Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Latest news from Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.
Citation preview
weakness on display by doing a singing and acting audition. Trust us to do our jobs, and if we really need to hear you sing, we will call you back! If you try to “cover all the bases” in your initial audition, you may end up em-barrassing yourself. At best, we’ll simply turn over your page and start looking at the next person. At worst, you’ll crash and burn. Trust me, we don’t want to have to keep looking. We want you to be the perfect per-son for the gig so we can go home to our families, our lives. You can make it easier on yourself and on us if you can look at yourself objectively and choose material that shows you off doing what you do best. You can watch other performers and pick apart their weaknesses all day long. Are you strong enough to do the same for yourself?
n order to present a successful au-dition, you must be able to evaluate yourself honestly. What are your
strengths and weaknesses? How can you highlight the former and downplay the latter? Let’s say you’re a star college baseball player, the best pitcher the school has seen in years. You’re so good that your school invites Major League scouts to come watch you play. But when the scouts show up, you say, “Actually I’m gonna play third base today.” The baseball scouts don’t get to see you do what you do best, and there goes your career in Major League Baseball. It’s the same thing with auditions: Why would you want to highlight your weak-ness, and miss the chance to show off a tal-ent in which you really excel? If you’re a good actor but not a good singer, show us your strength by doing an acting-only audition and don’t put your
July / August 2012
Get a Job! Find a School!
SETC’s Fall Auditions,
Interviews & MeetingsSept. 7-10 Atlanta, GA
AUDITIONING IN THE FALL?Show the ‘Scouts’ What You Do Best
I
2012-13 SETC Calendar...................Professional Corner .........................What’s New in Your Division?.....Eric Booth at Teachers Institute .......Screening Auditions Schedule.........Books, People News ........................
What’s Inside
Fall Professional Auditions: Sun., Sept. 9 - Mon., Sept. 10Early bird deadline: July 15 ($35); Advance deadline: Aug. 15 ($45); On-site walk-ins: $60.www.setc.org/professional
Fall Professional Qualifiers:Sat., Sept. 8Qualifying audition for actors who do not meet all professional auditionee requirements. See details online.www.setc.org/images/auditions/Pro-fessional/fall2012qualifying.pdf
Fall Graduate School Auditions and Design/Tech Interviews: Sat., Sept. 8For actors and design/tech students interested in grad school in 2013.Application deadline: Aug. 15 ($25).www.setc.org/fall-grad-school
Fall Board Meetings: Fri., Sept. 7 and Sat., Sept. 8Meetings of SETC committees, Executive Committee and Board of Directors.www.setc.org/board-meetings
Page 2Page 3
Pages 4-5Page 6Page 7Page 8
SETC asked Joy Dewing, CSA, president of Joy Dewing Casting in New York City, to share auditioning tips for the Fall 2012 SETC Professional Auditions. Below is her advice.
Among the shows Dewing has cast is Troika Entertainment’s 2010 national tour of Legally Blonde. She found cast member Maggie Taylor (third from right) at the SETC Professional Auditions.
See more auditioning tips from a producer,
Page 3
Check the SETC website (www.setc.org) in August for details and registration
FREE ACTING WORKSHOPS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Atlanta, Sept. 8 - 9, at the SETC Fall Auditions
Car
ol R
oseg
g
Bet
h K
elly
Joy Dewing, CSA
Aug. 15, 2012 Deadline: ◆ Online submission, professional actor/dancer applications for Fall Professional Auditions ◆ Online submission, student applications for Fall Graduate School Auditions/Interviews ◆ For POSTMARK on applications by companies for Fall Professional Auditions and by schools for Fall Graduate School Auditions/Interviews
Aug. 20, 2012 Deadline: Hotel reservations for Fall Meetings/Auditions
Sept. 7 – 8, 2012 Fall Board/Advisory Council Meetings, Atlanta, GA
Sept. 8, 2012 Fall Graduate School Auditions/Interviews, Atlanta, GA
Sept. 9 – 10, 2012 Fall Professional Auditions, Atlanta, GA
Sept. 15, 2012 Hotel reservations open for 2013 SETC Convention
Sept. 30, 2012 Deadline: Workshop proposals for 2013 SETC Convention
Sept. – Nov. 2012 Deadline: Applications for SETC Screenings for Spring Professional Auditions (dates vary by state). See Page 6 for list; or check with your state coordinator, your college or university theatre department; or visit www.setc.org
Oct. 15, 2012 2013 SETC Convention registration opensNov. 21, 2012 Deadline: SETC Young Scholar’s Award entries
Dec. 1, 2012 Deadline: High School New Play Contest entries
Dec. 19, 2012 Deadline: ◆ Early bird convention registration ◆ Early bird Commercial Exhibits and Ed Expo reservations ◆ Convention program advertising
Jan. 14, 2013 Final Deadline: ◆ Convention Commercial Exhibit space reservations ◆ Education Expo space reservations (Non-Commercial Exhibits)
Jan. 15, 2013 Deadline: ◆ Professional AUDITIONEE application/registration ◆ Professional AUDITIONEE refund requests ◆ SETC Secondary School Scholarship (High School Students) ◆ Keynote Emerging Artist of Promise (KEAP) Award (High School Students) ◆ William E. Wilson Scholarship applications (High School Teachers) ◆ Denise Halbach Award applications (Graduate Study in Acting or Musical Theatre Performance) ◆ Leighton M. Ballew Award applications (Graduate Study in Directing) ◆ Robert Porterfield Award applications (Graduate Study)
Jan. 16, 2013 Deadline: Convention program to printer; no changes after this date.
