SETC News Jan/Feb 2014

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2014

Bimonthly Newsletter of Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc. www.setc.org

CONTENTS

2014 SETC Convention l March 5-9 l Mobile, AL

SETC Convention

Terrence Mann, Currently in Pippin on Broadway, Is SETC’s 2014 Distinguished Career Award Winner

Pages 1 - 5

Design-Tech News Page 6

Professional News Pages 7 - 8

Membership News Pages 9 - 10

State Conventions Pages 11 - 13

Columns Pages 14 - 16

Miscellaneous News Page 17

The Tony-nominated actor presents Saturday’s keynote address at 3 p.m.

He will receive his award that evening at the annual Awards Banquet.

Don’t miss your chance to hear words of wisdom from the acclaimed Terrence Mann, nominated for a third Tony Award in 2013 for his portrayal of Charles in Pippin. Mann made his Broadway debut in 1982 in Barnum, wowed audiences as Rum Tum Tugger in Cats the following year and went on to receive Tony nominations for his roles as Javert in the original Les Miserables and the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Mann also has appeared in countless other theatre, TV and film roles.

Mann traces his theatrical roots to the Southeast. He went to college in Florida and North Carolina and landed one of his first professional roles at The Lost Colony on the Outer Banks.

More info: www.setc.org/keynotes-aguest-speakers-convention

Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.

Right: Terrence Mann plays Charles and his wife, Charlotte D’Amboise, portrays Fastrada in Pippin, which won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. Photo by Joan Marcus. More info: www. pippinthemusical.com

Registration: www.setc.org/register

2014 setc convention

Playwright Wendy MacLeod Is Thursday Keynote and 10-Minute Play Festival Respondent

Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre

Executive Committee President: Jack Benjamin Programming VP: Tiza Garland Administrative VP: Steve Bayless Secretary: Lynn Nelson Treasurer: H. Duke Guthrie Past President: Chip Egan States Representative: Mike Hudson Divisions Representative: Bill Murray

Central Office Betsey Horth Executive Director SETC 1175 Revolution Mill Dr. Studio 14 Greensboro NC 27405 336-272-3645 info@setc.org

News Submissions Deanna Thompson, Editor deanna@setc.org

Wendy MacLeod, an accomplished playwright known for tackling social and political topics with razor-sharp humor, will share insights and writing advice at the 2014 SETC Convention. MacLeod is playwright-in-residence and professor of drama at Ohio’s Kenyon College. Her plays include The House of Yes, which was adapted into a Sundance award winning film.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up outside of Washington, DC, in Arlington, VA. My father was CIA. How/when did you get involved in theatre and playwriting?

I’ve always been involved with theatre, doing plays in the basement as a child for the neighborhood kids (I remember in particular playing the Beast from the fairy tale in a beard that consisted of my lopped-off hair stuck to two-sided tape).

I wrote my first play in my senior year of high school, which was portentously entitled A Virgin to the Grave.

Wendy MacLeod premiered her latest play, Find and Sign, at Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, UT, in January 2012.

Sign up now to participate in the 10-Minute Play Festival!

What are you writing now? www.setc.org/ten-minute-play I’m a little stuck at the moment but I’ve been working on a play about the second coming, if Mary were a single mom and the Messiah were a girl/woman.

What advice do you have for aspiring playwrights?

Make sure you understand what is unique about the genre’s structure. Plays are not just dialogue – you are “wrighting” something. As Edith Wharton says, dialogue is just the spray of the wave, something deeper is propelling it. Keep writing, and focus on process, not product. Don’t send plays out until they’re ready. It takes a long time to finish a play. Get your plays read and done by the actors and directors you know. Watch the audience – see where you lose them. Ask them where they got confused. Make sure the laughs are earned laughs rather than cheap laughs – laughs of delight and surprise, not just reflexive responses to a familiar comic rhythm. Take what you learn and apply it to the next play.

More info: info: www.setc.org/convention www.setc.org/upcoming More

www.setc.org

January / February 2014

2

2014 SETC CONVENTION

Charles M. Getchell Award Could You Be SETC’s Next Getchell Award Winner?

The Charles M. Getchell New Play Contest is dedicated to the discovery, development and publicizing of worthy new plays and playwrights.

One winning script is chosen each year. The winning playwright receives a $1,000 cash award, an all-expensepaid trip to the SETC Convention, and a staged reading and critique at the convention. The play also is considered for publication in Southern Theatre magazine.

