MAY / JUNE 2021
Bimonthly Newsletter of Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.
CONTENTS SETC@Home
www.setc.org
Introducing SETC@Home
Page 1
Outdoor Theatre Pages 2 - 3
Fall Events Page 4
2022 Convention Page 5
Fundraising Challenge Page 6
2021 Convention Awards Page 7
Secondary School Awards Page 8
Community Theatre Highlights/AACT
You’ve spoken, and we’ve listened! After an incredible response to our 2021 Virtual Convention, SETC will provide additional virtual programming this summer through webinar panels and presentations called “SETC@ Home.” This new initiative will host focused content for both students and professionals.
The SETC@ Home series will begin in June. Our first sessions are: • Developing Your Brand: Best practices for professional artists in a digital world. • Navigating Taxes and Insurance: Q&A with a panel of experts. • Assistance Through Agencies: Resources for your journey as an artist.
Page 9
The TTC (Theatre Teaching Collaborative) webinars will also be
Design Awards Pages 10 - 13
housed under SETC @Home, with content focused on educational leadership. The next series of TTC webinars targeted to teachers will kick off in July.
Columns
Look for more information soon at www.setc.org/athome.
Pages 14 - 17
Miscellaneous News Page 18
NEWS SUBMISSIONS Deanna Thompson, Editor (she/her) deanna@setc.org
Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.
SETC@Home events are FREE for members and $10 for nonmembers. More info: www.setc.org/athome
OUTDOOR THEATRE
Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins, UT, plans a 2021 season that includes four outdoor productions.
The
2021 National Conference on Outdoor Theatre will be held in the fall. Stay
tuned for more details here.
Outdoor Theatres Plan Reopenings SETC is excited that outdoor theatres across the country will be among the first to come out of the pandemic and reopen their “doors.” We hear from our constituent theatres that ticket sales are strong and audiences are ready to enjoy the shows.
Visit an outdoor theatre this summer!
Read the stories of four theatres that are reopening, Page 3.
Many companies have used this down time to reconceive, retool or renovate. Find your closest outdoor theatre and make a day trip this summer! Better yet, take a few days and do an outdoor theatre tour! You can view a list of outdoor theatres and map out an itinerary here.
SETC offers $10,000 in grants to assist with reopening In July 2017, SETC welcomed the Institute of Outdoor Theatre (IOT) into its operations. The IOT brought with it some investment funds. We felt there was no better time to make use of some of those funds than now, as outdoor theatres take steps to emerge from the pandemic. SETC will grant a total of $10,000 to outdoor theatres this summer to help with pandemic-related equipment, such as staff PPE, stanchions, signage and cleaning supplies. Grants will range from $1,000 to $2,000, with the number awarded to be determined based on response. Additional information about these grants will be posted here on the SETC website on May 17. The deadline for submission of grant requests will be June 30. Grants will be awarded by July 30 to reimburse theatres for summer 2021 expenses. More info: www.setc.org/iot
www.setc.org
May / June 2021
2
OUTDOOR THEATRE
Four Outdoor Theatres Share 2021 Outlook As companies prepare to welcome audiences back for the 2021 summer season, we asked outdoor theatres located in a variety of states to answer the question: “How do things look for your upcoming season?” TEXAS OUTDOOR MUSICAL (Canyon, TX): “As they say, the show must go on.
And The Texas Outdoor Musical is doing just that. We are (finally) entering on our 55th season! We are excited and ready to celebrate that anniversary this summer in beautiful Palo Duro Canyon on our beloved Amphitheatre stage. We began selling tickets for our 2021 season this fall and have had a tremendous response. (Of course, using our spacing guidelines.) On April 1, we issued contracts to hire all of our performers, crew and front of house staff. We are confident that a great show will happen and taking every precaution to ensure our patrons’ safety with extra sanitation and COVID signage. We will operate our normal season May 29-August 14.”