Jan. 21, 2013 Deadline: ◆ Polly Holliday Award applications (High School Students) ◆ Marian A. Smith Award applications (Costume Design)
Jan. 22, 2013 Deadline: EMPLOYER registration for Spring Auditions and Job Contact Service
Jan. 28, 2013 Deadline: ◆ Online applications from auditionees for Graduate Auditions and Undergraduate Auditions/College Interviews ◆ Entries in Graduate and Undergraduate Design Competition (Scene, Costume, Lighting, Crafts/Technology) ◆ Convention advance registration (Individuals, students and seniors) ◆ Refund requests ◆ Applications by college and university institutions and representatives forGraduate and Undergraduate Auditions/Interviews
FULL FEES WILL BE CHARGED to all applications postmarked after this date and on-site
Feb. 15, 2013 Deadline: Convention hotel reservations
March 6 – 10, 2013 64th Annual SETC Convention, Louisville, KY
2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3 S E T C C a l e n d a r
2
CALENDAR, TRAVEL
was taught that theatre is a reflec-tion of the human condition and the best way to train to do theatre
as an actor/director is to study humans. A good theatre practitioner should be a life experiencer, actively involving yourself with a variety of cultures. However, since I teach in the arts to earn my living, and we all know salaries can be a little sad in many Southern states, I have to study the human condition as inexpensively as possible. I have devel-oped some unusual resources to allow me to travel, interact with local culture and see theatre as I go. The greatest re-source that I have found to allow me to travel inexpensively and interact with local people is CouchSurf-ing (www.couchsurf-ing.org). It is a network of like-minded travelers whose purpose is to connect with each other and the world around them. The term couchsurfing means just that; you stay in people’s homes on couches or in their guest rooms, share (and/or cook) meals, listen to their stories and see their towns and cities from their perspectives. The purpose is not to have a free place to stay, but to connect with people who are proud of where they live. I couchsurfed through Mexico City and would not have seen that enormous and fabulous city the way I did if I had not connected with two locals who loved their city and really wanted to show it to me. There are other Internet sites much like CouchSurfing that aim to involve you in the communities where you are staying, such as United States Servas (http://usservas.org). Some, such as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (http://wwoof.org), put you to work. Some offer cheaper stays for a minimal cost, such as www.hostelworld.com. You can find more options on travel blogs. Is this mode of travel safe? Yes. Is it scary? Sometimes, a little. Is it always an adventure? Absolutely! Do you make new friends? Without question. The big advan-tage from my standpoint, though, is that I always come home with a new perspective on other people and cultures that informs what I do in the classroom and onstage.
From the Administrative Vice-President
Dawn Larsen
Travel on a BudgetSee the World from Other People’s Couches (and Their Perspectives)
I
Many roles: Actor, administrator, writerEmily Warshaw is a company member and associate director at Storahtelling, a New York city organization that creates and per-forms Jewish Ritual Theatre. Emily plays the role of Rachel, a holocaust survivor, in Becoming Israel, and was part of the cre-ative team that wrote and produced the play. Emily began her involvement in SETC as a student in 1998. In 1999, she won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Jack’s mother in Into the Woods at SETC’s High School Theatre Festival. She received her
BFA in Acting from New York University and went on to explore the world of auditioning in New York before landing her current role at Storahtelling. “When I went through SETC Auditions in 1998
and 1999, I had no idea of the exciting career paths that would open,” Emily says. “Although I was ready to take the acting world by storm, after much reflection, my career path has evolved into a combination of my administrative role at Storahtelling, along with the creative side of writing and acting in Jewish ritual theatre.”
