SETC News May/June 2018

MAY / JUNE 2018

Bimonthly Newsletter of Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.

CONTENTS SETC Events Pages 1 - 3

www.setc.org

SETC Fall Professional Unified Auditions Aug. 26-27, 2018

Professionals Pages 4 - 5

Convention News Page 6

High School Awards Page 7

Community Theatre

HIRING FOR: 4 Late fall/winter/ early spring shows 4 Dinner theatres 4 Cruise ships

Page 8

4 Entertainment venues

Design Awards

4 Holiday shows

Pages 9 - 12

4 Halloween shows

Knoxville – and Women’s Suffrage Page 13

SETC Hall of Fame

SHERATON CHARLOTTE HOTEL UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC l

Registration Opens June 1! Details: www.setc.org/fall-professional

Page 14

Theatre Symposium Page 15

Miscellaneous News Page 16

Make plans now to join us for the INSTITUTE OF OUTDOOR THEATRE Annual Conference Oct. 16-18, 2018 Location: The Lost Colony, Manteo, NC All are welcome to attend!

Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.

More info available soon at: www.setc.org/about/iot

More info: www.setc.org/fall-professional

SETC SPRING AND FALL MEETINGS

Join Us for ExCom, Board and Committee Meetings EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS: May 6-7 Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre

SETC’s Executive Committee will meet May 6-7, 2018, at SETC’s Central Office in Greensboro, NC. Interested members are welcome to attend. Contact Bradley Branham at 336-272-3645 or bradley@setc.org for more details.

FALL MEETINGS MOVE TO AUGUST IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE Executive Committee President: Jeff Gibson VP of Administration: Maegan McNerney Azar VP of Services: Lee Crouse VP of Finance: David Wohl Secretary: Rebecca Beasley Elected Past President: Alan Litsey VP of States: Kris Rau McIntyre VP of Divisions: Tom Booth

Central Office Betsey Horth Executive Director SETC 1175 Revolution Mill Dr. Studio 14 Greensboro NC 27405 336-272-3645 info@setc.org Institute of Outdoor Theatre 1175 Revolution Mill Dr. Studio 14 Greensboro NC 27405 336-272-3784 iot@setc.org

This year’s fall meetings will be held Aug. 24-25, 2018, at the Sheraton Charlotte Hotel in uptown Charlotte, NC. SETC committees, the Advisory Council, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors will come together to discuss SETC business.

All members may attend; board and committee members are expected to attend. Watch www.setc.org/board-meetings for upcoming details about hotel reservations and meeting schedules.

ExCom Report

by Jeff Gibson

Actions taken by the SETC Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Advisory Council during meetings in Mobile, AL, on March 7, 2018, included the following:

4 Updated Rule II.10 to reflect the updated name of the Movement & Physical Theatre Committee.

4 Approved the fiscal year 2019 SETC budget.

4 Approved the following manuals: VP of Services, VP of Administration, VP of States, President, and Musical Theatre.

4 Approved an increase to the Young Scholars Award amount.

Full minutes are available at www.setc.org/minutes-archives

News Submissions Deanna Thompson, Editor deanna@setc.org

More info: info: www.setc.org/board-meetings www.setc.org/upcoming More www.setc.org

May / June 2018

2

SETC EVENTS

SETC/USITT LiNK l Nov. 9-11 l Atlanta, GA

WHY DO

SCHOOLS ATTEND?

Make Plans to Attend the 5th Annual LiNK Graduate School Interviews, Auditions and Networking

“The quality of applicants.”

- Allen Hahn, Faculty, Indiana University Bloomington

WHY DO

STUDENTS ATTEND?

“I loved being able to talk to so many schools at once.”

- Kate Cardnialli, Student, Tech Direction/ Scenic Design

SETC and USITT will partner again for the fifth annual LiNK Graduate School Interviews and Auditions. Schools and prospective students will come together for a weekend of auditions, interviews and networking on November 9-11, 2018, at the Crowne Plaza AtlantaAirport Hotel in Atlanta, GA. In 2017, 50 graduate programs from across the United States were at LiNK recruiting for all areas of theatre study.