TECUMSEH! (Chillicothe, OH): “At Tecumseh!, we’re busy and buzzing with
excitement for this summer. Advance ticket sales are very strong, casting is about to wrap up and preparation of the facility itself has gone better than anticipated. All of that said, we’re still facing very tall hurdles with a maximum capacity of around 30%. Capping our total possible income meant that we had to create a new business model for the year, rewrite some of the show to account for a cast half the size we’re used to, and operating with a nearly 70% reduction in operations staff. But we get to open, and create, and welcome people back in June.”
THE LOST COLONY (Manteo, NC): “We could not be more excited about this
summer season. Interest is high, and ticket sales are strong. We have an amazing team working tirelessly to present The Lost Colony in an engaging, creative and respectful way. We will be introducing new layers to the performance that will capture the audience’s imagination this summer and have a new partnership with the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, who have assisted in the development of this year’s production. We look forward to sharing Paul Green’s The Lost Colony, as directed and choreographed by Jeff Whiting, with audiences this summer.”
DOUBLE EDGE THEATRE (Ashfield, MA): “In June, Double Edge Theatre (DE) will
present Howling at the Moon, an outdoor fireside performance that weaves mythic tales and ancestral visions in a musical world of aerial flight and fantastic beings. Storyteller Larry Spotted Crow Mann of the Nipmuc Nation joins us. In July, we open DE’s 20th Summer Spectacle, Memories and Dreams, a performance created for the time of COVID-19, with all of DE’s traveling adventures and epic imagination. In the face of the pandemic, DE’s programming for young artists has continued to be vibrant: We offer COVID-safe training immersions, online and in-person mentorships, internships and performance opportunities.”
More info: www.setc.org/iot www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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SETC FALL EVENTS
Don’t Miss the SETC Fall Professional Auditions
ExCom & Board Report by Maegan McNerney Azar SETC President
Actions taken by the SETC Board of Directors and Executive Committee during a meeting on March 3, 2021, included the following: 4 Approved the Bylaws and Rules revisions for the addition of the VP of Equity & Inclusion and the Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council. 4 Approved the 2020 Audit. 4
Suspended III.C-Rule 3, Life Memberships, for one year so that life members can designate where their membership money goes.
Full minutes are available at: www.setc.org/minutes-archives
FOR PROFESSIONAL:
FORMAT/DATE:
4 Actors 4 Actors who sing 4 Singers 4 Actors who sing and dance 4 Dancers
Look for an announcement about the auditions format (live, virtual or hybrid) and the date of the auditions on the SETC website on May 21, 2021.
MORE INFORMATION ON MAY 21: www.setc.org/professional-auditions
Join Us for Fall Board and Committee Meetings We will be announcing the format and location for SETC’s Fall 2021 meetings of SETC committees, the Advisory Council, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors on May 21, 2021. All members are invited to attend these meetings; board and committee members are expected to attend. Look for details on May 21 at www.setc.org/board-meetings.
More info: info:www.setc.org/professional-auditions www.setc.org/upcoming More www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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2022 SETC CONVENTION
Plans Underway for In-Person 2022 SETC Convention in Memphis We are going full steam ahead with preparations to meet next March in Memphis, TN, for SETC’s 73rd convention. Our plan is to hold an in-person event, with some parts of the convention open for both in-person and virtual attendance. We are excited to come together as a community in 2022 in the home of blues, soul, rock-n-roll, great barbecue and Beale Street. The Renasant Convention Center recently underwent a $200-million makeover, so we’ll get a chance to experience not just the upbeat vibe of this river city but also the sparkle of a newly renovated convention center.
SETC 2022 MEMPHIS, TN March 9 - 13
The new space includes: 300,000 total square feet. u Floor-to-ceiling windows u bringing in light and views of downtown Memphis and the Mississippi River. Luxury finishes and u networking perks, including free wi-fi in public areas. u A 118,000-square-foot, column-free exhibit hall, the largest in the region, which can subdivide into three spaces.
The newly renovated Renasant Convention Center in Memphis includes floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views of the Mississippi River. (Credit: Memphis Tourism / LRK)
A 2,100-seat, connected theatre: the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. u Connectivity with the 600-room Sheraton Memphis Downtown. u A public concourse on Main Street, offering easy access to Memphis’ vintage u trolley system and walkable downtown, with the restaurants, bars and music venues of the iconic Beale Street entertainment district just a mile away. More details to come. We look forward to gathering together at the 2022 SETC Convention!