Who’s eligible?

Playwrights who: • reside in the SETC region; or • are enrolled in a regionally accredited educational institution in the SETC region; or • reside outside the region but are SETC members.

What’s the deadline?

Robert Plowman Wins for The Missing Link A Canadian playwright and collaborative theatre artist, Robert Plowman is currently an MFA playwriting candidate at Hollins University in Virginia.

In addition to The Missing Link, Plowman’s plays include The Matador, Sasparilla and Radium City. More info on Plowman: http://robertplowman.com

Synopsis of The Missing Link:

In the Sideshow of Wonders, Marie discovers that it’s easy to get lost in a world of make-believe … but it might not be easy to escape from. In her Uncle Fletcher’s Sideshow of Wonders, she discovers a world of mystery and strangeness. And though no one else can see it, Marie discovers a terrible curse at work, and only she can put a stop to the endless chain of misfortunes.

Staged Reading:

Check your SETC Convention program for details on the location of the staged reading and critique, scheduled for Friday, March 7, at 7 p.m.

Craig Pospisil, playwright and director of nonprofessional licensing for Dramatists Play Service, is the 2014 respondent for the Getchell Award staged reading.

Scripts are accepted from March 1 until June 1.

More info: www.setc.org/getchell-new-play-contest www.setc.org

January / February 2014

3

2014 setc convention

Seeking a Technical Theatre Job at the Convention?

Want to Attend?

Get tips for a successful search at the Job Contact/Production Resume Review workshop on Wednesday, March 5.

Job Contact/ Production Resume Review Workshop

This workshop, which is led by Connie Smith, SETC Job Contact Service volunteer assistant at the convention and director of technical theatre at Chipola Center for the Arts at Chipola College (FL), is a Wednesday night tradition at the SETC Convention.

When:

7 - 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 5

Where:

Mobile Convention Center – Exhibit Hall North, Job Contact Area

Who:

Anyone seeking a technical theatre job through Job Contact Service at the 2014 SETC Convention may attend.

REVIEW

Smith presents vital information on how to navigate Job Contact Service. In addition, participants seeking technical theatre positions via Job Contact have an opportunity to get their resumes reviewed/critiqued by representatives of professional theatre companies hiring at the convention. “What better feedback can you get on your resume than from the actual people that may or may not want to hire you?” says Smith.

Jonathan Davis, who holds a BFA in Design/Tech and is now the technical director at the University of Mobile, says the workshop helped him learn what employers need to see on a resume. “It helped me learn what is most important and what can be cut,” Davis says. “Taking time to really analyze it in that aspect made me think about what would leave the best impression on the employers and what would show them me as an individual, not just another piece of paper with words on it. This workshop taught me how to establish myself professionally with paper as well as in interviews.”

Q

What is the online convention registration deadline?

A

Online registration for the 2014 SETC Convention in Mobile, AL, closes Jan. 28. Visit www.setc.org/register to sign up.

Q A

Is on-site registration available if I miss that deadline?

Yes, you can complete walk-in registration on-site at the SETC Convention. However, you will pay a higher fee.

More info: www.setc.org www.setc.org

January / February 2014

4

2014 setc convention

Get a Sneak Preview of GulfQuest SETC Convention attendees are invited to tour Mobile’s newly built GulfQuest National Maritime Museum, which does not formally open until after our March 5-9 event.

Tour Times: 4 - 5:15 p.m., Wed., March 5 10:30 - 11:45 a.m., Thurs., March 6

Cost:

Friday Luncheon: Learn How Theatre Played a Major Role in GulfQuest, Mobile’s New Maritime Museum Your luncheon ticket price also includes reserved seating at Friday’s 2:30 p.m. keynote address.

Tony Zodrow, executive director of GulfQuest, a new interactive maritime museum slated to open in Mobile in 2014, is the Friday luncheon speaker at the 2014 SETC Convention. Zodrow, a former administrator for a private university and two large science centers, has overseen the development of Mobile’s new museum since 2005.

In his luncheon speech, Zodrow will outline how theatre has played a major role in the development of the building and its many interactive exhibits.

Tickets

Reservations are only $20 and include entertainment, lunch, a chance to win door prizes, and reserved seating at the Friday keynote presentation. Tickets can be purchased online through Registration. They also will be on sale until noon on Thursday, March 6, at Registration in Mobile. More info: www.setc.org/keynotes-aguest-speakers-convention

Free. Space limited to 25 on each tour.

