TCG National Conference 2007 - Transcripts
Artistry in a New Century
TCG is delighted to publish the following transcripts from the National Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota from June 7 - 9.
Added 11/09/2007
Visions of Tomorrow's Theatre
Moderated by Kristin Marting with artists Clove Galilee, Joseph Haj, Young Jean Lee, Ruben Polendo, Dan Rothenberg and Sean San José
Added 09/06/2007
Creating and Producing the New American Musical Theater
Moderated by Sue Frost with Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater, Jessica Hagedorn, Mark Bennett, Steve Cosson and Michael Friedman.
Sue Frost moderates a discussion amongst six artists who discuss their work, influences and the development processes for three innovative and diverse musical theatre pieces: Broadway’sSpring Awakening, The Civilians’ Nobody’s Lunch and Most Wanted, premiering at La Jolla Playhouse in October, 2007. Participants include Steve Cosson and Michael Friedman (The Civilians), Mark Bennett and Jessica Hagedorn (Most Wanted) and Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater (Spring Awakening).
Opening Keynote
Molly Smith, Artistic Director, Arena Stage
Molly Smith challenges conference participants to ask the tough questions in order to adapt to changing times, and looks to the passion for theatre as a hope for the future:
"So the question is: are we making the art better? Are we making better opportunities for our artists? Are we being better stewards of the public resources? Are we being led by our mission as we struggle to find our balance on this unstable ground? Everything around us is changing...But I have to say I am filled with hope and energized by the potential in our crazy times."
Welcome to the Guthrie
Joe Dowling, Artistic Director, The Guthrie Theatre
Joe Dowling invites conference attendees to contemplate the history of the American not-for-profit theatre movement and the Guthrie’s place within it, and reminds participants about what makes theatre a vital experience even now, in this technological age:
The coming together of a group of people in the theatre as we all know is to experience an act of artistic creation has indeed a spiritual dimension. An audience relates to one another and to performers both in a physical and a spiritual way and the influence of one on the other can be profound. What makes theatre special and indestructible is that bond that is created in the immediate time and space."