3
PROFESSIONAL CORNER
Hiring through SETC: Georgia Shakespeare
How can you improve your audition?Ken Davenport, Broadway producer of Godspell; The Awesome 80s Prom; Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage; and other shows, recom-mends auditioning as often as possible.
“The best way to master auditioning is just like any other skill. Do it over and over. You’ll be able to be yourself and keep the but-terflies under control. And you’ll get free practice! Go to dance calls (as allowed/requested) – learning a dance combination at an audition is a free dance class. And ac-tors, view the chance to work on sides with directors during a callback as free coaching.”
Source: www.theproducersperspective.com
Professional Company Spotlight
EmilyWarshaw
KenDavenport
Professional Artist
Spotlight
SETC had an opportunity this past spring to catch up with Richard Garner, producing artistic director of Georgia Shakespeare, who shared information and a little history on the theatre, located in Atlanta, GA. Read excerpts of the interview below.
Tell us about your theatre. Shakespeare, of course, is our primary work but we also do what we term “other classics,” and we apply a broad definition to that phrase. As our mission states: “the best writers and ideas of all eras.” Moliere is probably our second house playwright after Shakespeare, but we’ve also done the Greeks, Restoration, Chekhov and Ameri-can classics – Williams, Miller, etc. We’ve also done quite a few original adaptations based on classic works – musical adapta-tions based on The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, Antigone, Oedipus – and non-musical adaptations of Hamlet and Odyssey. We opened our first season in 1986 with The Taming of the Shrew and King Lear in rotating repertory. For our first 11 years, we were in a tent. Since 1997, our primary performing space is a 500-seat modified thrust house with vom entrances and a fully trapped stage. It’s called the Conant Performing Arts Center Stage and is on the campus of Oglethorpe University, where we are the Professional Theatre Company in Residence. For one week a year, we also
produce Shakespeare in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. This year we are moving to a new space in the park that will accommodate 2,000 patrons per night in an outdoor setting.What is your mission? Georgia Shakespeare creates thought-ful, bold and passionate interpretations of a diverse body of work rooted in Shakespeare and branching out to embrace the best writers and ideas of all eras. On the stage and through educational programming, we strive to entertain, ignite the imagination and creatively explore the human spirit’s journey. Where do you find your actors and crew? We are passionately committed to hiring most actors from the Atlanta market. We have a core group of associate artists who have been with us from 8 to 24 years, and we build our company around them each season. SETC is our primary source for finding acting interns and technicians. Our Equity auditions are held in Atlanta, and we hold one round of intern auditions here, but we have consistently hired most of our acting interns out of SETC each year. More info: www.gashakespeare.org
Inspiration for
Professionals
“SETC serves as a great convener of us and our colleagues in the region. The energy at the annual
conference is exhilarating, as it’s great to connect with peers you only see once a year. If it weren’t for SETC, we’d have far less contact with our fellow theatres in the Southeast.” - Richard Garner, Producing Artistic Director
Olivia (Anna Kimmell, left, who participated in the 2008-2011 SETC Professional Auditions) expresses her love to Cesario, who is actually Viola in disguise (Courtney Patterson), in Georgia Shakespeare’s 2012 production of Illyria: a Twelfth Night Musical.
he Wetumpka Depot Players have a 32-year history, producing five shows per year with one paid staff
member and amazing volunteer support. As their executive direc-tor, I resisted the op-portunity to participate in festivals for many years. I was certain that the negatives out-weighed the positives. When we finally en-tered our first state competition in 2008, not only did I see the benefits, I was hooked!Raising Funds for State and SETC Fundraising for our first SETC/AACT show, Second Samuel, was relatively pain-less. School performances funded state travel expenses. After being passed on to SETC, the stakes got higher. The $1,500 we spent for state blossomed to a budget of $7,000 for regional. A phone call to our community foundation produced a $5,000 donation. Next we partnered with the other winning company from Alabama and per-formed both shows for one weekend in our
theatre. It was unique entertainment for our patrons, and the companies split the proceeds. That put us over our goal. Moving from SETC to Nationals When our show was announced as an SETC winner, I distinctly remember staring into my cocktail thinking, “Dear theatre gods, how will I ever raise $35,000 to get our little rag tag group to Rochester, NY?” Surprisingly this was the easiest part. Our local regional theatre, the Alabama Shake-speare Festival, invited us to perform in its much larger space. Civic clubs, businesses and the state Arts Council offered donations. Finally, a letter-writing campaign offered our patrons a chance to take some ownership in their community theatre being in the national spotlight. It was obvious when we met our goal (and then some) that the relationships we cultivated over 32 years with our patrons, the business community and school systems were essential to our success. I have no question they would offer similar support if we get the same opportunities in the future.The overall experience for our actors, our board and our community was fantastic. Don’t let the “fear of finance” keep you away from the process. You meet your com-munity’s needs – let them help you meet yours. - Kristy Meanor, kmeanor@wetumpkadepot.
