FALL 2023
Newsletter of Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.
CONTENTS Upcoming SETC Convention Page 1
Executive Director Page 2
Opportunities Page 3
SETC Fringe Festival Page 4
AACTFest Page 5
Kennedy Center LEAD Accessibility Award Page 6
NEWS SUBMISSIONS Thomas Pinckney Marketing & Communications Manager thomas@setc.org
Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.
www.setc.org
Get Ready for the 75th in Mobile! SETC is so excited to celebrate with everyone at our 75th Annual Convention being held in Mobile, Alabama, March 13–17, 2024. Thie Convention is already shaping up to be the biggest and best. If you are interested in presenting a workshop at the upcoming you can submit a proposal HERE. Deadline for proposals is Aug. 15. You can also submit entries now for the Fringe Festival and Theatre for Youth Festival, both due Sept. 1, 2023. Earlybird registration to attend the Convention will open October 1, 2023. When we have more information, we’ll post it at SETC.org.
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Embracing a New Era at SETC Exciting changes are happening at SETC! We are shaking things up, transforming our culture, and bringing new initiatives to improve your membership value and engagement experiences. But let us be honest: change can be challenging, especially fiscal ones, and not everyone responds kindly to it. Many of you may have questions about what’s happening with SETC. This is why I actively encourage an
Toni Simmons Henson
Exe c ut i v e D i rec t o r ( s he/he r)
open dialogue, inviting your voices and aspirations to be heard. Please schedule a call using the link: calendly.com/tonish. I want your thoughts to be heard. Rest assured, I am here as a compassionate and attentive listener, ready to lend an ear to your perspectives. When conveyed thoughtfully, your input will be considered, and your proposals will be given the significance they deserve. Many of you have experienced this firsthand. It is ingrained in my leadership style to lead from behind, granting people what they desire and offering unwavering support where needed. For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude to those of you who have engaged in this dialogue, shared your hopes, and entrusted me with your ideas. I pledge to continue fostering open communication. It is precisely in these moments that true growth and progress can manifest. With that said, I ask each of you to walk alongside me on this path, hand in hand, united in our determination to make SETC a place where every voice is valued, respected, and genuinely heard. Let us seize this moment, embracing these changes with open hearts and minds. We can create an organization that fills us all with immense pride. Even if we do not always agree completely, I want to encourage open dialogue and meaningful exchange. Let us keep the conversation going. After all, SETC is more than just an organization; it is a community. Together, we can make it a more robust, inclusive, and innovative space.
www.setc.org
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OPPORTUNITIES
JOB LISTINGS
u Resident Lighting & Sound Designer North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC details ❱❱ u Technical Director of Theatre Western Colorado University, Gunnison, CO details ❱❱
Ludus Presents:
The National Conference on Outdoor Theatre Oct. 11-14, 2023 Niagara Falls, Buffalo, N.Y. Each fall, theatre leaders from all backgrounds convene for a multi-day networking event where conference attendees trade insights and explore new concepts in design/technology, management and artistic approach.
Register now! More information
www.setc.org
u Lighting & Sound Supervisor Ithaca College Center for Theatre & Dance, Ithaca, NY details ❱❱ u ASU Technician, College of Visual & Performing Arts George Mason University, Fairfax, VA details ❱❱
Take the next step in your career! Explore these and many more available positions at the SETC Theatre Job Board. To post a job listing, CLICK HERE
SETC Conference Opportunities u Fringe Festival Submissions, due Sept. 1
u Theatre for Youth Festival Submissions, due Sept. 1 u Convention Proposals, due Aug. 15
Thanks to SETC’s Contributors We send our thanks to the following individuals for contributions made to SETC as of July 4, 2023: Tiffany I Brown J. Theresa Bush Caesar’s Ford Theatre, Inc. Malcolm H Davis Elise Fellinger
Emma E Harris Jacob L House Chadwick McDonald Haley A Mizelle Ricky Ramon
Barry Rich Mia L Self Jean Burton Walker Elizabeth Watkins Antoinette H Wellman
To make a donation to SECT, click here
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SETC FRINGE FESTIVAL
SETC on the Fringe The SETC Fringe Festival is a non-competitive performance festival that takes place each year during the annual SETC Convention. The first SETC Fringe was in 2002 in Mobile and was started by Tony Haigh and Jack Benjamin. The festival seeks to provide and nurture an artistic community and provide an outlet for SETC members and constituents to learn, experiment, and present their theatrical works. The primary goal of the Fringe Festival is to provide a theatrical experience for the SETC Convention attendees as well as a forum for works that may not easily fit in the parameters of other venues. This diverse range of theatre experiences include college and university theatre, professional theatre performances, one-person shows, experimental theatre, theatre for youth productions, and state festival runner-up performances. We invite all convention attendees to attend the Fringe Festival performances at no additional cost.
Top: The cast of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, at Chattanooga State; photo by Pam Capps. Bottom: The cast of Lucidity — A New Musical, presented by the Jackson Players of the University of Kentucky; photo by Alix Lawler.