More info: www.setc.org www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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SETC FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
A Challenge for Challenging Times: SETC Seeks to Raise $45,000 As is the case for all, it’s been a bumpy year for SETC. Convention registrations were dramatically lower than usual, membership is down, and SETC lost substantial revenue from conventionrelated tourism incentives due to the virtual convention format. Thanks to Contributors We send our thanks to the following individuals for contributions made to SETC since March 1, 2021: Lee Blair Aaron Bollinger J. Theresa Bush * Ron Cameron Franklin Coleman Paul Crook Elizabeth Eskildsen Kiara Hunt Teresa Lee Chad McDonald * Kris Rau McIntyre Kirk Pfeiffer Ginger Poole Shannon Robert Neno Russell Mia Self * Jerry Stevenson Dennis Wemm * Denotes Monthly Contributor
While we didn’t have the expense of an in-person convention, SETC’s year-round programming and member benefits still require considerable operating, technology and personnel expense. We cut our costs to the bare minimum, including moving out of our office space, but even with government support, the diminished revenues will make for a hefty budget deficit this year. While SETC’s leadership over the past several decades has done a fantastic job of securing SETC’s future, it’s important that we do our best at this time to continue to protect that financial strength versus simply hoping for the best in the future. SETC is working now to aggressively address the deficit.
Challenge Match: Reaching out for help To help SETC be proactive in addressing our pandemic deficit, the SETC Board of Directors has begun putting together a “Challenge Match.” In the next few weeks, the Board will announce a figure that it has raised from its own members, past presidents and life members. SETC will then reach out to the membership at large and beyond to match the challenge amount. The goal is for SETC to raise $45,000. It won’t cover our deficit, but it will make a good dent.
We’re here to continue serving you in changing times SETC has worked diligently over the past year to provide uninterrupted, reinvented service to our constituents. And despite the challenges, we have continued to grow and dig deep to improve the organization. Like so many other nonprofits, we have a long journey of recovery ahead of us, but SETC is in it for the long haul.
Watch for more information – and please consider a donation If you have benefited from any of SETC’s services or connections, we hope that you will consider contributing to our Challenge Match Campaign to help offset our pandemic deficit. We’ll be issuing the challenge in the weeks to come via e-mail, social media and other communications. Stay tuned for details. SETC is grateful to all for your enduring support and encouragement!
More info: www.setc.org www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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2021 SETC CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Remembering the 2021 SETC Virtual Convention: Awards Below and on the pages that follow, we share photos of award winners and events at the 2021 SETC Convention, which was attended virtually by approximately 2,700 people on March 3 - 6.
ROSEMARY HARRIS
MICHAEL P. HOWLEY
SETC Distinguished Career Award
Suzanne M. Davis Memorial Award
SALLY BAKER
TIFFANY DUPONT NOVAK
Tom Behm Award
Betsey Horth Arts Administration Advancement Grant
APPLAUSE! CARY YOUTH THEATRE Sara Spencer Child Drama Award
ANGELA J. DAVIS Charles M. Getchell Award for AGATHE
CAROLYN ETZEL
ALEXANDRA LAGRAND
Young Scholars Award, Undergraduate Winner
Young Scholars Award, Graduate Winner
How to Apply for SETC Awards SETC gives out a number of awards, scholarships and grants. Click here for details and deadlines. Two awards have June 1 application deadlines: Innovative Playwriting Instruction Award For a high school teacher who uses playwriting in innovative ways in the classroom.
JOE SENDEK Innovative Playwriting Instruction Award
SYDNEY DYE John Spiegel Theatrical Artist Award
Charles M. Getchell Award For a new play by a writer who is an SETC member, lives in the SETC region or goes to school in the SETC region.
