TCG Bulletin

October 2009, Volume 32, Issue 10

Also online this month:

FIELD LETTER

For this month’s Field Letter Teresa asked TCG’s new board president, Martha Lavey, to write a few words by way of introduction to our members and constituents. Martha, artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, and TCG board member for the past five years, writes that she is “excited . . . to take on this new position at a time when the theatre community continues to contemplate the challenges posed by the economic climate, but is also seizing opportunities to explore the art form in new ways, with new technologies, new organizational structures and new collaborations across borders.” Martha goes on to discuss the role of the board in keeping TCG connected to the field, and concludes by sharing some of the ideas and articles that have inspired and motivated her recent work.

• Click here to view the October 2009 Field Letter.

CENTERPIECE: Focus on Education

Measuring the Essential: Education Survey 2008

This Centerpiece begins with an introduction by Daniel Renner, director of education at Denver Center Theatre Company, who discusses the importance of developing a sound assessment model for theatre education. Renner’s introduction leads into a summary of the results from the 2008 Nation’s Arts Report Card, followed by a series of recommendations for how best to communicate the significance of these results to your school and community leaders. This publication concludes with tabulations from the 2008 TCG Education Survey exhibiting current trends in theatre education.

• Click here to download the October 2009 Centerpiece.

Monthly Mental Health Moment

We’ve unofficially dubbed the October installment of the Bulletin the “Back-To-School Issue.” It’s chock-full of opportunities for theatrically-minded academics, and boasts an Education Centerpiece to boot. So, in keeping with our theme, we’re giving you a back-to-school mental health moment. Brought to you by the Onion News Network, “High School Tony Awards Honor Nation’s Biggest Drama Club Nerds” is a fictional news item, but, as it turns out, one based in reality. Two TCG staffers have already copped to performing in their own high school “Tonys”, and another owned up to walking away from hers with the award for “Most Outspoken Hatred of Show Tunes.” Relive (or renounce) your high school drama club memories with us on our Facebook page!

TCG NEWS

Salary Survey 2010

The Salary Survey gathers the salary range and average for over 70 job titles that are common among not-for-profit theatres, from artistic director to box office manager. The survey results also track average fees paid to guest artists and average weekly salaries for both union and non-union actors and stage managers. The Salary Survey report is broken down by budget group, so you won't have to compare your theatre's data with that of theatres half or twice your size. After you have received the results, you are free to ask for special reports tailored specifically to your theatre's needs. Remember, surveys are confidential and only managing leaders from participating TCG member theatres will receive the results.

Action: The deadline is October 30. An email was sent to managing leaders at TCG member theatres with a link to the online survey, also available in the Tools & Research section of the website. You will need your username and password to access the survey. Contact Ilana Rose with questions.

TCG's Free Night of Theater is Back!

UPDATED This story was originally published in the June 2009 issue of the Bulletin.
Free Night of Theater will celebrate its fifth anniversary in over 120 cities from coast to coast on Thursday, October 15. From California to Minnesota, from Texas to Vermont, more than 700 theatres will open their doors to provide thousands of new theatre-goers the opportunity to experience the joy of live theatre absolutely free!

Action: Visit the Free Night national website for details on the 2009 program, including participating communities, theatres and performances.

2009 TCG Fall Forum on Governance

UPDATED This story was originally published in the August 2009 issue of the Bulletin.

Online registration for the 2009 TCG Fall Forum on Governance, Opportunity Knocks: Proactive Leadership in a “Wait and See” World, is now open. Scheduled speakers include Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the NEA, and Jack Uldrich, futurist and best-selling author. Registration is open to staff and trustees at TCG member theatres.

Action: Visit the Fall Forum section of the website to learn more and register.

Club Quarters: Reduced Fall Rates for NYC Locations

TCG members are eligible for a special low fixed membership rate at Club Quarters. Club Quarters are private, full service hotels exclusively for member organizations; they offer unique, user-friendly services designed for both business and leisure. Club Quarters locations have rooms of various sizes for long or short stays, as well as a restaurant and bar, club room, fitness facility and meeting space accommodating up to 250 people. The four NYC locations include Midtown, Rockefeller Center, Wall Street and World Trade Center (opening Fall 2009). TCG nightly room rates have recently been lowered for the fall and start at just $214 with rates as low as $140 on some weekends and holidays (upon request and based on availability).