com, Chair, Community Theatre Division
Community Theatre Festival Is Worth Your Investment
Community Theatre Division
“In good times and bad, we know that people give because you meet needs, not because you have needs.” - San Francisco-based fundraising consultant Kay Grace
he Theatre for Youth Division is alive and well with an exciting year ahead! How can you be a part of that?
Bring a Production to Louisville The division is accepting applications now for performances at the 2013 Theatre for Youth Festival in Louisville. Each year we aim to find one professional theatre production, one col-lege theatre produc-tion and one youth theatre production to present at the festival. Last year we had over 600 young people from Chattanooga join us to see work by The Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, Troy University and The Whole Backstage Theatre. Do you know of a theatre or school doing innovative work for young people? Please encourage them to apply and share the great work they are doing with young people in Louisville! Contribute to Tom Behm Award The Theatre for Youth Division is work-ing to raise funds for a new award, the Tom Behm Award, which honors a former professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It will provide funding for
Suggest a Play, Workshop
Theatre for Youth Division
T
If you would like to help Darren with the scholarship outreach campaign, contact him at [email protected]/U Division Mixer at SETC Convention Currently we have an interest meeting ev-ery year at the SETC Convention. But what if we held a mixer instead? Maybe we can add some food and drink and some social networking? Let me know your thoughts on this idea! You may contact me at the e-mail address listed at the end of this column.Changes in Division Leadership Chattanooga’s spring 2012 SETC Convention resulted in some natural and progressive changes in the leadership of our division. Lesley Preston (Presbyterian College) ended her successful tenure as chair, and I (East Tennessee State Univer-sity) “graduated” from vice chair to chair. The constituents attending the spring convention meeting elected Paul Crook as vice chair. Hope to see all of you in Louisville for the 2013 SETC Convention!
Share Input, Help Spread Word on SETC Scholarships
T
Karen Brewster, [email protected], College/University Theatre Division
4
DIVISION NEWS
College/University Theatre Division
he College and University Theatre Division has some interesting projects in the works. We welcome
your input and help.Best Practices Document Lesley Preston continues work on a best practices document for educators in our SETC community. The working title for this document is SETC Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure and Post Tenure Review. Most will agree that the USITT best practices documentation is essential for technicians and designers going through the tenure, pro-motion and post-tenure review processes. Our goal is to provide a similar best practices document for other areas of theatre, such as acting and directing. Lesley is compiling this document with the help of Vice Chair Paul Crook (Louisiana Tech University). Contribu-tions and questions are welcome. Contact Lesley at [email protected].
SETC Scholarship Awareness Campaign We also would like to connect more stu-dents to the many scholarship opportunities offered by SETC. The College and Univer-sity Theatre Division will soon implement a scholarship informa-tional outreach cam-paign. Spearheaded by Darren Michael (Austin Peay State University), the campaign will use direct contact methods to target college and university financial aid offices and theatre departments throughout the Southeast – getting their attention, giving them informa-tion, and directing them to more information at www.setc.org/scholarships-a-awards. Darren also hopes to enlist the help of Sec-ondary School Theatre Division members.
Karen Brewster
Kristy Meanor Amie Dunn Kisling
T
(Continued on Page 5)
Are You Missing Opportunities for Students, Yourself?give you a full day of interactive workshops. The goal of this day is to enrich your knowl-edge of theatre, give you some tools that will enhance your teach-ing skills and provide tangible resources for you to take back into your classrooms. This year’s presenter is Eric Booth. See Betsey Baun’s column on Page 6 for details.Join Us for Pizza and Improv In March, we started an event that I hope will become a grand tradition for our high school students: an opening night Pizza and Improv Party, sponsored by Open Jar Productions. It was a smash hit with stu-dents, giving them a chance to mingle and make friends and an opportunity to grow as artists through improv games and activities. RSVP early for the event in Louisville so your students don’t miss this SETC opportunity.
- Bill Murray, [email protected], Secondary School Theatre Division
e have seen tremendous growth over the past several years in the Secondary School Theatre Division.