More info: www.setc.org/scholarships-awards www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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2021 SETC CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Virtual Secondary School Theatre Festival Awards In addition to the awards for Best Production and Runner-Up at left, a variety of other awards were given out during the 2021 SETC Virtual Convention to participants in the Virtual Secondary School Theatre Festival, which featured 10-minute plays presented by 12 high schools: BEST PERFORMERS Alex Yang as Ron, Five Stars, Oak Grove High School (MS)
BEST PRODUCTION Cardboard Stories: Thinking Outside the Box, presented by School for the Creative and Performing Arts @ Lafayette High School (Lexington, KY).
Jaden Fuisa as Jo, Masked Perfection, Ocean Springs High School (MS) BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMERS Sam Dedrick as Monica Velez, Ordinary Heroes, Stewarts Creek High School (TN) Ariana Ortiz as Valencia, The Transition of Doodle Pequeño, Windermere High School Theatre (FL)
RUNNER-UP, BEST PRODUCTION The Vicious Circle Contemplates a Vicious Time, presented by Charlottesville (VA) High School.
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL COMPOSITION Helen of Troy and Cassandra the Prophet, D. W. Daniel High School (SC) OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY THEATRE Say Her Name, Charlotte Country Day School (NC) BEST DIGITAL PRODUCTION CONCEPT Call Declined, The Galloway School (GA)
BEST ENSEMBLE Shakespeare’s Mix Tape, Notre Dame High School (WV)
OUTSTANDING USE OF FOUND SPACE Monday the 13th; Deadline! A Short Film about a Short Film, Lake Norman Charter (NC)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Timeless Love, Ocean Springs High School (MS)
OUTSTANDING SENSE OF WONDER Step on a Crack, Springwood School (AL)
Keynote Emerging Artist of Promise (KEAP) Award The 2021 KEAP Award recipients are Celia Knox (right), Ashley Mendez (far right) and Emily Manning (not pictured).
More info: www.setc.org/secondary-theatre www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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2021 SETC CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
SETC Community Theatre Festival THE PINK UNICORN presented by Proud Mary Theatre Company, South Carolina’s LGBTQ+ Theatre
Don’t Miss AACTFest! The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) will host AACTFest 2021 virtually June 14 - 20. Among the 12 shows presented will be three from theatres in the SETC region: u Blood Song, by Chelsea Marcantel, presented by Artists Collaborative Theatre, Elkhorn City, KY u Collected Stories, by Donald Margulies, presented by South City Theatre, Pelham, AL u Love and Cheese Toast, by Cooper Shattuck, presented by Theatre Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa, AL AACTFest also will include a variety of other events geared toward those involved in community theatre. To take advantage of AACT’s Early Bird rate, register by May 16. For more information or to register, click here.
If you didn’t get a chance to watch during the 2021 SETC Virtual Convention, you missed an amazing production by Proud Mary Theatre Company: The Pink Unicorn, a onewoman show by Elise Forier Edie. Trisha Lee (played by Kelly Davis, shown above in a clip from the virtual production) is a Christian widow living in a conservative Southern town. Her life is suddenly upended when her 14-year-old daughter Jolene announces she is “gender queer” and starting a chapter of the Gay and Straight Alliance at Spartan High School. In The Pink Unicorn, Trisha recounts her story about facing a crisis she never saw coming, at a time when transgender people and gender issues weren’t even on her radar. The Pink Unicorn was directed by Anne Tromsness.
“My child, my swan, is a they, and they looks real cute.” - Trisha Lee
More info: www.setc.org/community-theatre www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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2021 SETC CONVENTION: DESIGN COMPETITION
2021 Design Competition Held Virtually COSTUM TECHNO E LOGY
The SETC Design Competition, held during the 2021 SETC Virtual Convention, attracted 80 entries. Adjudicators for the competition were design keynotes Dede Ayite (costume design), Alan C. Edwards (lighting design), Rachel Hauck (scene design) and Jessica Paz (sound design), as well as John Kristiansen (costume technology/costume crafts), Yee Yun Nam (projection design) and Tom Fagerholm and Daniel Neno Rus sare ell recognized below and on the following pages. Bennett (technical direction & construction). Winners
Sound Design Awards 1st Place Costume Technology Awards illiana Vale sponsored by Neno Russell sponsored by Shure, Inc., L and ntin Theatrical Sound Designers and 1890’s B
icycl Composers Association (TSDCA) Ensemble e 1st: Costume Technology Virginia C ommonw Lilliana Valentin ealth Un 1890s Bicycle Ensemble 1st: Sound Design iversity Anna Johnson The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
COSTUME ECHNOLOGY Neno Russell
1st Place
Lilliana Valentin
Sound Design Award Winners 3rd Place: Tate Thompson, Everyman, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 2nd Place: Valeriya Nedviga, Twelfth Night, Indiana University; 1st Place: Anna Johnson, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Hollins University.