Saturday Evening: Join Your SETC Friends for the Gala Dinner, Awards Ceremony and Celebration Dance

Pre-registration required; sign up when you register for convention.

This annual event features dinner, awards, time to socialize with folks from across the region, and an opportunity to close out SETC 2014 at a celebration dance.

Don’t miss this star-studded banquet, which will include the presentation of the: • • • • • •

SETC Distinguished Career Award to Broadway star Terrence Mann Suzanne Davis Award, SETC’s highest award for one of its own, to the 2014 winner Sara Spencer Award, for contributions to children’s theatre, to Brenda May Ito Charles M. Getchell New Play Award to Robert Plowman High School New Play Award to Caleigh Derreberry, Brookwood (GA) High School Community Theatre Festival and High School Theatre Festival winners

When: 8 p.m., Saturday, March 8, 2014 Where: Exhibit Hall, Mobile Convention Center Tickets: $30, available online until Jan. 28, then sold on-site in Mobile until 5 p.m.

Thursday, March 6, at Registration

More info: www.setc.org www.setc.org

January / February 2014

5

DESIGN-TECH

Ready for Work Award Winner Designs Show at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte How Can You Win a 2014 Ready for Work Award?

Two designers participating in the 2014 Graduate Design Competition will be selected for SETC’s 2014 Ready for Work Award. Each will receive a monetary award and a work opportunity at either Triad Stage in Greensboro, NC, or Lexington Children’s Theatre in Lexington, KY. To be eligible to win the award, you must: • Be a graduate design student.

• Enter the SETC Design competition.

• Wow the companies offering the work experience!

More info: www.setc.org/designcompetition-awards

The other 2013 winners, Elizabeth (“Libby”) Stadstad and Miwa Ishii, are in the process of designing shows now. Look for an update in the next SETC News.

Timothy Hart, one of three winners of SETC’s 2013 Ready for Work Award, recently completed the lighting design for A Miracle on 34th Street at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte (CTC). Below, Brenda Arko, production manager at CTC, and Hart discuss the experience.

Brenda Arko: “We flew Timothy from New York to Charlotte early on in the process so he could meet the staff and see the space that he would be working in. Most of the designers for this show were from out of town, so we had to have a lot of video conferences for production meetings. Timothy was In the scene above, the set is changing from the exterior of Macy’s to the Bellevue State Hospital, Men’s Ward. To set the a nice addition to the mood during the transition, the ensemble members softly sing design team. There “Silent Night” as they traverse the stage. Photo by Donna Bise. were so many different locations and moving pieces of scenery. He found the challenge an exciting opportunity to grow.

The show turned out to be a beautiful show with a lot of ‘hart.’ I look forward to working with him again someday.”

Timothy Hart: “The biggest thing I took from this experience was how to juggle multiple locations within a show. Miracle on 34th Street has a total of 10 different locations, including the interior of Macy’s, Central Park and a New York City court room. We had multiple walls flying in and out between scenes as well as wagon units rolling on. Each scene had a different layout on stage.

It became a fun game trying to figure out how to juggle key systems that would work for a particular scene and see how it could double as fills for another location. CTC is truly an amazing theatre to work at. Everyone was pleasant to work with and very professional. CTC is currently going through changes as they have a new artistic director, Adam Burke, but the changes are creating a positive impact for the company. Not only is Adam pushing CTC to achieve new boundaries, but he also pulled me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to be more confident in my instincts.”

More info: Visit Web page, above left www.setc.org

January / February 2014

6

professional company spotlight

Hiring through SETC: Santa Fe Opera ‘For the past 25 years SETC has given us the opportunity not only to network with other colleagues in the industry, but also to network with professors and instructors from the universities in the region. SETC has also provided a forum for us to develop professional relationships, through hiring, with technical talent from the Southeast.’

- Tracy Armagost, Assistant to Production Director SETC recently caught up with Tracy Armagost, Assistant to the Production Director at Santa Fe Opera, in Santa Fe, NM. The company presented its first opera, Madame Butterfly, in 1957.

Tell us about your theatre and the types of shows you produce.

Santa Fe Opera produces an annual summer season in an outdoor proscenium theatre with seating for 2,200. Our mission is to advance the operatic art form by presenting ensemble performances of the highest quality in a unique setting with a varied repertoire of new, rarely performed and standard works; to ensure the excellence of opera’s future through apprentice programs for singers, technicians and arts administrators; and to foster and enrich an understanding and appreciation of opera among a diverse public. We have produced several world and American premieres in our theatre. Last season was the world premiere of Oscar.

