Fall 2026
NEWS
Newsletter of Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.
CONTENTS Thoughts from the President’s Desk Page 1
Your Theatre Career Is Not a Ladder Page 3
A Note from Your New Vice President of Festivals
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Lexington, Kentucky: Where Connections Are Made, and Relationships Flourish As a member of the community, I can tell you we are delighted to welcome SETC to Lexington, Kentucky, March 3-7, 2027!
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Job Listings & More Page 6
Two New Books, One Southern Story Page 7
Southern Charm is Real Page 10
NEWS SUBMISSIONS Thomas Pinckney (he/him) Director of Advancement thomas@setc.org
Lexington is more than a place on the map. It is a destination where people come together, friendships grow, and lasting professional relationships are formed. Nestled in the heart of Kentucky's beautiful Jeremy Kisling (he/him) Bluegrass region, Lexington offers a President unique blend of Southern charm, genuine hospitality, and a vibrant creative spirit that makes everyone feel at home. Known as the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington is surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and rich traditions and is also a thriving center for education, healthcare, innovation, and business. It is a city that honors its heritage while embracing new ideas, making it the perfect setting for SETC. Whether you're attending workshops, performances, auditions, or networking events, you'll find that Lexington invites you to slow down, engage, and connect. Our walkable downtown is filled with welcoming hotels, locally owned restaurants, craft breweries, coffee shops, and legendary bourbon experiences, creating countless opportunities to continue conversations long after the sessions have ended.
NEWS Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre Nationwide
Central Office SETC 717 Green Valley Road Suite 200, Office 244 336-265-7489 info@setc.org
SETC Board Jeremy Kisling (he/him) President Ginger Poole Avis (she/her) VP of Finance & Advancement Ian Andersen (he/him) VP of States Jack Benjamin (he/him) Elected Past President c.j (they/them) VP of Opportunity & Access Caroline Jane Davis (she/her) Secretary Iris Goode-Middleton (she/her) VP of Communications Matthew Leckenbusch (he/him) VP of Programming Darren Michael (he/him) VP of Festivals Lily Vetter (she/her) VP of Engagement
continued from the previous page What truly makes Lexington special is its people. The city is large enough to offer outstanding venues and amenities, yet small enough to feel comfortable, friendly, and accessible. Here, you'll find space to share ideas, celebrate accomplishments, discover new opportunities, and build meaningful connections with colleagues from across the region. Even better, all festival venues and the convention center are located within a six-block area, making it easy to enjoy every aspect of the conference while exploring the energy and charm of downtown Lexington. SETC in Lexington will be more than a conference. It will be a gathering of artists, educators, students, and professionals coming together in a place that inspires creativity, encourages collaboration, and creates memories that last long after the final curtain call. We can't wait to welcome you to Lexington and share the warmth, creativity, and hospitality that make our city so special. See you in March 2027!
ADVERTISE with us! SETC offers several affordable ways to put your program in front of a broad audience. Email us for more information.
Send your news to Thomas Pinckney Director of Advancement thomas@setc.org.
www.setc.org
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NEWS Your Theatre Career Is Not a Ladder.
Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre Nationwide
Central Office SETC 5701 W. Gate City Blvd. Suite K, Box 186 Greensboro, NC 27407 336 265 6148 info@setc.org
Central Office Team Joanna Sheehan Bell (she/her) Executive Director Maegan McNerney Azar (she/her) Staff Board Liaison Nikki Baldwin (she/her) Digital Operations Specialist
Beth Watkins Brown (she/her) Producer and Director of SETC Festivals and Special Events
Marci Duncan (she/her) Director of Auditions Sharell Luckett, PHD (she/her) Editor-in-Chief, Southern Theatre Magazine
Thomas Pinckney (he/him) Director of Advancement
Rachel Zwerver (she/her) Operations & Communications Coordinator
ADVERTISE with us! SETC offers several affordable ways to put your program in front of a broad audience. Email us for more information.
It’s a Network.
Here is the tricky thing about building a career in theatre: there is no ladder. There is no guaranteed next rung. No formula that says: train here, book this, meet that person, land this job, and five years later you will be exactly where you planned to be. Careers in the arts are messier. A college classmate connects you to your first job. An audition introduces you to a Joanna Sheehan Bell (she/her) Executive Director company that remembers you. A professor makes an introduction. A designer you worked with once recommends you for something years later.
Theatre careers are not ladders. They are networks. If you want to stay in this business, nurturing and growing that network matters almost as much as building your résumé. Put Yourself Where the Field Is Dense One advantage of building a career in a major theatre city is proximity. In places like New York or Chicago, the field is all around you. You can see the work, meet artists, hear about opportunities, and stay close to the profession. But moving to a major city is not the only way to create that kind of connection. Theatre has always built networks across distances. Unions, alumni groups, festivals, professional organizations, and conventions bring the field closer together. That is a key part of the idea behind the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Each year, SETC brings thousands of theatre people into one place. The value is not just having more people to meet. It is seeing possibilities you did not know were there. You cannot manufacture those moments. But you can put yourself where they are more likely to happen. An expanded version of this article appeared on Broadway World on September 25, 2026.