Action: Visit the Club Quarters website or call Club Quarters Member Services at 212-575-0006 to make reservations or for more information. Your password is TCG.

TCG Membership Directory Now Online!

Our new Membership Directory is now online and contains listings for over 500 TCG member theatres and affiliates. The online Membership Directory allows you to search TCG Member Theatres by name, state, theatre budget group, special interest category, personnel or by your own selections using our advanced search tool. Member Theatres, Affiliates and Individual Members also have the capability to print their search results.

Action: Visit the Membership Directory page in the Membership section of our website.

ADVOCACY NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN ARTS ALLIANCE AND TCG

Healthcare Reform Resources

Split between five House and Senate Committees, legislators have been debating and redrafting healthcare legislation since last spring. Areas in the healthcare reform proposals that are of particular interest to the not-for-profit performing arts community include: proposed mandates, incentives, penalties and exemptions for not-for-profit organizations of all budget sizes to offer health insurance; insurance for the unemployed and part-time employees; and capping itemized charitable deductions to offset the cost of healthcare reform proposals.

Action: Visit the Independent Sector website and the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Reform website to learn about the implications of the proposals for not-for-profits and view side-by-side comparisons of healthcare reform proposals. Visit the Fractured Atlas website to read the answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Health Insurance.

FCC White Space Update

UPDATED Follow this ongoing story in its entirety at the Advocacy section of the website.
As previously reported, the Broadway League has formed a coalition called the Coalition of Wireless Microphone Users (CWMU), of which TCG is a member. Over the summer, Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski announced four new members of the senior leadership of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau: Bureau Chief Ruth Milkman, Senior Deputy Chief James Schlichting, Deputy Chief Renee Roland Crittendon and Deputy Chief John S. Leibovitz. On September 11, TCG executive director Teresa Eyring, along with other representatives of the CWMU visited with the new FCC leadership in Washington, DC to discuss the White Space issue. FCC staff members were receptive to the concerns expressed by the CWMU.

Action: Stay tuned for more information, as these efforts are a work in progress. Remind your sound technicians that they cannot be operating wireless microphones in the 700 MHz spectrum. Visit the Advocacy section of website to see CWMU FCC filings.

NEA Leadership Changes

There have been some recent staff changes at the NEA. Yosi Sergant resigned Thursday September 24 from his job as the Director of Communications. Jamie Bennett joined the NEA staff at the end of the September as the new Director of Communications. Elisabeth "Deba" Leach is the Arts Education Counselor to the Senior Deputy Chairman.

Action: None

Change in Visa Processing

The PAA and the Performing Arts Visa Working Group have continued to meet with leadership from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in order to improve the visa process for artists from abroad. Recently, under the new leadership of director Alejandro Mayorkas, a new USCIS policy was implemented that prohibits U.S.-based employers (i.e. theatres, orchestras, dance and opera companies) from continuing the practice of jointly filing a visa petition on behalf of foreign guest artists. The impact of this change in policy will substantially increase the number and cost of petitions for foreign guest artists – and the new policy directly contradicts President Obama’s pledge to “streamline the visa process to return America to its rightful place as the world’s top destination for artists and art students.”

Action: Visit the Artists from Abroad website for more information about Visa processing for artists and stay turned for formal legislative action.

October is National Arts and Humanities Month

National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM) is a nationwide celebration of culture in the United States. Held every October and coordinated by Americans for the Arts and collaborating local and state arts organizations, it is the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation.

Action: Visit the Americans for the Arts website to learn more about NAHM and discover opportunities to participate in events in your area.

ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

2010 Sundance Institute Theatre Labs

These Labs provide a protected environment in which to explore new work with the support of professional actors and dramaturgs. The process is tailored to the project’s individual needs and stage of development, including text, analysis, readings, movement and music rehearsals and private presentations to the assembled community.

Action: The deadline is October 12. Visit the Sundance Institute website for more information and application materials.

PushPush Theater Assembling Core Ensemble to Create New Work

This project will assemble producing theatre and film artists focused on deepening the quality and significance of their work and increasing financial sustainability. As part of a two-part strategy to address individual artist compensation, PushPush will create a small artistic ensemble for collaboration, creation and international touring for 2010. Beyond career development, the immediate priority for the project is financial support for up to six individual artists.