1890’s Bicycle Ensemble
inia Commonwealth University www.setc.org
Costume Technology Award Winners Honorable Mention: Brianna Herr, Hero’s Dress, Point Park University; 3rd Place: Jillian Gregory, The Transparent Woman Project, University of Central Arkansas; 2nd Place: Addison Michael, 1890s Walking Dress, Virginia Commonwealth University; 1st Place: Lilliana Valentin, 1890s Bicycle Ensemble, Virginia Commonwealth University.
More info: www.setc.org/design-competition May / June 2021
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OSTUME
2021 SETC CONVENTION: DESIGN COMPETITION
Costume Crafts Awards sponsored by Betsey and David Horth
ADUATE UME DESIGN
t
DESIGN
1st: Costume Crafts Erin Rodgers Everyman – Death Costume
Place
rey Reed
& the Giant the Musical
1 st Place
Costume Design Awards Aud rey Re
ed James & t 1st: Graduate Costume Design Peach thehe Giant Audrey Reed M u s icaGiant James and the l Peach the Musical Virginia C ommo Universit nwealth y
Graduate Costume Design Award Winners Honorable Mention: Rachel Saylor, Twelfth Night, Indiana University; 3rd Place: Max Hromek, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 2nd Place: Margo Birdwhistell, The House That Will Not Stand, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 1st Place: Audrey Reed, James and the Giant Peach the Musical, Virginia Commonwealth University.
ommonwealth iversity RGRADUATE UME DESIGN
Costume Crafts Award Winners Honorable Mention: Helen Garcia-Alton, White Plague, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 1st Place: Erin Rodgers, Everyman – Death Costume, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
1st: Undergraduate Costume Design KT Farmer The House That Will Not Stand
1st Place
l
Farmer
use That Will ot Stand
Undergraduate Costume Design Award Winners 3rd Place: Ashley Brassell, Dracula, Purdue University Fort Wayne; 2nd Place: Carolan Corcoran, Mean Girls, Virginia Commonwealth University; 1st Place: KT Farmer, The House That Will Not Stand, Virginia Commonwealth University.
th
Commonwealth www.setc.org
More info: www.setc.org/design-competition May / June 2021
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2021 SETC CONVENTION: DESIGN COMPETITION
Technical Direction & Construction
sponsored by ATE Productions SCENIC Unlimited, Inc. SIGN 1st: Technical Direction & Construction Samuel Marchitto Antigone
Place
e Stepanek
Hobbit
of Tennessee xville
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y
Scene Design Awards sponsored by Sculptural Arts Coating, Inc.
GRADUA TE SCEN IC DESIGN
1 st Place
Katherine S
tepanek
The Hobb
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UnGraduate Award iversitScene y of Design Tennesse Winners e 3rd Place: Ferrelli, The House KnCarrie o x v il le That Will Not Stand, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 2nd Place: Xinyuan Li, Long Day’s Journey into Night, University of Massachusetts Amherst; 1st Place: Katherine Stepanek, The Hobbit, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
1st: Graduate Scene Design Katherine Stepanek The Hobbit
Technical Direction & Construction Award Winner 1st Place: Samuel Marchitto, Antigone, University of Alabama.
1st: Undergraduate Scene Design Travis Martinez Life? Or Theatre?
Undergraduate Scene Design Award Winners Honorable Mention: Devin Fourqurean, East of the Sun, LaGrange College; Honorable Mention: Ghina Fawaz, The Blue-Eyed Dove, Rollins College; 3rd Place: Rose Egan, Water by the Spoonful, Point Park University; 2nd Place: Cliona Smith, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, University of Oklahoma; 1st Place: Travis Martinez, Life? Or Theatre?, Lehigh University.