The Best of Fringe is a new audience voted award that was started last year and was won this year by You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, by Clark Gesner with additional music by Andrew Lippa, based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schultz, presented by Chattanooga State. Something that set their production apart from others was its use of shadow interpretation. The shadow interpretation enabled the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to enjoy performances alongside their hearing family and friends. It also added a new choreographic dimension to the performance. The first runner up was Lucidity — A New Musical, by Aaron Soltis & Devin Landis, presented by the Jackson Players of the University of Kentucky, and the second runner up was Mythos, by Michelle Medina Villalon, presented by Catawba College. Twelve projects were presented at the Fringe Festival this year to over 600 audience members. If you are planning to attend an upcoming SETC Convention, please consider attending a few Fringe Festival shows while you’re with us.
www.setc.org
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AACTFEST — COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVAL
Southeast Wins at National Festival
AACTFest Showcases Outstanding Community Theatre Productions The highly anticipated America’s National Community Theatre Festival (AACTFest) took place in Louisville, Kentucky, June 12–17, 2023. AACTFest is a biennial nationwide gathering of exceptional community theatre productions to showcase their talent and creativity. This year, two productions from the SETC Community Theatre Festival were selected to represent SETC at AACTFest: Launch Day, by Michael Higgins, presented by Theatre Tuscaloosa (Alabama), and Underneath the Lintel, by Glen Berger, presented by Starkville Community Theatre (Mississippi). In addition, SETC was honored to have a third show selected as the AACT “wild card”: A Storm Comes Up, by Kristy Meanor, presented by Wetumpka Depot Players (Alabama). Launch Day won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Costume and Scenic Design; Underneath the Lintel won awards for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting and Prop Design, and Outstanding Achievement in a Leading Role (Kris Lee, playing the Librarian); and A Storm Comes Up won the award for Best Actor in a Featured Role (Tony Davison as the Narrator). Additionally, Underneath the Lintel was one of four shows nominated for Overall Outstanding Production. In other exciting news, Kristy Meanor, the playwright behind A Storm Comes Up, is currently negotiating with a national publishing and licensing company to have her script published. This remarkable opportunity highlights the impact and quality of her work, further solidifying her position as a rising talent in the theatre world. During the event, a Special Recognition Award was posthumously presented to Tom Booth, a former board member of SETC and passionate theatre advocate. This well-deserved honor acknowledged Booth’s immense contributions and dedication to the theatre community. His legacy inspires all those involved in community theatre, reminding them of the profound impact one individual can make. AACTFest 2023 featured an impressive lineup of 17 presentations over six days. Each production showcased the talent and commitment of the participating theatre groups. However, one production stood out and was awarded the prestigious Overall Outstanding Production Award: Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu, presented by Stage Left Theater from Washington. AACTFest continues to be a platform that celebrates community theatre and encourages networking, collaboration, and inspiration among theatre enthusiasts. The event catalyzes further growth and development within the community theatre scene, fostering a supportive and creative environment for all participants. It is also a testament to the power of community theatre and its ability to touch hearts, challenge perspectives, and create lasting memories. Launch Day actors Amaria Jackson & Ebony Wesley; photographer: Jolea Brown. A Storm Came Up actors Tony Davison & Matthew Mitchell; photographer: Jolea Brown. Underneath the Lintel actor Kris Lee; photographer: Jolea Brown. All photos courtesy of Creative Photography, LLC.
www.setc.org
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CELEBRATING ACCESSIBILITY
Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre Nationwide
Central Office SETC 5710 W. Gate City Blvd. Suite K, Box 186 Greensboro NC 27407 336-265-6148 info@setc.org
Executive Committee Ginger Poole (she/her) President Kris Rau McIntyre (she/her) VP of Administration Neno Russell (he/him) VP of Services Annette Grevious (she/her) VP of Finance Ricky Ramón (he/him) VP of Equity & Inclusion Kyla Kazuschyk (she/her) Secretary Tiza Garland (she/her) Elected Past President Mia Self (she/her) VP of States Lynn Nelson (she/her) VP of Divisions
Advertise with us! SETC offers several affordable ways to put your program in front of a broad audience.
Congratulations to Dan Ellison, recipient of the Kennedy Center LEAD Award for his work in arts accessibility Each year The Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) Awards recognizes outstanding arts administrators and cultural arts organizations whose leadership and work furthers the field of accessibility. SETC is excited to share that our friend and colleague Mr. Dan Ellison has been selected out of a diverse pool of nominees to receive a 2023 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts LEAD Community Asset Award. The Community Asset Award recognizes the achievements of people and organizations who continually demonstrate success with access initiatives, improving accessibility in their organization, city, state, or region. The Kennedy Center selects recipients who have sustained accessibility efforts over a significant period, demonstrating either an individual or an institutional commitment to the inclusion of all people with disabilities. This pertains to incorporating accessibility into organizational programs, projects, and environments. Other factors considered in selecting award winners are the breadth of impact and how the person or entity has served as a role-model or leader within the cultural arts community and in areas such as business, social service, and government. Mr. Ellison and other awardees will be celebrated at a luncheon at the annual LEAD Conference, being held in Boston, Massachusetts on August 30. We are so proud of Mr. Ellison, the body of work that has led to his receiving this award, and his work with SETC. Please join us in congratulating Mr. Ellison on this achievement in the arts.
Email us for more information.
Send your news to Thomas Pinckney, Marketintg & Communications Manager thomas@setc.org
www.setc.org
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