The expansion that allowed each state to send its top two shows (instead of just the top show) has helped our division grow substantially in numbers. I know that we all grow in the knowledge of our craft each year by participating in SETC. We also grow our friendship circle by attending SETC. There are a few areas that I find to be often-missed opportunities: Nominate a Student for the KEAP Award There are many students who would like to attend the SETC Convention, but are held back due to financial concerns. Secondary school theatre teachers can help those students by nominating them for SETC’s Keynote Emerging Artist of Promise (KEAP) Award. This award gives students full access to the convention, an opportunity to meet keynote speakers and an opening to learn more about their craft and this organization. I encourage you to think today of which students you have that could benefit as a KEAP winner. The application is found at www.setc.org/keynote-emerging-artists-of-promise-keap-awards.Attend the SETC Teachers Institute Are you, as a theatre teacher, attending our Teachers Institute? This is your oppor-tunity to learn and grow each year. Often, we don’t have time during the convention to get to the many workshops offered each day because of our duties chaperoning our students and presenting our plays. The Teachers Institute, held the Wednesday of SETC Convention week, is designed to
Fulfill Your Mission, and the Audiences Will Come
F
Professional Theatre Division
Secondary School Theatre Division
Dewey Scott-Wiley, [email protected] Chair, Professional Theatre Division
or the past decade, every theatre organization in the country has had to grapple with massive competition
for the entertainment dollar and a crippling economic landscape. Many theatres have closed or gone to semi-professional status. Other companies have completely reinvented themselves in an at-tempt to create a new niche market for a new century, and to sepa-rate themselves from the pack. A great many theatres have hired new administrations in the hope that new blood would reinvigorate the artistic, and therefore the economic, bottom line. Theatre is after all, a business, and an expensive, labor-intensive one at that. We are all scrambling for both patrons and patron-saints. Overall, there seems to be a feeling of panic in the air.Scanning the Season Lists: Safe, Similar Each year, as Professional Theatre Divi-sion chair, I am eager to scan the season lists at the SETC Spring Auditions to deter-mine the current artistic temperature. I also look forward to seeing the brave choices and unique combinations that define the wide variety of theatres represented at SETC. I was immediately struck in 2012 by the
safety and similarity of the seasons. It makes perfect sense, as we are all trying to come up with the perfect SRO season. However, it has provided hours of contemplation for me at Trustus Theatre in Columbia, SC, where I am moving from associate artistic director to artistic director in August. Having just planned the 28th season, I have been grappling with major philosophi-cal questions:• What shows will guarantee an audience? • Who comes to our shows? • What do they want to see? • What kind of programming garners cor-
porate sponsorship?
Celebrate the Reasons You Do Theatre Maybe theatre has become too homoge-nized and market-driven. Perhaps we should look harder at why we do what we do. The-atres spend so much time coming up with strategies for raising money and building audiences, that the theatre’s mission often gets trampled. Our mission in theatre should embody our emotional and philosophical reasons for making theatre. Those reasons, if strongly stated and adhered to, should be what motivates audiences, volunteers and donors to get involved. As theatre artists, we have profound reasons for doing what we do. Let’s get back to celebrating how special we are! I mean, everyone loves a good party. I wish you the most rewarding season yet!
Dewey Scott-Wiley
Attention: High School Playwrights and Teachers
SETC sponsors a High School New Play Contest to encourage young writers. Entries should be submitted between October 1 and December 1.
www.setc.org/hs-new-play-contest-awards
5
DIVISION NEWS
professional development opportunities for Theatre for Youth specialists. If you would like to donate to this fund, please contact the SETC Central Office at [email protected]. Attend Summer AATE Conference Also on the Theatre for Youth horizon is the national conference (www.aate.com/default.asp?page=2012) of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE), which will be held August 8-12, 2012 in Lexington, KY. Suggest 2013 SETC Workshops Our division is already working to create a dynamic slate of workshops for SETC 2013 to engage and challenge what it means to create theatre with and for young people! If you produce, perform or just like to see theatre for youth, you too can be part of our division. If you have an idea for a workshop you would like to experience, please feel free to let us know. Play on and dream big! - Amie Dunn Kisling, [email protected]
Chair, Theatre for Youth Division
Bill Murray
Theatre for Youth(Continued from Page 4)
W
as
k S
ET
C I will be graduating from college in spring 2013. How would it help me to participate in the Fall 2012 Graduate School Auditions?