More info: www.setc.org/design-competition www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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DESIGN 2021 SETC CONVENTION: DESIGN COMPETITION
Projection Design Awards
1 st PlaceLighting
Kaysponsored lin Gessby Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)
sponsored by Broadway Among Media Distribution
Universit
UATE DESIGN
1st: Projection Design Sydney Dye #silenced
ce
Gess
Projection Design Award Winners 3rd Place: Carrie Ferrelli, Airness, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 2nd Place: Chandler Oppenheimer, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 1st Place: Sydney Dye, #silenced, Elon University.
Design Awards
Graduate Lighting Design the Dead1st: Kaylin Gess, Among the Dead
y of Tenn essee Knoxville
Graduate Lighting Design Award Winners 3rd Place: Catherine Pratt, Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; 2nd Place: Bill Miller, Airness, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 1st Place: Kaylin Gess, Among the Dead, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
e Dead
RADUATE Tennessee G DESIGN ville
Place
1st: Undergraduate Lighting Design Gavin Strawn Ride the Cyclone
Strawn Cyclone
nessee State www.setc.org
Undergraduate Lighting Design Award Winners Honorable Mention: Travis Martinez, Circle Mirror Transformation, Lehigh University; 3rd Place: Natalie Sorrento, Fall 2020 Dance Concert: Etched in Flesh, Valdosta State University; 2nd Place: Erin Featherson, Romeo and Juliet, Middle Tennessee State University; 1st Place: Gavin Strawn, Ride the Cyclone, Middle Tennessee State University.
More info: www.setc.org/design-competition May / June 2021
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PERSPECTIVES
On Pronouns
ELLA MOCK (t hey / t hem )
Ella Mock is an actor, an intimacy choreographer, a consent educator for Speak About It, an education artist for Portland Stage Company, and the co-chair of SETC’s LGBTQ+ in Theatre Committee.
“Perspectives” is an SETC News column where guest contributors are invited to share their diverse voices.
Imagine you are at an industry mixer. You can’t tell a person’s pronouns You are excited to share space with by the way they look. people you admire, and at some point, someone refers to a play in which you were involved, on which you worked incredibly hard, of which you are incredibly proud. Only, they call you Dave (and for the purposes of this thought exercise, your name is not Dave). It may be an honest mistake, a slip of the tongue, and besides, you look like a Dave. Do you smile politely and try to move past it, feeling the weight of it atop every other time you are called Dave? Do you correct them and hope they don’t argue with you or start crying or label you as “difficult”? This is how it feels to be misgendered. Pronouns are an extension of identity. We learn them as a sign of respect, a necessary element of trust in this highly collaborative field. If someone’s name is unfamiliar or new to us, we practice, we ask, we learn. Pronouns should be no different. Hot take: If we still praise Shakespeare and his inventive vocabulary, and yet feel anxiety around shifting grammar and evolving language today, we must question the source of that anxiety. Who gets to be a visionary? Who gets to be a linguistic innovator? Destigmatizing and incorporating pronoun exchange into your practice is the bare minimum. Cis actors are still being cast in trans roles; shows about us are written and developed without us. Aneesh Sheth’s open letter detailing her experiences at The Public Theater describes all-too-common experiences for the few Transgender/ Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) artists – especially Black, Brown and Indigenous artists – who are able to make a career in theatre. We must start with pronouns, but we cannot stop there.