Registration for graduate programs and for students will open Aug. 1, 2018.

For more information about LiNK, including recruiting programs that attended last year, please visit www.setc.org/link or www.usitt.org/link.

Students interview with graduate schools at the 2017 LiNK event.

It’s Time to Plan Your Workshop Proposals for the 2019 SETC Convention See below for important deadlines if you would like to propose a workshop for the 2019 SETC Convention in Knoxville, TN. Questions? Email Vice President of Services Lee Crouse at lee@setc.org or Program Manager Bradley Branham at bradley@setc.org. Or visit www.setc.org/workshop-proposals for more details.

4-27-2018 8-31-2018 9-14-2018 10-15-2018 10-22-2018 11-2-2018 12-3-2018 2-27-2019

OPENING: Workshop Proposal Submissions

DEADLINE: Audio/Video Equipment Requests

DEADLINE: Workshop Proposal Submissions

OPENING: 2019 Convention Registration

NOTIFY: Workshop Proposal Accepted

NOTIFY: Workshop Proposal Declined

DEADLINE: Convention Registration

by Presenters

CONVENTION: 2019 SETC Convention Begins

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

May / June 2018

3

PROFESSIONAL COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Hiring through SETC: Unto These Hills ‘SETC is a great audition and interview hub for young actors/technicians just starting on their career paths – and also for seasoned professionals.

Fantastic networking opportunity for all who attend.’

- Marina Hunley-Graham SETC recently caught up with Marina Hunley-Graham, artistic director for Unto These Hills, an outdoor theatre located in the Great Smoky Mountains in Cherokee, NC.

When was your theatre founded? And what is its mission?

It was established in 1948 by the Cherokee Historical Association to share the triumphant story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians with the world through excellence in the arts, education, living history and cultural preservation.

What type of shows do you produce? And what type of theatre/stage do you have?

We present Unto These Hills, a historical outdoor drama, in a 2,100-seat amphitheatre.

What is the most unusual or interesting fact about your theatre?

Mike Crowe as Tsali, preparing for battle in Unto These Hills.

Unto These Hills, which has been viewed by over 6 million people, is the story of the forced removal of the Cherokee people to the West, known as the Trail of Tears.

Cherokee performers are descendants of the historical characters in the show.

Are all of your actors and crew paid professionals?

Yes, all positions are paid.

How does SETC assist you in your operations?

We have been involved with SETC for more than 20 years. We attend the spring convention every year, which is where we hire a large portion of our company. We also attend the SETC Job Fair and hire many of our production staff there as well.

Depending on need, we have also posted jobs through the SETC Theatre Job Board.

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

May / June 2018

4

PROFESSIONAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

INSPIRATION for Professionals

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK? Companies attending SETC’s most recent Fall and Spring Professional Auditions came from 26 states.

Click on the map above to see a larger version, showing locations of the companies (denoted with purple circles).

The home states of auditionees, who traveled to auditions from 39 states, also are shown (denoted with orange stars).

Getting a Job through SETC: Hayden Schubert and Alexis Wiley SETC’s Professional Auditions and Theatre Job Fair provide opportunities for attendees to book summer-only positions in addition to year-round professional jobs. Students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) were spotlighted in their local newspaper recently in recognition of the many summer jobs they scored through auditions, including SETC’s Spring Auditions and Theatre Job Fair in Mobile, AL. We feature two of them here: Hayden Schubert, a senior BFA musical theatre major who got a summer job performing with Jenny Wiley Theatre in Prestonsburg, KY, through the 2018 Spring Professional Auditions, and Alexis Wiley, a sophomore studying stage management who was hired through the Theatre Job Fair to work as an assistant stage manager this summer at Unto These Hills, an outdoor drama in Cherokee, NC (See profile, Page 4).

How has SETC helped you in your career?

SETC has been a springboard for my career as an actor. My first SETC audition was my sophomore year of college, and it was humbling to say the least. Now, as a graduating senior, I feel that SETC has prepared me for the next steps I’m going to take in the world. I just got another job through SETC, in addition to my summer job. I will be an acting apprentice at New Stage Theatre in Jackson, MS, beginning in August.

Where do you work most often in theatre?

