representation company. We work for the talent. We don't get paid until the talent books a job."
MP Talent remains a small business, run by Peterson and Research and Media Maven Victoria Mullen. They receive additional support from Emily Johnston, an intern and film/video major from GVSU. They operate out of 20 Monroe Center NE, putting them conveniently close to the historic Civic Theatre where Petersen has been known to teach. Petersen moved to the spot after Fubble Entertainment moved in. "It's good to be in a place with such strong, creative energy seeping through the walls," she says.
With a roster of about 150 performers, Petersen says they intend to purposefully stay small. "We intend to be a boutique agency until we can be big enough to have different divisions," she says.
But just because the agency is small does not mean it lacks range. They have cultivated solid relationships with regional casting directors in Detroit and Chicago, as well as directors from L.A. who had come to Michigan during the time of the incentives. The agency sends talent to Chicago, Detroit, L.A. and New York to audition, knowing the value of continuing to foster these relationships. February and November are both pilot seasons, which is a very busy time for MP Talent and their actors.
Additionally, MP Talent has built a relationship with the popular tapas restaurant, SanChez, downtown. During last year's LaughFest, MP Talent was charged with putting together a community showcase. This showcase became an impetus for new things, as MP realized they could put together nice lineups of cabaret singers and performance artists, not just actors. "Since then, we've been working on building that part of our business, and what's evolved from that is dinner theatre."
Operating on the third floor of SanChez, the shows range from comedy to drama -- any kind of live performance is an option. You might have the comedy team The Don't We Boys, or improv troupe The Pop Scholars, or you might have to solve who-dun-it with the Red Hand Company's murder mysteries. This type of entertainment provides a welcome splash of something different to downtown, and pairs nicely with the innovative theater being performed at Dog Story on Jefferson SE and Actors' Theatre on the GRCC campus.
As their scope broadens, Petersen is hopeful that the current way the incentives are structured, with above-the-talent included, will give region a chance to take everything slower, with a "more diligent, thoughtful look at how it's happening versus being broadsided with that industry."
Mullen, an attorney by trade who started acting only three years ago on a whim that turned into a passion she now loves, is committed to helping grow the business. "I want to help people out there realize their dreams," she says. "It's a lot of work, but it's worth it."
Mullen emphasizes that the group is not there to make superstars, something that's always a long-shot, but is committed to helping people earn a sustainable living. And, perhaps, some of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities do exist. In the interim, she'll make sure all contracts are in order and that gigs are fair and legitimate. "A lot of times," Mullen says, "people will approach the actors directly and offer a pittance. We can make sure they're not taken advantage of."
"Our goal in the next five years is that we start to see people that are consistently able to make a living wage working in the performing arts as the performer," Petersen says.
Interested actors and other performing artists will need a color 8x10 head shot and a resume outlining their body of work, preferably mailed. It is encouraged that interested parties check out
mptalentgroup.com and read the FAQ.
J. Bennett Rylah is the Managing Editor of Rapid Growth Media.