Links that provide additional perspectives: Stage Source’s Gender Explosion Initiative Why I Put Pronouns on my Email Signature (and LinkedIn Profile) and You Should Too Why Is Misgendering Still a Thing? Beyond the Bathrooms: Cultivating Meaningful Trans Inclusion in Theatrical Spaces
More info: see links above www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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VP OF SERVICES
Reflections on a Challenging Year As I start my term as Vice President of Services, I want to acknowledge and pay respect to what the past year has meant to us, to our country and to our art. Neno Russell VI C E PR ESID ENT OF SERV IC E S ( he/ hi m )
Even as we rapidly become vaccinated, we still see pandemic numbers that fluctuate – and we still have friends and family members who are becoming ill from this horrible coronavirus. Socially, we have made substantive anti-racist strides in our country, in our industry and in SETC. Still racism, murders and injustices persist. SETC also persists with a dedication to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access. In the past year, among other things, we crafted an Ethos Statement for our organization: SETC is resolutely committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the life and culture of our organization. We are actively interrogating our policies and practices to deliberately take action and institutionalize anti-racist and anti-oppressive policies and practice. SETC will work to center marginalized voices, bodies, and stories. We will listen and learn about racism, discrimination, and adversity. I also want to take a moment to welcome our new Vice President of Equity & Inclusion, Adanma Onyedike Barton. I look forward to working closely with Adanma to make sure that everything we do and all our offerings are more equitable, inclusive and accessible. I want to thank the SETC team for bringing us together in March for this year’s SETC Virtual Convention under extraordinary circumstances. I also would like to give a special shout-out to all the SETC members who provided outstanding workshops, to our keynotes and to everyone who participated in our virtual convention, allowing us to come together for a memorable motivational and educational experience. My appreciation also goes out to convention-goers for thoughtfully filling out the postconvention questionnaire. Executive Director Susie Prueter’s column on Page 17 gives a glimpse of how members viewed the convention, and Susie gives voice to your thoughts and concerns. We will continue to listen to you and offer programming that reflects the needs of our membership. We are people who want to be in the room together, collaborating and celebrating our work and common goals. I look forward to connecting with you as our world begins to open up again in the coming months.
More info: www.setc.org/mission-and-vision www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
Your Resolution Is Just a Moment Before
Maegan McNerney Azar PR ESID ENT (she/ her )
As many of us look toward the finish line during the month of May, I am reminded of an adage that has helped me as a theatre artist: The resolution is really just the next beat’s inciting incident. This end of semester is really the moment before summer classes gear up or professional development refreshers happen for the faculty of the world – the moment before we become newly enlightened.
Links for more information
This end of the year is really commencement for so many theatre graduates – the inciting incident to the rest of their lives. This end of the regular season is the start of the summer season for producing houses across the country – an embarkation on the telling of new stories.
SETC COVID Resources SETC EDIA Resources Time for a Change: What If We Cut the Long Hours? American Theatre The New Standard of Care for Caregivers, Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) for Performing Arts + Media Pay the Interns
What will we make of those page turns?
There’s work to do On a larger scale, we’re looking forward to the end of the pandemic, but even that is really the starting point for hard conversations about essential health care, workfrom-home protocols, ending the 10 out of 12, supporting parent artists, the future of digital theatre, and so many more issues that have come to the surface since March 2020. The verdict in Minneapolis is not a resolution for the family of George Floyd and the thousands of people who are crying out for justice. It is the moment before we launch deeper into the work of equity and anti-racism in our communities, our theatres, our homes. I carry this thought with me as I walk into meetings, classrooms, studios, and board rooms: The resolution is just a moment before – if not for me, then for someone else. We all need to be mindful of that as the world spins forward.
More info: see links at left above www.setc.org
May / June 2021
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Survey Says …
Susie Prueter EX E CUTIV E D IR EC T O R (she/ her )
What’s up for the 2022 convention? ‘Modified hybrid’ SETC has just started planning for 2022 in Memphis and is currently thinking of a “modified hybrid” convention. Three service areas popped out of the post-convention survey as “prefer virtual over inperson”: Interest Area Meetings, Keynotes and Business Meetings. We are considering holding those meetings, Auditions and Theatre Job Fair as hybrid events, with both in-person and virtual components. More to come!