Hayden Schubert

I work primarily as an actor, but also maintain a position as company manager of McLeod Summer Playhouse, the professional arm of the SIU Department of Theatre, during the pre-summer period. When summer starts, I oversee everything from wherever my acting contract takes me, working with an assistant on-site at McLeod Summer Playhouse.

How has SETC helped you in your career?

More information on Fall Auditions: www.setc.org/fallprofessional Alexis Wiley

Before SETC, I had not had many experiences interviewing and networking in the professional theatre world. I was decently prepped by my older friends on what to expect at the convention, but what I learned in Alabama was completely new, helpful and instrumental to me. The repeated style of sitting down and trying to sell yourself was intimidating, but a great learning experience that I slowly felt I grew better at. In addition to the job I took at Unto These Hills, I also received an offer to be a stagehand at Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Where do you work most often in theatre?

My passion is stage management and I do that most often, but I also have experience as a carpenter, a stagehand and an actress.

More info: www.setc.org/fall-professional

www.setc.org

May / June 2018

5

2018 SETC CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

Remembering Mobile: Quotes, Awards and People On the pages that follow, we share award winners, photos and what you liked best about the 2018 SETC Convention, which drew more than 4,500 people to Mobile, AL, March 7-11, 2018.

KEYNOTES • Jane Greenwood was amazing to listen to. She was so smart and thoughtful in her advice. I feel so lucky to even have been in the same room as her.

• My students raved about Chris Chalk and the design panel.

• All of Suzan Zeder’s events were outstanding.

comments on

• I enjoyed learning from professionals in their respective fields and seeing what the business is actually like from the eyes of people working there currently.

Tony Award-winning costume designer Jane Greenwood (left) receives SETC’s Distinguished Career Award from President Tiza Garland.

• I loved hearing Chris Chalk! He’s such a down-to-earth person, and I enjoyed how connected he was with the audience. I would love to see more speakers with that kind of energy and openness.

• I loved Jane Greenwood’s stories.

• It was wonderful to have so much with designers and such good ones – great talks.

• Chris Chalk surprised me. Great energy. Loved that he came from SETC.

Sean Michael McCord (right) is the winner of the Charles M. Getchell New Play Award. He is shown with Getchell Award chair Todd Ristau.

Kimberly Patterson, a teacher at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, FL, is the winner of SETC’s Innovative Playwriting Instruction Award. She is shown with Todd Ristau.

SETC Executive Director Betsey Horth (center), accepts SETC’s Suzanne M. Davis Memorial Award from SETC President Tiza Garland and Past President Jack Benjamin.

Rhonda Wilson (left) of Star Center Children’s Theatre in Gainesville, FL, receives SETC’s Sara Spencer Child Drama Award from Jeremy Kisling, the award chair.

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

May / June 2018

6

comment on

2018 SETC CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

Keynote Emerging Artist of Promise (KEAP) Award (Left to right) KEAP Award chair Carrie Roberts, with 2018 recipients Michael Armstrong, Christopher Clemons and Jacolby Saucier.

HIGH SCHOOL FESTIVAL I got to meet so many amazing people, and performing in the civic theatre was a truly amazing experience.

Winners of High School Festival sponsored by Norcostco

The winner of the High School Festival was Boone High School (FL) for its production of Collected Stories. Nadine Love is the director.

The runner-up in the High School Festival was Lakeside High School (GA) for its production of Failure: A Love Story. Lisa Bridges is the director.

Top: Sofia Deler, Best Actress, Collected Stories, Boone High School (FL).

Bottom: Harris Erickson, Best Actor, Second Samuel, Heritage High School (VA).

More info: www.setc.org/high-school-theatre www.setc.org

May / June 2018

7

2018 SETC CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

Winners of Community Theatre Festival sponsored by Dramatists Play Service

comment on

Starkville Community Theatre (MS) won for Paper Thin. At right: Director Pattye Archer (holding the award) is shown with the cast and crew.

Proud Mary Theatre Company (SC) won for I Am My Own Wife.

At right: Actor David LaPage, director Robert Fuson, producer Sandy Staggs and lighting designer Caleb Patterson are shown with their awards.

COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVAL The Saenger was an incredible venue for the Community Theatre Division, and the staff that worked backstage and tech was amazing. One of the best I have encountered.

Left: Dave LaPage, Best Actor, I Am My Own Wife, Proud Mary Theatre Company (SC). Right: Drew Baker, Best Actress, The End of a Line, Theatre Tuscaloosa (AL).

comments on

ATTENDING FOR THE FIRST TIME • The experience was extremely rewarding! The workshops were organized, fun, inventive and helpful.

• I loved how sophisticated SETC was compared to other conferences I’ve been to.

CONVENTION LOCATION • Beautiful atmosphere and friendly locals.

• Loved how close and easy it was to walk from different venue to venue. Not to mention the close restaurants!

• We loved Mobile! It is a perfect location!

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

May / June 2018

8

2018 SETC CONVENTION: DESIGN COMPETITION

Ready to Design Award Winners

Technical Direction and Construction Awards

sponsored by Productions Unlimited (Left to right) 1st Place: Elizabeth Haynes, Fences Technical Direction, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; 2nd Place: Liam Roth, Bird Cage, Kent State University.

Winners of SETC’s Ready to Design Award are chosen from graduate entrants in the Design Competition. In addition to a cash prize from SETC, each winner receives the opportunity to design a show at a theatre. The 2018 winners, shown with representatives of the theatres where they will work, are (left to right): Lexington Children’s Theatre’s Vivian Snipes, with recipient Katherine Field; Rose Theater’s Erin Solemsaas, with recipient Lindsey Purvis; recipient Hannah Chalman with Triad Stage’s Preston Lane; recipient Emily Tappan, who will design at Serenbe Playhouse.

1st: Technical Direction and Construction Elizabeth Haynes Fences

Costume Technology Awards sponsored by Fabric.com

(Left to right) 1st Place: Desiree Anderson, Lady Macbeth’s Dane Dress, Kent State University; 2nd Place: Christina HadleyDike, Light-Up Dress, Indiana University; 3rd Place: Hannah Chalman, Underpinnings, Virginia Commonwealth University; Honorable Mention: Yi Chen, Little Women Wedding Dress, Kent State University.

1st: Costume Technology Desire Anderson Lady Macbeth’s Dane Dress

More info: www.setc.org/design-competition www.setc.org

May / June 2018

9

2018 SETC CONVENTION: DESIGN COMPETITION

Costume Design Awards sponsored by Wardrobe Witchery

Undergraduate Costume Design Award Winners (Left to right) 1st Place: Natasha Cox, Enron, College of Charleston; 2nd Place: Desiree Anderson, Intimate Apparel, Kent State University; 3rd Place: Audrey Reed, The Taste of Sunrise, Middle Tennessee State University; Honorable Mention: Jessica Moreno-Caycho, Desire Under the Elms, Virginia Commonwealth University.

Graduate Costume Design Award Winners (Left to right) 1st Place: Erin Reed, Peter and the Starcatcher, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; 2nd Place: Hannah Chalman, Into the Woods, Virginia Commonwealth University; 3rd Place: Clara Jean Kelly, Tartuffe, Florida State University; Honorable Mention: Brittney Harrell, Macbeth, Kent State University.

1st: Graduate Costume Design Erin Reed Peter and the Starcatcher

Costume Crafts Awards

sponsored by Norcostco

(Left to right) 1st Place: Brittney Harrell, 9 to 5 Masks, Kent State University; 2nd Place: Hallie Moore, Brother Wolf, Brevard College; 3rd Place: Carter Higgs, The Toxic Avenger Silicone Prosthesis, University of Central Missouri; Honorable Mention: Briann Hemp, Pulled Felt Hats, Florida State University.

John Spiegel Theatrical Artist Award

1st: Costume Crafts Brittney Harrell 9 to 5 Masks

Jo Sanburg (right), the winner, is shown with John Spiegel, who endowed the award (for students pursuing design-tech degrees) in honor of his father.

More info: www.setc.org/design-competition www.setc.org

May / June 2018

10

2018 SETC CONVENTION: DESIGN COMPETITION

Scenic Design Awards sponsored by Sculptural Arts Coating, Inc.

