TCG National Conference 2007 - Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions – Friday 1:30-2:45pm
Artistic Sessions
Two Actors, One Set? How Economics Affects Aesthetics
Moderated by Polly Carl, Artistic
Director, Playwrights’ Center
Participants: Trista Baldwin,
Playwright; Carlyle Brown, Playwright;
Kira Obolensky, Playwright; Dominic Orlando,
Playwright
Today’s economy affects our lives and our work in more ways
than we can imagine. How does it affect playwrights and theatremakers?
Does it shape the plays that are being written today? What challenges
does it present, and how are artists working around (or with) these
challenges to create the theatre of tomorrow?
New Breakout: Minnesota Made: Women Making Change
Join a conversation with six artists who are making art and making a life in Minnesota. How does a theatrical piece lead to change? How does art stimulate public dialogue, public understanding? Why collaborate and partner? How do these artists create inclusivity? How do they contribute to the building of capacity in their communities? How do these artists incorporate unanticipated, sometimes unwanted outcomes in their creative process? How have these artists been changed by the change their work has created? Come to hear their stories, and then tell some of your own.
Moderated by Bonnie Morris, Producing Director, Illusion Theater
Participants: Sandy Agustin, former Artistic Director, Intermedia Arts; Beth Gilleland, actor and author of Mrs. Man of God; Michelle Hensley, Artistic Director 10,000 Things Theater; Kimberly Joy Morgan, actor and author of Hot Comb: Brandin’ One Mark of Oppression; Sandy Spieler, Founder and Artistic Director of In the Heart of the Beast Theater
Wrestling with the Classics in 21st Century America
Moderated by Carey Perloff, Artistic
Director, American Conservatory Theatre
Participants: Brian Kulick, Artistic
Director, Classic Stage Company; Peter Macon, Actor;
Jackie Maxwell, Artistic Director, Shaw Festival
What is our relationship as contemporary Americans to the classical
canon? How does the fact that fewer and fewer American theatres
are embracing the concept of “company” affect our ability
to perform the classics with depth and skill? How are our training
programs preparing American actors for the classics? And where are
the American translations of the international repertoire?
A Dramatic Ménage à Trois
Moderated by Philip Himberg,
Producing Artistic Director, Sundance Institute Theatre Program
Participants: David Adjimi, Playwright;
Michael Dixon, Director/Dramaturg; David
Dower, Artistic Associate, Arena Stage; Kim Euell,
Playwright and Director; Marcus Gardley, Playwright;
Jeffrey Hatcher, Playwright; Amy Mueller,
Artistic Director, Playwrights Foundation
The triangular relationship among playwright, director and dramaturg
must be negotiated with forethought and sensitivity, whether in
a developmental workshop or in rehearsal heading toward production.
In the best situation, how can these three artists work as a team—assuring
that the play is best served and that the process for the writer
is an invigorating, helpful and dynamic one. What are good working
models that show flexibility? How do we define the roles and responsibilities
of each party, both in the rehearsal room and beyond? How is the
process both challenging and supportive? What mistakes can we avoid?
This session is a roundtable which wrestles with this potentially
thorny but rewarding set of relationships.
Producing Theatre in Small Communities
Moderated by Scott Levy, Producing Artistic Director,
Penobscot Theatre Company
Participants: Harold N. Cropp, Executive Director,
Commonweal Theatre Company; R.L. Rowsey, Core Company
Artist, Company of Fools; Louis Tyrrell, Producing
Director, Florida Stage
Small communities present unique challenges and opportunities for
theatre companies. How does a theatre fundraise when its donors
are the same as the library’s, museum’s, etc.? How do
small communities affect season selection and community relationships
in ways that theatres in larger cities don’t encounter? And
what can theatres in larger communities learn from the practices
of those in smaller communities?
What are they thinking? On how Audiences Watch Plays Today
Moderated by Aaron Posner, Artistic Director,
Two River Theatre Company, with Chay Yew, TCG Board,
Playwright/Director; Marge Betley, Literary Manager/Resident Dramaturg, Geva Theatre Center.
What are audiences thinking when they come to the theatre? How do
they really think about plays and the theatre in general? What makes
them like a particular theatre, play or company? Whose “side”
are audiences on when they view a play? What can be done to get
them more fully “on our team”? What kinds of obligations
do we have to meet or challenge expectations? And how is this different
today than in the past?