Santa Fe Opera produced the world premiere of Oscar, a libretto about the writer Oscar Wilde, in 2013.

How does SETC assist you in your operations as a theatre?

We have been attending the SETC Convention for more than 20 years. Mainly we participate in Job Contact Service, SETC’s job fair, at the convention. We interview and hire for over 300 positions each year.

What other opportunities for work and development do you provide for your employees?

Our Apprentice Program for Technicians began in 1965 and is one of the leading training programs in the nation. During the summer, we have director and designer presentations for each show. We also offer over 100 master classes, covering a wide range of topics such as blacksmithing, blood making and casting. Programs also include Auto Cad seminars, portfolio reviews and resume workshops.

More info: www.santafeopera.org www.setc.org

January / February 2014

7

professional artist spotlight

Getting a Job through SETC: Jim France INSPIRATION for Professionals Do you know the difference between casting directors, agents and managers?

Casting Directors are contracted by a theatre or company to scout for the best people for specific roles.

Agents/Managers represent actors to secure auditions and negotiate contracts, and usually work on commission.

So, as you advance your career, make sure you are talking with the right person(s).

SETC serves as a semicasting agency, bringing actors and companies together, and fulfilling the needs of both without commissions or heavy contracts.

More info: www.talentmanagers.org www.castingsociety.com - April J’C Marshall, SETC Professional Theatre Services Manager www.setc.org

Jim France, an actor who works professionally across the United States, had a successful 40-year career as a hotel executive before taking the leap – and pursuing his teenage dream of becoming an actor.

France studied voice and acting privately for three years while working in community theatre and low-paying professional gigs in the Asheville, NC area and finally qualified for SETC’s professional auditions in 2006.

How did you get your first break?

The really important “first” was at SETC Professional Auditions. John Shearin from Eastern Carolina University’s Loessin Summer Theatre gave me a callback and had me audition for Henry Albertson in The Fantasticks. This was in 2006 at my first SETC. He hired me, and I have basically been working ever since.

What types of shows do you typically do?

I do a lot of musicals and those are fun, but I also like straight plays. I recently played the role of the wealthy English drunk August Sinclair (no stretch!) in the world première of A Visit from Scarface at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA. I also do television and voice-over work. I have been the voice of “Deadliest Hunts” on the Outdoor Network for 9 out of the last 10 years. I also am the “Voice of God” in the new musical feature Moses at Sight & Sound Theatres in Lancaster, PA.

How has SETC assisted you as a theatre professional?

The spring auditions have been most useful in gaining work. I have attended the Spring Auditions every year since 2006 except for last year, when I was working the entire year.

I have also attended fall auditions but missed several because of the great roles I have had in the fall season. I also have attended a number of seminars at SETC which have been most helpful, interesting and stimulating.

How do you get jobs? Do you always work as a professional?

Most of my jobs come through SETC and UPTA, although now that I am a bit more wellknown than I once was, I do get telephone calls and emails offering me work from a variety of theatres around the nation. I no longer do community theatre work since I am an EMC (Equity Membership Candidate).

More info: www.setc.org/spring-professional January / February 2014

8

membership news

Getting to SETC Cassie Garner Raises Funds for Job Search Trip via GoFundMe

Want to help?

Visit Garner’s GoFundMe page at the link below.

As of Jan. 6, she had raised $955 toward her $1,500 goal.

Crowdsourcing has become a popular way for theatres and theatre artists to raise money for productions.

Now Cassie Garner, a senior at the University of West Georgia, is using GoFundMe in her quest to find a job as a theatre props designer, scenic charge or carpenter after graduation.

She is trying to raise $1,500 via the crowdsourcing site for a trip to the SETC Convention and, if money is left over, for travel to her new job location.

Cassie Garner hopes to find a job in the technical field at the 2014 SETC Convention.

“The purpose of my creating this site,” she wrote on GoFundMe, “is because I need to go to SETC, the Southeastern Theatre Conference, in March so that I can interview with hundreds of theatre companies around the country. ... As I am graduating in the spring, it is imperative that I can make it to this conference this year so that I will have a job after graduation.”

Have you attended the SETC Convention before?