1st: Graduate Scenic Design Katherine Field Into the Woods Undergraduate Scenic Design Award Winners (Left to right) 1st Place: Ceili Hesselgrave, Enron, College of Charleston; 2nd Place: Evelyn Jyles Rogers, The Adding Machine, Wake Forest University; 3rd Place: Carrie Ferrelli, An Enemy of the People, College of Charleston; Honorable Mention: Alexander Modlin, Detroit ‘67, Ball State University.

Sound Design Awards sponsored by Shure, Inc.

Graduate Scenic Design Award Winners (Left to right) 1st Place: Katherine Field, Into the Woods, Virginia Commonwealth University; 2nd Place: Matthew Hamel, Jesus Christ Superstar, University of CincinnatiCCM; 3rd Place: Lindsey Purvis, Dead Man Walking, University of Cincinnati-CCM; Honorable Mention (Tie): Lindsay Maiorano, Assassins, West Virginia University; Jelena Andzic, Three Sisters, University of TennesseeKnoxville.

1st: Sound Design Jo Sanburg Anon(ymous) (Left to right) 1st Place: Jo Sanburg, Anon(ymous), University of Memphis; 2nd Place: Stewart Blackwood, Macbeth, Kent State University; 3rd Place: Lance Perl, Brother Wolf, Brevard College; Honorable Mention (Tie): Braden Harrington, The Trial, Florida School of the Arts; and Cheyenne Zuck, She Kills Monsters, Wake Forest University.

Stage Management Games

sponsored by EmptySpace Technology (Left to right) 2nd Place: Emma Bilski, Virginia Commonwealth University; 3rd Place: Pedro da Silva, Trevecca Nazarene University; 1st Place: Kylie Risdon, Florida School of the Arts and Point Park.

More info: www.setc.org/design-competition www.setc.org

May / June 2018

11

2018 SETC CONVENTION: DESIGN COMPETITION

Lighting Design Awards sponsored by Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. Graduate Lighting Design Award Winners (Left to right) 1st Place: Darrian Brimberry, Machinal, Indiana University; 2nd Place: Tony Stoeri, Urinetown, Indiana University; 3rd Place: Qier Luo, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Indiana University.

Undergraduate Lighting Design Award Winners (Left to right) 1st Place: Collin Hall, Disassembly, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; 2nd Place: Benjamin Zasimowich, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Virginia Commonwealth University; 3rd Place: Dominique Toups, For Colored Girls..., Southeastern Louisiana University; Honorable Mention: Wyatt S. Hayes, Intimate Apparel, Kent State University.

1st: Graduate Lighting Design Darrian Brimberry Machinal

Properties Design and Construction Awards

Projection Design Awards sponsored by Broadway Media Distribution

sponsored by Friends of Props,

Robert O’Leary & Doug Brown

(Left to right) 1st Place: Henry Crowder, Brother Wolf, Brevard College; 2nd Place: Shawn Carver, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Radford University.

(Left to right) 1st Place: Savannah Callais, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, University of Alabama; 2nd Place: Justin Bowen, Bedroom Farce, LaGrange College; 3rd Place: Alexandra Riggs, LED Matches, Middle Tennessee State University; Honorable Mention: Ilia Campbell, Rocketman, Francis Marion University.

1st: Projection Design Henry Crowder Brother Wolf

1st: Props Savannah Callais The Caucasian Chalk Circle More info: www.setc.org/design-competition

www.setc.org

May / June 2018

12

FROM THE VP OF SERVICES

Celebrating 100 Years of Women’s Right to Vote – Compliments of Tennessee

Lee Crouse VI C E PR ESID ENT OF SERV IC E S

to Pat Gagliano, SETC’s Vice President of Services for the last three years. He and the SETC Central Office, working together, have produced amazing convention programming. I have big shoes to fill.

The year 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of Congress’s passage of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. On a recent visit to Knoxville with Central Office staff, I was reminded that Tennessee was the 36th and last state to ratify the amendment – pushing the count over the top so it became the law of the land.