Actor: The Generative Artist
Moderated by Randy Rollison
Participants: Joan Schirle, Karen Kandel, Jonathan Broadbent, Juan Rivera Lebron, Amy Weems, Joan Schirle, Karen Kandel, Jonathan Broadbent, Juan Rivera Lebron, Andy Weems
Actors discuss their experience as the driving force in the creation
of new work.
International Sessions
International Work 101
Moderated by Rosalba Rolón, Artistic Director, Pregones Theater
Participants: Catherine Coray, Director, hotINK International Festival; Jeff Church, Artistic Director, Coterie Theatre; Philip Arnoult, Director, Center for International Theatre Development; Michael Fields, Producing Artistic Director, Dell’ Arte International
A nuts and bolts session about working internationally—visas,
cultural diplomacy, translations and touring. A panel of experienced
internationalists talk about artistic possibilities and administrative
challenges and share information about useful resources.
New Breakout: World Social Forum Report Back
Participants: Melanie Joseph, Founder/Producing Artistic
Director, The Foundry Theatre; Sunder Ganglani, Co-Producer
of Community Outreach, The Foundry Theatre; Bonnie Metzgar,
Producer; Lloyd Suh, Playwright
In January 2007, the Foundry Theatre, Ma-Yi
Theatre Company, and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival brought a delegation
of 25 American Artists to the World Social Forum in Nairobi,
Kenya. They joined over 70,000 progressives, grassroots organizers,
NGO’s, and activists from 65 countries in imagining another
world – in which people and nonprofit organizations are at
the center of local and global institutions. Come find out what
happened - Join artist delegates and organizers for a report-back
to the TCG community.
Voices From Today’s African Theatre
Moderated by Roberta Levitow
Participants: Charles Mulekwa; Jean-Marie Rurangwa, Roberta Levitow, Charles Muleekwa, Jean-Marie Rurangwa
An exploration of contemporary African culture from the perspective
of working artists. What are the commonalities shared by African
artists across the continent? What are their major influences? What
are their views of U.S. arts and culture?
Management Sessions
The Theatre of the Future: Forces That May Influence Your Art and
Change Your Business
Participants: Vickie Abrahamson, Co-Founder and
Executive Vice President, Iconoculture; Jack Silverman,
Bolin Marketing VP/Account Management; Jack Uldrich,
President, the NanoVeritas Group
Consumer change. New technologies. Multicultural connections. Cultural
trends. Whether at a local level or on a global scale, these important
forces are shaping the way that the nonprofit theatrical industry
continues to develop. In such a dynamically changing industry, one
can’t ignore the outside forces that promise to shape and
shift the landscape of the theatre as we know it today. Thought
leaders in the areas of consumer behavior, trends, emerging technologies
and change offer a provocative look that could influence how the
theatrical experience will continue to evolve. You’re going
to leave this session with a lot of inspiration to help you embrace
the coming changes head on and to start thinking about how to make
change work for your organization.
Production Enhancement: The Nuts and Bolts
Moderated by Max Leventhal, General Manager,
Alliance Theatre
Participants TBA
Enhancement dollars from commercial producers have become a significant
part of the not-for-profit theatre economy. What is enhancement?
Where do you find it? And what are the risks and rewards in taking
this approach to accomplishing your artistic, financial and production
goals? Hear from several seasoned experts who have successfully
utilized enhancement funds in their production development efforts.
Life in a New Building
Moderated by Roche Edward Schulfer, Executive
Director, The Goodman Theatre
Participants: Frank Butler, Production Manager,
Guthrie Theater; Chris Coleman, Artistic Director,
Portland Center Stage; Melvin Gerald Jr., Managing
Director, African Continuum Theatre Company, Michael Maso, Managing Director, Huntington Theatre Company; James K Tinsley, General Manager, The Children’s Theatre Company
New buildings always pose new challenges—some you can expect,
others you couldn’t possibly anticipate. Thankfully, you don’t
have to reinvent the wheel: other people have been there before.
This session is a check-in on companies with new buildings. How
are they adapting to the new space and the new culture presented
by that space? How is the new building working, and are there lessons
they’ve learned that can help others in the field? How do
you meet some of the new challenges posed by things like increased
audience size, more theatres, new locations, etc.?
Help Wanted: Is There a Shortage of Qualified Management Professionals?