Send your news to Thomas Pinckney Director of Advancement thomas@setc.org.
www.setc.org
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NEWS A Note from Your New Vice President of Festivals I can’t believe it’s been more than three decades since I first attended an SETC. As a theatre student at a small university in Arkansas, my best friend and I piled into my Honda Civic hatchback and drove from Arkadelphia to Washington, D.C. That first convention blew my mind. It was a core memory—and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Darren Michael (he/him) VP of Festivals
Over the years, I’ve been part of SETC in so many ways: auditionee, instructor, workshop presenter, committee member, task force member, Getchell Award chair, and Playwriting Interest Group leader. And, most importantly, I’ve made so many friends along the way. So many wonderful, talented people. SETC has enriched my life in countless ways, and I continue to grow as an artist because of this organization. This year, I find myself in a new role as Vice President of Festivals, and I couldn’t be more excited. As we begin this new chapter under SETC’s new governing structure, I hope we can think creatively about how our festivals can grow, open new opportunities, and meet the challenges facing theatre today. Whether you’re a high school theatre teacher introducing students to the larger theatre community, a student discovering what might be possible for your future, a community theatre artist sharing your work with your neighbors, or a professional artist building your career, you have a place at SETC—and I am here to serve you. (continued on the next page)
MichaelHowardStudios.com
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NEWS Summer Outdoor Theatre
AUDITIONS and Tech Interviews
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This spring, we head back to Lexington, Kentucky—one of my favorite host cities! I look forward to attending every festival. And what an incredible lineup we have: SIX festivals! The Short Play Festival, Community Theatre Festival, Secondary School Festival, Studio Festival, Fringe Festival, and Theatre for Youth Festival showcase the remarkable breadth of theatre being created across our region and beyond. My hope is that every one of you finds something at these festivals that inspires you, challenges you, connects you with new people, or reminds you why you fell in love with theatre in the first place. So, please join us in Lexington. Come to the festivals. See some theatre. Meet some people. Take a chance on something new. And if you see me, please don’t forget to say hello—and tell me if there is anything I can do for you. Let’s all go to the theatre!
Look no further, SETC has you covered!
JANUARY
22-23 GREENSBORO, NC
Look no further, SETC has you covered!
Unreal City presented at the 2026 SETC Fringe Festival in Chattanooga, TN by the North Greenville University Theatre Program
MichaelHowardStudios.com
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NEWS Got any bright ideas?
JOB LISTINGS Costume Shop Supervisor Furman Univesity, Greenville SC
Technical Director School of Theatre & Dance James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA Assistant Professor - Musical Theatre Vocal Performance Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau, MO Instructor - Musical Theatre & Commercial Dance Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau, MO
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 SETCMember2026 Thanks to SETC’s Contributors Contributions made by
Dave Avant Susan Filburn Ryan Heazel Amanda Nelson Susan Phillips Julie A. Richardson John Russell Hollie Sherrill Melody Young Please consider making a monthly, annual, or even occasional contribution to SETC. It is tax-deductible and is the best way to ensure our organization's stability.
Email your newsletter article suggestions to
Save the dates: 9/4/26-9/5/26.
To make a donation to SETC, click here
Thomas Pinckney at thomas@setc.org
www.setc.org
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NEWS Two New Books, One Southern Story There's a particular kind of loneliness that comes with loving theatre in the Southeast. Many of us know the feeling. We’ve felt it in a black box in Louisville at a Sunday matinee, or in a college hallway in Winston-Salem where someone just told you, gently or not, that if you're serious about this, you should probably move to New York or Los Angeles, or at least Chicago or Atlanta, somewhere the industry “actually lives.” But the industry lives here too, and in many smaller markets across the United States, like Nashville, Portland, and San Diego. It lives in the rehearsal rooms, university studios, and community stages scattered across our country, in the actors and teachers who decided that "somewhere else" wasn't the only place to build a life in this craft. This fall, two of them with Southern roots are proving it in print.
Tiffany Gilly-Forrer (she/her) SETC Member
Sonya Cooke, an Associate Professor of Acting and Head of Undergraduate Performance at Louisiana State University's School of Theatre, has released the second edition of Seven Pillars Acting: A Comprehensive Technique for the Modern Actor through Routledge. And Nicole Brewer, one of the most sought-after voices at our own SETC conference over the years, has published The Antiracist Theatre: Crafting Theatrical Collaboration with Haymarket Books. Neither book needed New York or Los Angeles to exist. Both were forged, in large part, right here in the classrooms and workshops of the South. Sonya Cooke (she/her) Associate Professor of Acting Head of Undergraduate Performance Louisiana State University's School of Theatre
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When Cooke first published Seven Pillars Acting back in 2018, it was already unusual: a genuinely innovative, comprehensive acting technique, the kind that doesn't come along often, built by someone who had lived the career she was teaching toward. She'd worked steadily in film, television, and theatre, run her own studio, and spent years watching actors get stuck in the same place, overthinking a moment rather than simply living in it. The Seven Pillars were her answer, a set of distinct, teachable
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NEWS
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elements that give an actor a structure to lean on instead of a mystery to chase. What's struck people about Cooke's work, from her students to the teachers who've since been certified in her method, is how usable it is. As one description of the book puts it, it isn't trying to replace an acting class. It's a bridge from technique to real-world application, something an actor can return to on their own, without needing a guru in the room. In her own words, from the book itself: “acting is often less about learning something new and more a process of unlearning what you already believe you know as the actor.”