When I was a freshman in college and just starting my theatre degree, my mentor and professor, Austin Barrow, told me about SETC. I went to the conference for the first time that year and although I didn’t receive a job that year, it was an amazing experience where I learned a lot from the lectures and workshops, and I met some wonderful people. SETC is an amazing way for undergraduate theatre majors to begin networking and interviewing with companies, as well as attend many workshops and shows. I attended my second SETC Convention last year and received a job offer with The Lost Colony outdoor drama in Manteo, NC. I accepted the job, and it was an absolutely wonderful experience.

Where did you get the idea of raising money via GoFundMe?

I got the idea from my boyfriend, who is using a GoFundMe page in order to help him spend a year in China training in the martial arts. I have never been the type of person to ask for financial help. But if there is one thing that being in college and working two jobs has taught me, it’s that it is all right to ask for help sometimes. I don’t know that I will reach my goal but every little bit helps and is appreciated.

More info: www.gofundme.com/5hd8qg www.setc.org

January / February 2014

9

membership news

Suzan Zeder Sheds Light on Writing for Youth at SETC Theatre Symposium

THEATRE SYMPOSIUM WHERE: Campus of Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, adjacent to Atlanta WHEN: Weekend of April 11-13, 2014

SETC’s 23rd annual Theatre Symposium event, scheduled for the weekend of April 11-13, 2014, will focus on the theme “Theatre and Youth.” Suzan Zeder, one of America’s most accomplished playwrights and advocates for youth theatre, will serve as keynote speaker.

Suzan Zeder is the four-time winner of the Distinguished Play award from the American Alliance of Theatre and Education.

Winner of Numerous Awards

Zeder is professor emerita of theatre from the University of Texas at Austin, where she held an endowed chair in Theatre for Youth and served as head of the playwriting program. Zeder has won numerous awards for her plays, which include Wiley and the Hairy Man, Step on a Crack and Mother Hicks.

“We are very fortunate to welcome Suzan Zeder, a scholar who is not only an acknowledged expert in her field, but also a prolific author, a tireless advocate and an inspiring educator,” said David Thompson, a Past President of SETC and editor of this edition of Theatre Symposium.

Submit Paper Proposals Soon

Proposals are being accepted through January 25 for paper presentations at the event.

Papers that are presented are then considered for publication in SETC’s scholarly journal Theatre Symposium.

This year’s topic was chosen because of ongoing concern with the future of theatre across generational lines. “We wanted to appeal to multiple divisions within our organization and felt that this topic would interest scholars and artists, theorists and practitioners,” Thompson said.

For more information about presenting a paper or attending the Theatre Symposium event, click the link below. If you have questions, contact David Thompson at dthompson@agnesscott.edu.

More info: www.setc.org/theatre-symposium

www.setc.org

January / February 2014

10

state convention news

Alabama Conference of Theatre

Florida Theatre Conference

Georgia Theatre Conference

Neil David Seibel

Donna White

Mary Norman

Events: Alabama Conference of Theatre College/University Festival; Community Theatre Festival; Walter Trumbauer Secondary Festival (3 separate events).

Number attending: College/ University Festival: 235; Community Theatre Festival: 250; Trumbauer Secondary Festival: 2,500.

Winners of Community Theatre Festival: Don’t Want To Talk About It, Whole Backstage Theatre, Guntersville, AL: The Fantasticks, Wetumpka Depot Theatre, Wetumpka, AL. Winners of High School Theatre Festival: 1st: The Last Illusion, Bob Jones HS, Madison, AL; 2nd: Amelia the Brave, Spain Park HS, Hoover, AL. Idea to share: The Alabama Conference of Theatre grants three annual scholarships for students pursuing a theatre degree in the state of Alabama.

Our top high school students are often recruited for some of the strongest national programs, and some decide to pursue their college degrees out of state. To ensure that all scholarships can be awarded, ACT instituted a ranking system of three alternates for each scholarship, which can be used if the winner chooses a school outside of Alabama.

Event: Annual conference.

Number attending: 1,400.

Winner of Community Theatre Festival: Forbidden Broadway, Eight O’Clock Theatre, Largo, FL. Winners of High School Theatre Festival: Of Mice and Men, Dr. Phillips HS, Orlando, FL; Tongues, Gateway HS, Kissimmee, FL. Idea to share: On the opening night of our conference, the Florida Theatre Conference invited the Asolo Repertory Theatre from the Florida State University Conservatory Program to perform its current touring production, Romeo and Juliet. In addition, we had our first middle school production in the Theatre for Youth Division, and are looking at the possibility of adding a middle school festival next year.