A SETC’s Fall Grad School Auditions & Design-Tech Interviews offer you an opportunity to have your audition seen by multiple schools in a single location
– early in the school year! That can help you get on the radar of institutions that interest you well in advance of the spring crunch. More information: visit www.setc.org/fall-grad-school.
ull out your calendar. Find March 6, 2013. Write: “Go a day early to SETC so I don’t miss Eric Booth!”
Seriously, open your calendars and mark them now. The guru of arts in education, whose schedule includes international travel and recognition, will be the 2013 SETC Teachers Institute presenter. Trust me! You won’t want to miss him. By Thursday, he is gone – off to Europe. This is your chance to work one-on-one with the world’s leading teaching artist. A teacher, author, speaker, consultant, actor, and musician, Eric Booth delivers a mes-sage with firsthand knowledge and experi-ence, passion and compassion. Eric began his career as a classical actor, performing for over 20 years on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at regional theatres across the country. He is recognized internationally as one of our nation’s most creative teachers and is frequently referred to as the father of the teaching artist profes-sion. This spring he received an honorary doctorate in music (perhaps the first one anywhere for a teach-ing artist) from the New England Conservatory after delivering the commencement speech. Eric is no stranger to SETC; he delivered a keynote address at the SETC Convention in 2004. This time he will work hands-on and focus on the how-to’s in the intimate setting of our Teachers Institute, a day-long seminar designed to provide in-depth learning for teachers who teach the arts or teach other subjects using arts-based techniques. We will be opening registration for the 2013 Teachers Institute on October 15. Until then, check out the websites listed in the box above to learn more about our presenter – and stay tuned. We’ll be telling you a lot more about Eric Booth. So mark your calendar now. You don’t want to miss him. He will fill our artistic souls and help us find ways to influence others, whether we are teaching, advocating or producing art.
ike the rest of the world in the 21st century, theatre is making waves online. If you are interested in the possibilities for theatre on
the Internet, be sure to check out the websites below, which were recommended to me as “cutting-edge” by SETC staffers Judi Rossabi and Quiana Clark-Roland. Livestream, a website/service, proclaims it is “a…live streaming video platform that allows users to view and broadcast video content using a camera and a computer through the Internet.” This is a wide-ranging service. Go to http://new.livestream.com and get familiar with its offerings. # NEWPLAY TV declares it is “…an international, shared resource for live events and performances relevant to new works in the theatre field.” The Arena Stage in Washington, DC, and HowlRound, “A Journal of the Theater Commons,” at Emerson College in Boston, are helping develop #NEWPLAY TV and offer information on their websites. Many theatres are broadcasting new works, including San Francisco’s One-Minute Play Festival, Drama-tists Guild and Tennessee Rep, to name a few. Explore NEWPLAY at www.livestream.com/newplay. You can also access it through Twitter using the hashtag #newplay. Creative Commons deals with copyrights. It’s the place to go if you want to make your work accessible universally. At its website, http://creativecommons.org, you’ll get informa-tion about its licensing services. If you were to present a new work via NEWPLAY and want others to perform the play royalty-free, Creative Commons will help you license your work. These sites are deeply complex, and I can barely get my head around them. Therefore, I’m going to encourage you to visit their websites where you can explore to your heart’s content. Happy hunting!
Q
6
TEACHERS INSTITUTE, WEB RESOURCES
Don’t Miss Teaching Artist Eric Booth at the 2013 SETC Teachers Institute
P
by Don Wolfe
Theatre Bytes
From the Executive Director
Betsey Baun
Eric Booth
Eric Booth, 2013 Teachers Institute PresenterTo learn more about Eric Booth, visit:www.everydayarts.info Eric Booth’s website and the title of one of his five books
http://necmusic.edu/eric-booth-2012-commencement-speech Eric Booth’s May 20, 2012 Commencement Address at the New England Conservatory
www.ifacca.org/events/2012/08/29/first-international-teaching-artist-conference First international teaching artist conference
AROUNDthe region
From Onstage to Online: Opportunities on the Internet
L
The Shubert Foundation announced in June that it has awarded a $30,000 grant to Chil-dren’s Theatre of Charlotte.
Don Wolfe is professor emeritus at Wake Forest University and a former SETC President. He can be reached at [email protected].
The 2013 Teachers Institute is a pre-convention seminar designed to engage, challenge and invigorate those who teach the arts as well as those who teach through the arts. The public, as well as convention attendees, can register for this daylong program.