Action: The deadline is October 15. Visit the Pushpush Theater website for more information and application materials.

Johnson & Johnson and the Society for the Arts in Healthcare Grants

Through health education and development, Johnson & Johnson aims to build skills and health literacy among a broad range of people serving community health needs, ultimately increasing community support, involvement and leadership in the public health arena. To that end, these grants seek to engage community healthcare workers, caregivers, families and artists in the practice of arts in healthcare.

Action: The LOI deadline is October 15. Visit the Society for Arts in Healthcare website for more information and application materials.

American Conservatory Theater David Mamet Writing Contest

Contestants are asked to rewrite famous moments in United States history and politics in the style of David Mamet. Ten winning entries will be performed in the American Conservatory Theater and all entrants will receive A.C.T. ticket discounts.

Action: The deadline is October 28. Visit the American Conservatory Theater website for more information and application materials.

Kurt Weill Foundation for Music Accepting Applications for Research and Performance Projects

Proposals for research and performance projects must relate to the composer Kurt Weill and his wife, actress-singer Lotte Lenya.

Action: The deadline is November 2. Visit the Kurt Weill Foundation for more information and application materials.

Japan Foundation Accepting Proposals for Projects to Receive Performing Arts Japan Touring and Collaboration Grants

This program is designed to provide financial assistance for not-for-profit organizations in the United States that aim to introduce Japanese performing arts to local audiences. PAJ Touring Grants help present Japanese performing arts at multiple locations in the United States and Canada, with an emphasis on locations outside major metropolitan areas.

Action: The deadline is November 2. Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and application materials.

Lark Play Development Center Open Access Program Accepting Submissions for Playwrights' Week 2010

The Lark is committed to providing access to all writers, regardless of age, ethnicity, experience or agent representation. To that end, the Open Access Program is seeking new plays and new voices to be carefully reviewed by a volunteer committee of readers, the Literary Wing. The highest-ranking work will be showcased in the annual Playwrights’ Week Festival.

Action: The deadline is November 20. Visit the Lark Play Development Center website for more information and application materials.

Lark Play Development Center Seeking New Members for Literary Wing

The Literary Wing is a volunteer committee entrusted with the task of reading new scripts through the Lark's unique open submissions policy. The group meets once a month and members are asked to read and evaluate five or six scripts per month.

Action: Visit the Lark Play Development Center website for more information and application materials.

Harry Ransom Center 2010-2011 Research Fellowships

The Ransom Center, an internationally renowned humanities research library and museum, annually awards 50 fellowships to support scholarly research projects in all areas of the humanities, including literature, photography, film, art, the performing arts, music and cultural history. Applicants must demonstrate the necessity of substantial on-site use of the Center’s collections.

Action: The deadline is February 1, 2010. Visit the Harry Ransom Center website for more information and application materials.

CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

National Summit on Arts Journalism Streamed Live on the Internet

USC Annenberg School for Communication and the National Arts Journalism Program, with support from the NEA, will present the first National Summit on Arts Journalism on October 2. Primarily a virtual event, the summit will be streamed live in front of a live audience; viewers from around the world will be able to participate via text messaging and Twitter. All presentations will be archived and available after the event on the summit website.

Action: Visit the National Arts Journalism Project website to watch live streaming footage of the event or explore the archived materials.

Call for Papers: Emerging Scholars Panel, Religion and Theatre Focus Group, ATHE 2010 Conference

The theme for the 2010 ATHE Conference is Theatre Alive: Theatre, Media and Survival. The Religion and Theatre focus group invites new scholars who have not yet presented at a major national conference to submit papers that consider how religion and theatre correspond and overlap, particularly in relation to media and survival. “Religion” and “theatre” may both be conceived broadly.

Action: The deadline is October 19. Visit the Facebook page for application guidelines.

ArtsReach National Arts Marketing and Development Conference October 8-11 in Los Angeles, CA–TCG Member Discount!

TCG members are entitled to $120 registration discounts to the 2009 Arts Reach National Arts Marketing & Development Conference, “Are You Ready for the Wave of Change? Breakthrough Strategies for Growing Audiences, Donors, and Boards in the Coming Decade.”

Action: Visit the ArtsReach website to view all of the conference offerings and to register online.