Prominently displayed in Knoxville’s Market Square is a statue (right) of three women who dedicated themselves to winning this battle, not with bullets, but with personal sacrifice, withstanding the rhetoric of politicians and others who did not support their cause. This summer, the Suffrage Coalition (SuffrageCoalition.org) in Knoxville plans to unveil a new statue – this one dedicated to Harry T. Burn, the Tennessee representative who tipped the balance with his vote in favor of ratification.

The Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial in downtown Knoxville depicts three Tennessee women who helped lead the campaign for women’s suffrage: Elizabeth Avery Meriwether, Lizzie Crozier French and Anne Dallas Dudley.

My hope is to showcase women in theatre at the 2019 SETC Convention in Knoxville. I welcome ideas on how to bring this idea to fruition and celebrate a diverse group of theatre artists at our convention on Feb. 27- March 3, 2019.

CONTRIBUTIONS to the SETC ENDOWMENT: May 2017 through April 2018 Valerie Accetta Tori Lee Averett Maegan Azar Nicholas Baggarley Jerry Bangham Cassie Barrios Jesse Bates Mary Lynn Bates Leah Boresow Seamus Bourne Elton Bradley Stacey Cabaj Savannah Callais Khadijah Carr

Katherine Chance Edward Cheetham Freddy Clements Leslie Cook-Day Mary Crook Lee Crouse J.K. Curry Matthew Donahue Theo Edwards-Butler Branden Ellington Daniel Ellison Shawn Paul Evans Frank Franklin Cynthia Franklin

John E.R. Friedenberg Pat Gagliano Tiza Garland Devante Goolsby Janet Gray Anthony Haigh Delaney Hart David Haugen David Hawkins Scott Hayes Abby Jasper Alex Jeffers Ruth Jeffers Rex Knowles

Frank Kuhn Elijah Ladner Alan Litsey Sadie Sue Long Elaine Malone Patti Marcuson Jennifer Matthews Carolyn McCormick Kris Rau McIntyre Emily Misali Mike Murphy Amanda Nelson William L. Newkirk Mary Norman

Herb Parker Patricia Putman Chris Rich Julie Richardson Neno Russell Mackenzie Rymond Stephen Samuels Michael Scott Neil David Seibel Annie Sherman Walter Shipley Dean Slusser Stephanie Slusser John Spiegel

Abigail St. John Alexandra Stafford Clay Thornton Taylor Vasek Bert Wallace Gary Weatherly Dennis Wemm Alexis Wiley Matthew R. Wilson Mattilyn Winburn David Wohl Dominic Yeager SETC Board and Committees

More info: www.setc.org/endowment www.setc.org

May / June 2018

13

FROM THE PRESIDENT

First SETC Hall of Fame Inductees Honored Among the many wonderful things that happened at the 2018 convention in Mobile was the recognition and celebration of the inaugural class of SETC’s Hall of Fame. The honor was developed to recognize persons who have had a significant impact on the organization’s success over a sustained period of time.

Jeff Gibson PR ESID ENT

Do you know someone who should be in the SETC Hall of Fame?

Visit www.setc.org/ hall-of-fame to get more information on this award and find out how to make a nomination for the 2019 SETC Hall of Fame.

Three of the 2018 inductees received their awards from SETC President Tiza Garland (left in the photos below) at the annual SETC Business Meeting on Saturday, March 10:

Julie Richardson

Jonathan Michaelsen

April J’Callahan Marshall

SETC’s Auditions Director for 12 years, Julie also helped to build SETC’s stage management program. She continues to presents workshops and is an active member of SETC’s Institute of Outdoor Theatre.

Jonathan has served SETC in multiple roles, including as Treasurer and President. Among his enduring accomplishments was ensuring staff had an employment package that remains one of the best available in theatre.

An SETC staff member since 2000, April manages SETC’s Professional Services. Among her accomplishments are the development of our online database and streamlining of the Professional Screening Auditions process.

The other 2018 Hall of Fame inductees are: Don Creason

The late N. Bennett East

Former President of SETC and the Florida Theatre Association, Don also served as chair of the Professional Theatre Division during his over two-decade stint with SETC.