Alabama 10/19-20/2012 10/03/2012 Univ. of Alabama Ellen Peck Tuscaloosa, AL [email protected]
Florida 10/26-27/2012 10/10/2012 Santa Fe College Marci Duncan Gainesville, FL
Georgia 10/12-13/2012 09/26/2012 GA Southwestern Steven Graver Americus, GA [email protected]
Kentucky 11/3-4/2012 10/17/2012 Univ. of Kentucky Jeremy Kisling Lexington, KY [email protected]
Mississippi 12/1-2/2012 11/14/2012 Power APAC School Joe Frost Jackson, MS [email protected]
N. Carolina 11/15-16/2012 10/31/2012 Greensboro College Amanda Clark Greensboro, NC [email protected]
S. Carolina 11/3/2012 10/17/2012 Trustus Theatre Dale Savidge Columbia, SC [email protected]
Tennessee 10/27-28/2012 10/10/2012 Clayton Ctr. for Arts Meleia Lewis Maryville, TN [email protected]
Virginia 10/26-27/2012 10/10/2012 Reston Hyatt Kate Arecchi Reston, VA [email protected]
W. Virginia TBA TBA TBA Jeff Ingman [email protected]
Attention, colleges and universities: Act now to ensure that your institution receives its free listing in Southern Theatre’s 2013 College/University/Training Program Directory. Don’t miss this oppor tunity to reach prospective students! Join SETC as an organizational member and provide listing information by September 15 to be included. Limited ad space also is available. Contact Judi Rossabi at [email protected] for more info.
Will Your School Be Listed in 2013?
Fall SETC Screening Auditions: Details and DeadlinesSTATE AUDITION APPLICATION AUDITION STATE AUDITIONS DATE DEADLINE LOCATION COORDINATOR
SCREENING AUDITIONS, EXCOM NEWS
7
Governance Task Force Makes Recommendations
According to SETC rules, “The President shall include a report on the proceedings of the Executive
Committee [ExCom] meetings to the gen-eral membership in the SETC Newsletter.” ExCom is composed of elected officers, a division representative and a state represen-tative. The Board of Directors, composed of elected officers plus all division chairs and all state representatives, reviews ExCom actions and has authority to establish or revise rules. The Executive Committee met in Greensboro on May 21 and 22. The fol-lowing actions were taken (see full minutes on the SETC website):• MEETING DATES: Change approved to Rule 6, Meeting Dates, adding the following sentence: ”The ExCom will normally meet the week following the first Sunday in Janu-ary and the third week in May.” • GOVERNANCE TASK FORCE: A final proposed framework was approved. An ExCom subcommittee will refine the docu-ment for presentation to the full board in September. (See more details in President’s column at left.)
S From the President
Jack Benjamin
A
E X C O M N E W S by President Jack Benjamin
ETC has been examining its long-range goals and purpose for the last decade. In 2009, President
Glen Gourley authorized the formal study of SETC by a panel known as the 20/20 committee, which examined all facets of the organization and had in-depth discussions about our future. This past March, I appointed a gover-nance task force to review data collected over the past 10 years and to make recom-mendations at the Executive Committee’s May 2012 meeting. Alan Litsey, chair of the governance task force, brought this group together for an invigorating day of discussion in Charlotte. In all my time with SETC, I have never witnessed a more exciting and thought- provoking day. Everyone in the room was fully engaged in looking at SETC’s governance structure from all vantage points. Through the day’s discussions, the task force built a partnership of thought for a governance structure that holds to SETC’s values yet brings us into the 21st century. In May, Alan brought their suggestions to the Executive Committee. We spent the better part of our meeting time discuss-ing and refining the suggestions from Alan’s group. The proposed structure (when
completed) will enable all members of the organization to have an individual who will speak for them and their concerns. At this point, a sub-committee of the Ex-ecutive Committee is refining the proposal into a document that will be disseminated to the board in Au-gust. The board will be asked to review the document and submit questions to any ExCom member for a more thorough discussion at our meetings in Atlanta this September. Following our discussions in September, the Executive Committee will review the proposal, along with any changes that have occurred, and present the updated concept to the Board and to the membership next March at the 2013 SETC Convention in Louisville. I believe that SETC is on the verge of some exciting changes that will enable all members to have a better voice in all that we do now and what we hope to do in the future.
Volume LIII Number 1 • Winter 2012 • $8.00
Marketing Yourself
Tips on Networking, Interviews,
Portfolio Photos and Agents
Choosing a Degree
Which One Is Right for You?
Professors, Students Share Insights
INSIDE:
2012 College,
University &
Professional
Training Program
Directory
Looking for the best setting to launch your career
in theatre? Perhaps you’re seeking the perfect place
to pursue an advanced degree in one of the theatre
disciplines? To help you make those choices, we have
compiled the most comprehensive directory available
anywhere listing degrees and special programs offered
at SETC member colleges, universities and training
programs. Data for the profiles is provided by the
institutions.