"Out of the Wings" 2010 Symposium: Spanish Golden Age Drama in Translation and Performance, Merton College, Oxford, March 18-19 2010

This symposium will focus primarily on translations and performances of the works of playwrights of the Golden Age. It will be attended by both academic and theatrical practitioners working within the field of Golden Age drama, and a wider base of attendees interested in Spanish theatre in general. Speakers will be drawn from the United States and Europe, representing a variety of areas of expertise in translation and performance of the comedia.

Action: Visit the Out of the Wings website for more information. Contact Dr. Kathleen Jeffs with questions about the symposium.

DEVELOPMENT

American Conservatory Theater Receives $1 Million Grant

American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, CA received a grant of $1 million over four years from the James Irvine Foundation to develop a new program of study that helps actors create, produce and market theatrical work focused on younger audiences in nontraditional venues.

East West Players Receives $100,000 Grant and $300,000 Grant

East West Players in Los Angeles, CA received a grant of $100,000 over two years from the California Community Foundation for general operating support. East West Players also received $300,000 over three years from the James Irvine Foundation for the New Works Development Program, which supports Asian and Pacific Islander playwrights in California.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES

International Playwright's Forum ITI Competition 2010: Refugees/Exile/Identity/Migration

Playwrights are invited to submit plays that deal with the theme of Refugees/Exile/Identity/Migration in the contemporary world where hundreds of millions of people are displaced for political or economic reasons or through more serious violence between communities.

Action: The deadline is June 30, 2010. Visit the International Playwright’s Forum website for more information and application materials.

RESOURCES

University of Wisconsin-Madison Offering Course Material for Free Through iTunes University

Andrew Taylor, ArtsJournal blogger and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is making available portions of his course, “Arts Enterprise: Art as Business as Art” to the general public through iTunes University.

Action: Visit iTunes University to download audio files of the course material (link requires iTunes).

Fractured Atlas Offering Courses for the D.I.Y. Artist Through Fractured U.

Fractured U. offers online courses in entrepreneurship and small business. These courses provide critical skills for navigating the business of art, access to some of the top experts in the field and opportunities for sharing knowledge and forging collaborations with peers. Features include videos, podcasts, discussion boards, file sharing, assignments, exams, pop-up definitions, external resources links and a bookstore of recommended reading. The core introductory courses are Professional Identity Demystified, Marketing Demystified and Fundraising Demystified.

Action: Visit the Fractured Atlas website to learn more and register.

Createquity Tracking State Arts Funding Updates

Ian David Moss, author of the blog Createquity, offers a comprehensive look at state arts funding across the country. This post aggregates recent stories about state arts funding battles in order to increase awareness and empower readers to take action collectively.

Action: Visit Createquity to read the full post.

Online Nonprofit Technology Conference

Nonprofit Technology Network has made available a digital recording of the Online Nonprofit Technology Conference that took place on September 16 and 17. The theme of the conference was Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders.

Action: Visit the Nonprofit Technology Network website to access the recording.

Johns Hopkins Listening Post Project Publishes Health Care and Nonprofits: The Hidden Dimensions of America's Health Care Crisis

A survey conducted in July and August of 2009 reveals that health care costs are producing a crisis for America’s not-for-profit organizations and the nearly 13 million workers they employ.

Action: Visit the Johns Hopkins Listening Post Project to read the full communiqué.

NEW TCG MEMBERS

Mount Holyoke College

Theatre Department
50 College Street
South Hadley, MA 01075
tel (413) 538-2080
fax (413) 538-2081
cdc@mtholyoke.edu
www.mtholyoke.edu
Kim Parent, Assistant Director of Professional Preparation

TheatreSquared

PO Box 4188
Fayetteville, AR 72702
tel (479) 445-6333
martin@theatresquared.org
www.theatresquared.org
Robert Ford, Artistic Director
Martin Miller, Managing Director
Bob Kohler, Board President

Voices of the South

PO Box 11222
Memphis, TN 38111-0222
tel (901) 323-0128
voicesoul@aol.com
www.voicesofthesouth.org
Jerre Dye, Artistic Director
Jenny Madden, Executive Producer
Susan Lattimore, Board President

TCG DEADLINES

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Information appearing in the TCG Bulletin may not be reprinted without permission.