Event: Annual conference: New Vistas, New Voices, New Venues.

Number attending: Approximately 1,250.

Winners of Community Theatre Festival: There were no community theatre entries this year.

Winners of High School Theatre Festival: Mother Hicks, Davidson Fine Arts, Magnet School, Augusta, GA; Elephant’s Graveyard, Savannah Country Day School, Savannah, GA.

State Representative

State Representative

Executive Director

Look for the Mississippi Theatre Association report in the March/April issue of SETC News.

More info: www.setc.org/state-organizations www.setc.org

January / February 2014

11

state convention news

Kentucky Theatre Association

North Carolina Theatre Conference

South Carolina Theatre Association

Dana Hope

Angie Hays

Harry Culpepper

Event: Annual conference.

Number attending: Not available.

Winner of Community Theatre Festival: Tie: Quilters, Artists Collaborative Theatre, Elkorn City, KY; A Thousand Cranes, Actors for Children Theatre, Flatwoods, KY. Winner of High School Theatre Festival: Rock of Ages, Owensboro HS, Owensboro, KY. Idea to share: Our mission has long included embracing theatre at all levels. At our annual conferences, we realized there was a lack of proof of that commitment to our members, as we seemed to focus on community, college and high school theatre. We are excited to announce our first annual Middle School Festival this March, in cooperation with Spencer County Middle School in Taylorsville, KY. We hope to bring many Kentucky middle schools to perform and see plays and participate in workshops.

Our other brainstorm for the coming year(s) is how do we better include the vast number of “semiprofessional� companies in our festivals? There are large numbers of theatre professionals that may feel excluded from events, and we want to find ways to bring their talents, insights and vision to the conference.

Events: NCTC High School Play Festival, NCTC College Discovery Day, SETC Screening Auditions.

Number attending: Approximately 3,500 total.

Winner of Community Theatre Festival: None held.

Winner of High School Theatre Festival: The Parchman Hour, Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Monroe, NC; The Rimers of Eldritch, Northwest School of the Arts, Charlotte, NC. Idea to share: Lenoir-Rhyne University, Greensboro College and Catawba College partnered with us to award $220,000 in college scholarships at our State High School Play Festival. Barbizon Lighting once again sponsored the Design and Production Awards, a program that was started last season to recognize student work in these areas and to encourage more students to present portfolios at College Discovery Day. With these awards and a more ambitious marketing plan for College Discovery Day, we increased audition registrations by 40% and portfolio presentations by 90%. SETC Screening Audition numbers also increased this year, making it a very busy fall for NCTC.

Event: Annual conference: Engaging the Imagination.

Number attending: 803.

Winner of Community Theatre Festival: A Walk in the Woods, Aiken Community Theatre, Aiken, SC. Winner of High School Theatre Festival: 1st: Women of Troy Spartanburg School District #6, Spartanburg, SC; 2nd: Agnes of God, Richland Northeast HS, Columbia, SC. Idea to share: This year we had record attendance and number of participating high schools. We decided to add a photo bomb contest to the convention. We encouraged students to tweet and post pictures that they had photo bombed throughout the convention. We encouraged people to get pictures with presenters, keynotes, board members and teachers. This created a successful addition to our social media marketing efforts, which is definitely a lowcost marketing tool. We awarded convention T-shirts to those selected as winners.

State Representative

Executive Director

State Representative

More info: www.setc.org/state-organizations www.setc.org

January / February 2014

12

state convention news

Tennessee Theatre Association

Virginia Theatre Association

West Virginia Theatre Association

Anna Filippo

Mary K. Molineu

Dennis Wemm

Event: Annual conference.

Number attending: Approximately 800 Winner of Community Theatre Festival: Freud’s Last Session, Cookeville Performing Arts Center, Cookeville, TN. Winners of High School Theatre Festival: 1st: The Exonerated, Cordova High School, Cordova, TN; Runner-up: American Tall Tales, LaVergne HS, LaVergne, TN. Idea to share: For the annual conference in Maryville, the board elected to try an all-conference mixer on one of the highest-traffic days, at a time when a major event had just finished. There was a bit of a break in programming before evening events kicked off.

Previously, we had attempted separate mixers: for example, one for high schools and one during the Alpha Psi Omega interest meeting for college students and professors. This year, the all-conference mixer was the primary “meet and greet” during the conference and was held in the main lobby with all of the exhibits. That provided a special opportunity for vendors.