One of the founders of the West Virginia Theatre Association, Bennett served as a State Representative to SETC for over 10 years and helped to develop the procedures still used today in our auditions.

More info: www.setc.org/hall-of-fame www.setc.org

May / June 2018

14

THEATRE SYMPOSIUM

SETC Theatre Symposium Event Focuses on Theatre and Embodiment The annual SETC Theatre Symposium was held April 13-15 at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta. Scholars from around the United States presented research related to the topic “Theatre and Embodiment” at the event organized by editor Sarah McCarroll.

Selected papers from the event will be chosen via a peerreview process to appear in the journal Theatre Symposium 27, scheduled for publication in fall 2019.

All individual members of SETC receive a copy of the journal as a benefit of membership.

Theatre scholar and director Rhonda Blair, professor of theatre at Southern Methodist University, served as keynote speaker. Her address focused on the intersections of theatre, embodiment and cognitive science research. The centrality of the body to theatre formed the basis for the weekend’s conversations, and for panels focused on “Popular and Political Bodies,” “Dramaturgy and the Body” and “The Body in [Theatrical] Space,” among others.

The means by which bodies communicate theatrical narratives, how theatre practitioners can ethically and effectively utilize performing bodies onstage, and how theatrical bodies have functioned historically structured the Symposium’s dialogue. Presenters offered papers on topics ranging from the use of documentary theatre to tell the story of the integration of Tuskegee High School to how we might construct “cognitive ecologies” in the theatre training setting.

SETC thanks the faculty and staff of Agnes Scott College, and particularly former editor David Thompson, who has become a regular host of the event on his home campus.

SETC also thanks associate editor Andrew Gibb, along with past editors of the journal, for their contributions.

Those attending the 2018 Theatre Symposium event view a photo of Converse College’s production of The Wolves, directed by Boone J. Hopkins, as Hopkins delivers his paper, “Conditioning Bodies: Anticipation as a Moving Act in Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves.”

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

May / June 2018

15

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS

The Planning Begins ... for SETC 2019 in Knoxville HAVE A QUESTION FOR SETC CENTRAL OFFICE? Find the right contact to answer your question Jean Wentz jean@setc.org General Questions April J’C Marshall april@setc.org Professional Auditions Screening Auditions Theatre Job Services Mark Snyder mark@setc.org Listings in Theatre Job Board Membership Accounts Receivable Claire Wisniewski claire@setc.org Undergrad School Auditions Graduate School Auditions Commercial Exhibits Education Expo Festivals Clay Thornton clay@setc.org Marketing Publication/Web Advertising Kim Doty kim@setc.org Social Media Communications/Website Bradley Branham bradley@setc.org Convention Planning Convention Logistics Workshop Proposals Betsey Horth betsey@setc.org Organization Leadership

The SETC Convention will be held in a new location in 2019 – Knoxville, TN! In April 2018, SETC Central Office staff traveled to the beautiful city near the Great Smoky Mountains to tour venues and begin detailed planning for the event, to be held Feb. 27March 3, 2019. See deadlines for proposing workshops for the 2019 convention on Page 3.

Executive Director Betsey Horth (second from right) and Program Manager Bradley Branham (right) preview Knoxville venues.

For more details: www.setc.org/convention

SETC Consults!

Did you know that SETC has a consulting division? Experts are available to advise your company or organization on topics such as: • • • •

New and Renovated Theatres Organizational Structure Production Institutional Analysis

• Marketing and Development • Business Plans • Feasibility Studies

More info: www.setc.org/consulting

Ready to Publish Award Winner Announced Anthropology Lesson by J. Harvey Stone has been selected as the 2018 winner of SETC’s Ready to Publish Award, Stone is a theatre teacher at Jamestown High School in Williamsburg, VA. As the winner of the Ready to Publish Award, Stone will receive a number of benefits, including guidance from mentors to prepare his play for publication, free 2019 SETC Convention registration-membership, a $300 royalty advance and a panel reading of Anthropology Lesson at SETC 2019.

For more info or to apply for the Ready to Publish Award: www.setc.org/awards/ready-to-publish Send your news to deanna@setc.org

www.setc.org

May / June 2018

16