Moderated by Susie Medak, Managing Director, Berkeley
Repertory Theatre
Participants: Thomas A. Cervone, Managing Director,
Clarence Brown Theatre Company; Patricia Lavender,
Associate Professor, Virginia Tech; Frank Mack,
Managing Director, Connecticut Repertory Theatre
This session will investigate some of today’s critical questions
in the training of theatre managers. Is there a shortage of adequately
trained managers to take the next generation of leadership positions?
What are the reasons and possible tactics to close this gap? Who
should be trained in arts management, and what training is needed
given current and future trends?
Accessibility and Disability: Where are We?
Moderated by Gavin Witt, Resident Dramaturg,
CENTERSTAGE
Participants: Jeanne Calvit, Artistic Director,
Interact Center for the Performing Arts; Robin Gillette, Executive Director, Minnesota Fringe Festival; Michael Ritchie,
Artistic Director, Center Theatre Group; Nicole Tollefson,
University of Minnesota
How accessible are we, inside and outside of our theatres? Are we
really as inclusive as we think we are? What adjustments do we need
to make to our websites and other communications in order to be
fully accessible? What impact does disability have on mainstream
theatres, physically and ideologically?
Touring Theatre Today
Moderated by Bruce Allardice, Managing Director,
Ping Chong and Company
Participants: Joel Bassin, Grants Manager, Wooster
Group; Margot Harley, Producing Artistic Director, The Acting Company; Bryn Magnus, Managing Director, Free Street
Theatre;
Steve Richardson, Producing Director, Theatre de
la Jeune Lune
Touring has never been easy. And today, it seems to be getting harder
and harder. What are the obstacles to touring and how are theatres
rising above the challenges? What are the benefits of touring for
resident theatres? What are the existing touring networks, how have
they shifted over time and how can they be expanded?
Governance Sessions
Issues for Board Leaders
Participants: Bruce E.H. Johnson, Partner, Davis
Wright Tremaine LLP and trustee, Seattle Repertory Theatre;
Rob Manegold, Trustee, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre;
Judith O. Rubin, Board Chair, Playwrights Horizons
What are the most pressing issues for board leaders? Recruiting
new members to your board? Fostering a healthy relationship between
board and staff? Whether your challenges most relate to finances,
planning or management—find out what fellow board leaders
from across the country are grappling with. Learn from their successes
as well as their challenges.
Nuts and Bolts for New Trustees
Participants: Kathryn M. Lipuma, Executive Director,
Writers’ Theatre; Royanne Minskoff, Trustee,
Idaho Shakespeare Festival; Elisabeth Morten, President
of the Board, Westport Country Playhouse
What does a new trustee need to understand to be effective? From
serving as ambassadors and advocates for the mission and work of
their theatres, to the fiduciary responsibility trustees carry,
from the hiring and overseeing of the professional staff to fundraising,
good trustees are essential to the health of our theatres. Join
some fellow trustees for an insightful conversation.
Education Session
The Changing Face of Diversity and Youth
Moderated by Fran Kao, Education Program Manager,
Seattle Repertory Theatre
Participants: Gregory Smith, Director of Education,
Children’s Theatre Company; Sara Zatz, Undesireable
Elements Project Coordinator, Ping Chong and Company
Young people view diversity and issues of race and identity differently.
This includes everything from the rise in individuals who identify
as “mixed race” or background as well as the “3rd
Culture Kids” phenomenon (youth who have been raised in a
culture different than their parents’ culture(s) of origin).
How are theatre artists playing a playing a vital role in the development
of the next generation? In this ever changing landscape of diversity
and identity, theatre education programs are often on the cutting
edge of learning/teaching/communication styles that transcend boundaries
and feed on the energy of diversity. This discussion will explore
the ways that theatre programs provide opportunities for young people
to become aware of their own potential and begin to put that potential
into action.
Advocacy Session
Stand and Deliver: Building and Maintaining Relationships with Policy
Makers
Moderated by Laurie Baskin, Director of Government
and Education Programs, TCG
Participants: Lisa Green, Trustee, Lookingglass
Theatre Company; Benjamin Moore, Managing Director,
Seattle Repertory Theatre; Chip Walton, Artistic
Director, Curious Theatre Company
Whether your theatre’s work is political, classical or geared
towards youth, cultivating relationships with local and national
decision-makers is crucial to the health of our organizations. How
do we gain the support of our legislators? Why is it important for
our theatre leaders to become advocates for our mission? This panel
explores grassroots advocacy as a tool to promote both our theatres
and the field, and to help articulate the value of our work.