2012
College, University & Training Program Directory
ho are you? Maybe you are the executive director or the artistic director of a theatre. Maybe you are an actor or a playwright work-
ing at or with an established theatre. Maybe you’re a board member at a theatre. Or maybe you are simply a group of actors and musicians that have decided to put on a musical in a barn this summer. No matter what the scenario, numerous contracts are formed anytime a play is being produced. Whether those contracts are written or oral, intentional or im-plied, who in your theatre production is authorized to enter into contracts and obligate the group? “Actual authority” is a function of your operating bylaws and any other standing rules or resolutions that the board has enacted. Often, in formal written contracts, there is a signa-ture line for the president and a signature line for the corporate secretary to attest to the authority of the president to sign/obligate the corporation. Having the actual authority to enter a contract is important in three ways:• If you don’t have authority to enter a contract, it can be voidable by the other party.• Without authority to enter a contract, you might become personally obligated on that
contract. • From a practical perspective, unauthorized contracts can wreak havoc with a budget
and an operational plan. Whenever a group works together, whether or not they are a formalized entity, they should clarify the procedure for entering contracts. Even without “actual authority,” a person can still obligate the group if they have “apparent authority.” If, under the circumstances, the “other party” could reasonably believe that you had authority, then the other party may be able to enforce the contract. The question of authority works in both directions. When you enter a contract and the other party is an entity of some sort, make sure that the person signing on behalf of the other party has authority.
BOOKS in the news
Contracts: Do You Have the Authority to Sign?
PEOPLE NEWS, LEGAL ISSUES
Where to Send News
Karen Brewster , professor and costume designer, and Melissa Shafer, professor and scenic/lighting designer at East Tennessee State University, have coauthored a book for beginning and experienced designers, Fundamentals of Theatrical Design. Pages: 256. Price: $27.50; Paperback. ISBN: 978-1-5811-5849-6. More info: www.allworth.com/book/?gcoi=58115100635680
oooRichard E. Dunham, head of design at the University of Georgia, has written a book, Stage Lighting: Fundamentals and Applications. Pages: 432. Price: $86.40; Paperback. ISBN: 9780205461004. More info: www.pearsonhighered.com/product?ISBN=020546100X.
ooo
Daryl Frank, 86, a longtime SETC member who taught for many years in the theatre department of East Tennessee State University (ETSU), passed away May 20, 2012. Her late husband, Harold Edward (Bud) Frank, taught acting and directing in the same department. Daryl received a Lifetime Distinguished Service Award from the Tennessee Theatre Association (TTA). Melissa Shafer, who is on the faculty at ETSU and is the current TTA president, says that Daryl, along with husband Bud, “was instrumental in creating the theatre program at East Tennessee State University.” Betsey Baun, executive director of SETC, notes that Daryl “leaves a long legacy to Southern theatre and to all of us lucky to have met her.”
In Memoriam
8
Have an idea for a play but not sure how to write for the stage? Angelo Parra tries to make it simple in Playwriting for Dum-mies. Pages: 384. Price: $19.99; Paperback. ISBN: 978-1-1180-1722-7. More info: www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/PressRelease/press-ReleaseId-100459.html.
Theatre and the Lawby Dan Ellison
Dan Ellison is a Durham, NC-based attorney who has concentrated on arts-related law and nonprofit law for 20 years and teaches a Legal Issues for the Performing Arts course at Duke University. He can be reached at [email protected]. Note: 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.
PEOPLEon the move
Mark Charney , director of theatre at Clemson University and former secretary of SETC, has accepted a position as chair of the theatre and dance de-partment at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
oooMarcie Granahan has been named executive director of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE). She follows Lynne Kingsley, who stepped down in April.
oooJesse Bates retired June 1 after 31 years at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where he was chair of the theatre arts department. He plans to act and direct, in addition to enjoying some relaxation time.
oooSETC Executive Director Betsey Baun delivered the commencement address on June 22 at Florida School of the Arts in Palatka, FL.
W
Louisville, KY March 6-10SETC 2013
SETC News is published bimonthlyfor the Southeastern Theatre Confer-ence. Deadline for the next issue is August 10. Please send news items to:Deanna Thompson, Editor Phone: 336-292-6041E-mail: [email protected] to: Southeastern Theatre Conference1175 Revolution Mill Drive, Studio 14 Greensboro, NC 27405Phone: 336-272-3645E-mail: [email protected]: www.setc.org