Mainstage Theatrical Supply and Barbizon Lighting Company sponsored the mixer, which was attended by nearly 200 people.

Events: Annual conference; Middle School Theatre Festival; Community Theatre Festival (3 separate festivals).

Number attending: Annual conference: 1,800; Middle School Festival: 400; Community Theatre Festival: 60. Membership is now over 2,000 statewide – a new record for VTA. Winner of Community Theatre Festival: Life, Below Zero, The Troubadours, Sandston, VA. Winners of High School Theatre Festival: On the Verge … or the Geography of Yearning, Stafford HS, Stafford, VA. Idea to share: The program chair for the annual conference, Jim Ackley, initiated a statewide College Theatre Festival.

Eight colleges and universities showcased scenes in a Saturday night event that was packed with conference attendees.

Amazing pieces were presented by college-level student actors from their theatre programs. This event provided a new outlet for the colleges and universities to highlight their programs, and it was a huge success.

Event: Annual conference.

Number attending: 260.

Winner of Community Theatre Festival: Art, M.T. Pockets Theatre Company, Morgantown, WV. Winner of High School Theatre Festival: The Apple Tree, Greenbrier East HS, Lewisburg, WV; Bel Canto, Wyoming East HS, New Richmond, WV. Idea to share: The West Virginia Theatre Conference was disbanded by vote of the general membership on Nov. 1, 2013.

At the first meeting of the West Virginia Theatre Association, new articles of incorporation and bylaws were accepted by the membership. Our new bylaws have taken the “jobs” away from board members. Except for SETC State Representative and State Auditions Chair, we no longer will be tying board membership to a particular task, such as President, Treasurer or Division Chair. All board members will be elected at large, then officers selected on an annual basis by vote of the board.

Executive Director

Executive Director

Executive Director

More info: www.setc.org/state-organizations www.setc.org

January / February 2014

13

FROM THE president

Cast Your Vote for New Officers at March 8 SETC Business Meeting Please take a few minutes to review SETC’s proposed slate of officers for 2014-15.

Jack Benjamin PR ESID ENT

The officers and the Nominations Committee members pictured below will be presented for a vote by SETC’s membership at the annual SETC Business Meeting at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2014, in the Bon Secour Ballroom in the Riverview Hotel in Mobile, AL. For more details on these individuals, visit the website below.

2014-15 Slate of Officers

A number of bylaws changes also will be presented for a vote at the annual SETC Business Meeting on March 8. Visit www.setc.org/ leadership/ elections after Feb. 1 for details.

President Jack Benjamin

Programming VP Tiza Garland

Administrative VP Steve Bayless

Treasurer H. Duke Guthrie

Past President David Wohl

Secretary Adanma Barton

2014-15 Nominating Committee

Chris Rich, Chair

Tom Booth

Chip Egan

Amie Kisling

Kristy Meanor

More info: www.setc.org/leadership/elections www.setc.org

January / February 2014

14

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Theatre Executive Directors Build Relationships through Unstructured Conversations Do all of your meetings have agendas? Try an impromptu or “wideopen” meeting to open a dialogue.

Betsey Horth EX E CUTIV E D IR EC T O R

Organizations that participated in the 2013 executive directors’ conversations included: AACT AATE EDTA IOD SETC USITT

Last year I invited executive directors from all year-round theatre organizations that hold conventions and provide national/regional theatre-based resources to attend and participate in multiple conversations with each other during SETC’s annual convention. On the final day of meetings, we also engaged in conversations with the region’s state organization leaders.

The dialogues were deep, but not action-oriented. The intent was to get to know who we are and what our organizations do. All of us engaged openly in the sessions without concern of missions and activities creating crossover conflicts. Yes, it was about building relationships.

The relationships continued, and out of those came at least one partnering project. Look for a joint announcement soon from USITT and SETC. A year ago, this idea and the shared service we will soon offer was not even on our radar. The fact that it now is being discussed supports the philosophical networking concept of entering into conversations “wide open,” allowing for space and interests to overlap and develop. No agenda!

In the September 2013 issue of Fast Company, Disney/ABC-Television Group President Anne Sweeney talks about an impromptu meeting with her staff that proved very rewarding. “I loved how much we’re going to accomplish because we had this very unstructured, very meandering conversation about many different things.”

When asked if she will make this happen regularly, or if the value was about being impromptu, she thought that one did not negate the other. “I think you could make it a regular impromptu thing. But I don’t think we allow ourselves a lot of that. We keep ourselves on schedules and agendas. There’s a lot to accomplish. But there’s something about introducing a new process that helps.”