The 2021 SETC Virtual Convention is in the books. We are so very grateful to all for participating – and to all for your frank feedback. We thought it might be interesting for you to know what your colleagues thought about this year’s convention. 4 Overall, and overwhelmingly … Of the 368 participants who responded to our convention survey, 63% said they would recommend the virtual convention experience to a colleague or student. Overwhelmingly, our community prefers to meet in person, but was enthusiastic to come together and engage, even if online. 4 For some, not all … Several commented that there was too much recorded content and a lack of spontaneity/interaction, but many also took full advantage of the ability to circle back around and watch sessions at a later date. Many appreciated the accessibility that the virtual platform created, giving people the opportunity to attend who might not have been able to otherwise. 4 More EDIA … SETC received many positive comments about its most diverse convention programming ever. Our EDIA sessions and meetings were well attended, with many meaningful ideas offered. But without question, we have more and ongoing work to do here to expand programming, inclusion and participation. With our new Equity & Inclusion Council, we will continue the work. 4 For better, for worse … We’ve taken your notes to heart about deadlines being moving targets and there being some communication stumbles on our part. Thank you for sticking with us. We implemented a new database and application system which, in the end, was a game changer for making this virtual convention happen. Overwhelmingly, people stated they had a much easier time registering for convention this year. 4 Too much, too little … We heard several constituents’ concerns about the price of convention attendance, especially a virtual convention. We worked to provide value in the programming, and we continue to offer an added benefit: the hiring galleries created for the convention are available to professional companies as they come back from the pandemic. We’ll be taking a hard look at fees to see where we might do better, but still be able to meet SETC’s needed revenue. We are grateful for everyone’s support! Thank you for the tough love, the kind words and the enduring engagement.
More info: www.setc.org www.setc.org
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MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
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 Susie Prueter (she/her) susie@setc.org Executive Director Lee Crouse (he/him) lee@setc.org Educational Services/Sponsorships Clay Thornton (he/him) clay@setc.org Marketing/Advertising Chris Bailey (he/him) chris@setc.org Communications/Website Bradley Branham (he/him) bradley@setc.org Programming
LOOKING FOR BOOKS TO ASSIST WITH EDIA WORK? Following are three books that may be helpful: The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop – How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom, by Felicia Rose Chavez. Publisher: Haymarket Books. Available in hardcover, paperback and as a Kindle book. More information: www.antiracistworkshop.com Black Acting Methods, by Sharrell D. Luckett with Tia M. Shaffer. Publisher: Routledge. More information: www.sdluckett.com Dismantling the Racism Machine: A Manual and Toolbox, by Karen Gaffney. Publisher: Routledge. Available in hardcover, paperback and as an e-book. More information: www.routledge.com
International Thespian Society Plans New Student Membership Category Currently, the International Thespian Society (ITS) offers two student membership types, available either to 6-8 grade students (Jr. Thespians) or 9-12 grade students (Thespians) who attend schools with active ITS Troupes.
Elizabeth Theodora (she/her) elizabeth@setc.org Membership/Technology Nicole Francis (she/her) nicole@setc.org Accounts Receivable/Payable Debi Belanger (she/her) debi@setc.org Data Assistant General Questions info@setc.org
Executive Committee Maegan McNerney Azar (she/her) President Kris Rau McIntire (she/her) VP of Administration
Soon, however, the Educational Theatre Association will offer a new ITS student membership designed for students who are home-schooled, live in geographically diverse areas or are otherwise unable to access an ITS troupe. If you are interested in such a membership or want to be one of the first to know when it is launched, please send an email to members@ schooltheatre.org, which will ensure that you receive information as soon as it is available.
Neno Russell (he/him) VP of Services Jonathan Michaelsen (he/him) VP of Finance
In Memoriam
Adanma Onyedike Barton (she/her) VP of Equity & Inclusion
Carolyn J. Miller, a theatre teacher at Hedgesville High School in West Virginia for many years, died on April 17, 2021, at age 83. Miller was the first woman president of the West Virginia Theatre Conference. Miller’s involvement with SETC included bringing high school groups to the SETC Secondary School Theatre Festival, where her students won Best Production in 1978, and serving as secretary of SETC. More information here.
Ginger Poole (she/her) Secretary Jeff Gibson (he/him) Elected Past President Jeremy Kisling (he/him) VP of States Lynn Nelson (she/her) VP of Divisions
Send your news to deanna@setc.org www.setc.org
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