That idea, that the work is as much about letting go as it is about building up, feels like it could only come from someone who's spent real time in a classroom, watching a student white-knuckle their way through a monologue before finally relaxing into the truth of a moment. Cooke has spent that time. She joined LSU's faculty as a professor of acting, and from Baton Rouge she's continued to grow a technique now taught at universities across the country. This new, expanded second edition, nearly 400 pages, sharpened and deepened from the original, is proof that a technique refined in the South can hold its own on any serious actor's bookshelf, anywhere.
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If you've spent any time at an SETC conference over the past several years, there's a good chance you've already sat in a room with Nicole Brewer and maybe felt something shift. Brewer is the originator of the Antiracist Theatre model (ART), and for years she has brought that work directly into our region, leading sessions at SETC and returning again and again to the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where her workshops have become something people specifically travel for. Long before her framework had a book behind it, Southern theatre-makers were already doing the work in the room with her. Now that work has a home in print. The Antiracist Theatre: Crafting Theatrical Collaboration, released this fall from Haymarket Books, lays out the philosophy Brewer has spent over sixteen years developing, a practical approach built around harm reduction, harm prevention, and relationship repair. It isn't a book of abstractions.
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Nicole Brewer (she/her) Lecturer in Acting David Geffen School of Drama at Yale
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NEWS
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Brewer takes the words we throw around in rehearsal halls and season announcements, words like accountability and abuse, and actually defines them, then gives readers exercises to sit with their own position, power, and privilege inside the room. She's said “the goal was never just to expose inequity or celebrate diversity as a talking point. It's to build the courage to actually change how the room runs.” What makes the book land, especially for those who've encountered Brewer in person, is that it carries her actual voice, direct and warm, occasionally funny, never letting anyone off the hook but never leaving them without a way forward either. Playwright Lynn Nottage called it “an important and necessary book.” For educators and directors across our region who've been trying to figure out how to actually do the work rather than just talk about it, Brewer has now handed us a workbook. It's easy, working in a smaller theatre market, to feel like the meaningful work happens somewhere else and eventually gets shipped down to us secondhand. These two releases are a reminder that it doesn't have to be that way. A rigorous, widely-adopted acting technique has developed and grown out of a university theatre department in Louisiana. A framework now shaping conversations in rehearsal rooms from London to Los Angeles was road-tested, in part, right here in the Southeast. None of this happened because it was easy. Cooke built her technique studio by studio, student by student, over years, long before Routledge came calling for a second edition. Brewer kept showing up to do the harder, slower work of changing rooms one workshop at a time, long before a publisher offered her a book deal. That's the actual shape of a career built outside the major markets. Not a shortcut. Just steady, serious work that eventually gets seen for what it is. If you're an actor, teacher, or artist in our region who's ever wondered whether staying here means settling for less, let these two books be your answer. Pick one up, or both. Teach from them. And the next time someone tells you the real work happens somewhere else, you'll have two very good reasons to disagree.
Be sure to check out the latest issue of Southern Theatre for an in-depth interview with Nicole Brewer.
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NEWS Southern Charm is a Real Thing. Recently, I had the privilege of going through our storage units in Greensboro, NC, where our offices were for years prior to the pandemic. Staff members who no longer work for SETC packed furniture, printed materials, archival materials, records, and awards into approximately 16,000 cubic feet of storage. There were a lot of very interesting gems from the past that we uncovered as if we were playing a theatrical Indiana Jones, but this really took Bonnie Smith’s Apricot Cake for me, and if you turn to page 155 in “Something Entertaining To Cook,” you can find the recipe for it. This is the first in a new series of republications from SETC’s 40th Anniversary publication, “Something Entertaining To Cook.” Each quarter we will select one recipe to share and hopefully provide a little information about the person who submitted
Thomas Pinckney (he/him) Director of Advancement SETC
it, and at the end of each piece there will be a call for information about the next person that we will feature. In all of SETC’s rich history, this is one of the more charming pieces of ephemera that we have created over the years, and we are happy to share it with you all.
First up is Walter Shipley’s “The Always Ready Hors D'oeuvre.” Mr. Shipley served as President of the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) in 1994. Walter taught theatre at Okaloosa-Walton Community College for many years, where, we are told, his students absolutely adored him. Walter Shipley (he/him) SETC Past President
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The Always Ready Hors D'oeuvre 6 oz. Cream cheese 1 bottle Pickapeppa sauce 1 box crackers (Wheat Thins Best) Pour Pickapeppa sauce over cream cheese. Serve with crackers. (Pickapeppa sauce is found in the grocery store with other sauces such as A-1, etc.)
Next up: Jo Ann Lawrence’s “Artichoke and Grapefruit Salad.” If you are or know Jo Ann, please reach out to me at Thomas@SETC.org so that we can share her story in the next issue.
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