As this year’s convention nears and we begin organizing a continuation of the dialogues, I hope the other executive directors and I can continue that “regular impromptu thing.”

Fast Company story: http://tinyurl.com/kmo8tej www.setc.org

January / February 2014

15

Theatre & the Law

Start the New Year Right by Doing a Legal Audit at Your Theatre

Dan Ellison ATTO R N EY AT L AW

The new year is a great time for reflection and new year’s resolutions. It is also a great time to conduct a “legal audit” for your theatre and yourself.

The components of a legal audit include the following: Contracts and Leases Review and identify requirements for the coming year. Make sure any dates that require action – including renewals and terminations – are on your calendar with “ticklers.” If “time is of the essence” in any contracts, those are absolute, dropdead dates!

990 Reporting Under the new IRS rules, if you fail to file a 990 return for three years, your taxexempt status will be administratively revoked! Best advice is to file one every year.

More info: www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Annual-Reporting-&-Filing-1

Insurance Make your insurance agent work. Have circumstances changed? Is your coverage adequate? Does it cover all of your activities?

Organizational Documents and Procedures The bylaws and the articles of incorporation are the rules for your nonprofit.

Are you and your board members abiding by them and fulfilling all duties and responsibilities? Do you have emergency procedures in place?

Employees Dan Ellison is a Durham, NC-based attorney with a concentration in artsrelated and nonprofit law. He can be reached at artandmuseumlaw@ aol.com. The contents of this column are intended for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstance.

Have you added employees? Many laws have threshold numbers of employees before they apply (e.g., some discrimination laws and workers comp requirements).

More info: www.eeoc.gov

Copyright and Right of Publicity Clarify and document who owns the copyright for works created in the past year.

For photos of people, do you have at least a simple release on file making it clear that you can use the photo of them in your brochures and ads?

More info: http://copyright.gov

Claims Do you have any potential claims against anyone? Depending on the claim, it might need to be filed within one to three years – or risk being barred by the statute of limitations.

More info: Visit the websites above www.setc.org

January / February 2014

16

miscellaneous news

HAVE A QUESTION FOR SETC CENTRAL OFFICE? Find the right contact to answer your question Rachel Blake rachel@setc.org General Questions April J’C Marshall april@setc.org Professional Auditions Screening Auditions Job Contact Mark Snyder mark@setc.org Listings in Job Contact Bulletin Membership Accounts Receivable Claire Wisniewski claire@setc.org Undergrad School Auditions Graduate School Auditions Commercial Exhibits Education Expo Festivals Tracy Hall tracy@setc.org Advertising in Publications Communications/Marketing Website Quiana Clark-Roland quiana@setc.org Convention Planning Convention Logistics Betsey Horth betsey@setc.org Organization Leadership

In Memoriam: Ray Horne Ray Horne, a longtime theatre teacher at Northside High School in Warner Robins, GA, passed away Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014. Horne was an acclaimed director and teacher whose students won more regional and state one-act and literary awards than those of any teacher in Georgia, according to The Telegraph newspaper. Active in SETC for many years, Horne received SETC’s highest award for one of its own, the Suzanne M. Davis Memorial Award, in 1996. The Georgia High School Association named an award in his honor, and a new theatre at Northside High School was christened the Ray Horne Theatre for Performing Arts.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete at press time.

Region IV KCACTF to Be Held Feb. 4-8 The annual Kennedy Center America College Theater Festival (KCACTF) for Region IV will be held in Roanoke, VA, Feb. 4-8. More info: www.kcactf4.org

Did You Know?

SETC sponsors the following awards at the regional KCACTF, providing cash awards to the winners of the: • SETC David Weiss Scenic, Costume and Lighting Awards, named in honor of SETC’s 1972-73 President • SETC Design/Tech Crafts Awards

• • • •

Acting Award.

Best Partner Award SETC Musical Theatre Award SETC Comedy Acting Award

AATE’s Annual Event Is July 30-Aug. 3 The American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) will hold its 27th national conference in Denver, CO, from July 30 to August 3, 2014.

More info: www.aate.com/page/2014

Endowment Fund Contributions Thanks to the following for contributions to the SETC Endowment Fund: Don Loeffler

David Wohl

Thomas Behm

Send your news to deanna@setc.org www.setc.org

January / February 2014

17