WINTER 2023
NEWS
Newsletter of Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc. www.setc.org
CONTENTS Award Recipients Page 3
Executive Director Page 2
Opportunities Page 4
SETC Convention Workshops Pages 5
SETC Newsletter Update Page 6
Exploring New Works Pages 7-8
New Board Member: Steven H. Butler Page 9
NEWS SUBMISSIONS Thomas Pinckney Marketing & Communications Manager thomas@setc.org
National Conference on Outdoor Theatre celebrates 60 Years! The NCOT (National Conference on Outdoor Theatre) marked its 60th Anniversary this year, October 11-14, in Buffalo, New York, where it was hosted by Lisa Ludwig, Executive Director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park. This year executive directors, technicians, artistic directors, and board members gathered to engage in earnest conversation regarding our work and the challenges we face, and to learn from the unique experience of other professionals working in outdoor theatre around the country. Lisa took full advantage of the rich history of theatre in Buffalo to create a stimulating conference. Each day’s programming was held in a different theatre in Buffalo’s Theatre District, where attendees could tour the venue before the presentations. Two wonderful performances, one at Road Less Traveled Theatre and one at Shakespeare in Delaware Park, were built into the schedule, with a celebratory closing dinner at Niagara Falls.
Operations Director, Cherokee Historical Association (he/him)
The National Conference on Outdoor Theatre is one of the highlights of my year since my first attendance in 2009. It is a conference built upon the open sharing of ideas, successes and failures, with the goal that everyone should leave energized and inspired. Regardless of whether you have produced one outdoor event or an entire outdoor season, or are simply curious, I hope that you will consider joining us for the conversation in 2024.
WATCH NCOT VIDEO RECAP
Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.
Lance Culpepper
NEWS
CELEBRATING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
‘Everybody Rise, Rise, Rise, Rise, Rise, Rise, Rise, Rise, Rise!’ —Company, Stephen Sondheim
Julie A. Richardson Mark R. Sumner Award Recipient
Christina Castro Scott J. Parker Volunteer Award
One of the truly awesome gifts of working with SETC is that we are constantly talking about how to recognize people for their service to the industry and art that we all cherish. Around here it is always Award Season. We are so happy to be able to make these announcements, and there are always more to come. Established in 1990, the Mark R. Sumner Award recognizes significant contributions by an individual to a specific outdoor drama, or to the outdoor drama movement, including but not limited to playwriting, directing, acting, design, theater architecture, patronage, scholarship, musical composition, technology & innovation, producing and administration. The award is presented annually at the National Conference on Outdoor Theatre in October. We are pleased to share the winner of this year’s Mark R. Sumner Award is Julie A. Richardson in recognition for her work in Outdoor Theatre. Presented to an exceptional volunteer in the field of outdoor theatre, the Scott J. Parker Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who has been nominated by an IOT member theatre for their extraordinary and dedicated unpaid service to the organization over a significant period. This award is also presented annually at the National Conference on Outdoor Theatre in October. We are pleased to share the winner of this year’s Scott J. Parker Volunteer Award is Christina Casto in recognition of her service to Shakespeare in Delaware Park. Congratulations to you both. We see you.
www.setc.org
Winter 2023
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NEWS
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Future Takes Shape As we stand on the precipice of a new era at SETC, there is no denying the excitement that fills the air. This is not just a moment of change but one of transformation and growth as we reshape our focus to navigate the changes in our industry trends and surge ahead.
Toni Simmons Henson Executive Director (she/her)
Our 75th anniversary promises to be a monumental celebration of cutting-edge workshops, riveting panel discussions, outstanding festival performances, and exhilarating networking mixers. Rest assured; our dedicated team is working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure this milestone is an extraordinary experience for all! SETC, a beacon of success in theatre for decades, has always been about fostering connections and creating opportunities. This institution is a testament to countless friendships and careers that have blossomed in this vibrant industry. Our commitment to each artist’s growth remains unwavering as we step into the future of theatre. Theatre is more than just entertainment; it is a mirror reflecting our society, a medium to challenge norms, share perspectives, and elevate views. It is an embodiment of the higher level of humanity that we all strive for. As we usher in this new chapter, our excitement is palpable. We are revitalizing our programming, harnessing the power of advanced technology, and leveraging the expertise of our professional staff to bring you a world-class convention experience. I am sure you have noticed our newly launched website. It was a colossal undertaking but a worthwhile one, designed to ensure that you have seamless access to information. We extend our gratitude for your patience as we continue to refine and enhance our digital platforms. Our SETC community is a tapestry of incredible creative minds. We are committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for each and every one of you because you, as members of this community, deserve the absolute best to create your art. We stand with you, today and always, in your creative journey. The future is bright, and we are thrilled to explore it together.
www.setc.org
Winter 2023
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NEWS
OPPORTUNITIES
JOB LISTINGS
u Chair, Department of Theatre Samford University, Birmingham, AL details ❱❱ u Lecturer in Theatre / Sound Supervisor UNC Greensboro School of Theatre, Greensboro, NC details ❱❱ u Artistic Director Midland Community Theatre, Midland, TX details ❱❱ u Convention Operations Team Member Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), Mobile, AL details ❱❱
Take the next step in your career! Explore these and many more available positions at the SETC Theatre Job Board. To post a job listing, CLICK HERE
Thanks to SETC’s Contributors We send our thanks to the following individuals for contributions made to SETC as of Nov. 15, 2023: Jayson A Altieri, Jr.
Malcolm H Davis Helen C Donahue
Lessac Training and Research Institute
Marianna C Richardson
Don Amburgey Dawn L Bennett
Shabach Enterprise
Hunter Dallas Lindsey
Olivia L Scott
Victoria Dawn Black
Elise Fellinger
Mia L Self
Tiffany I Brown
Cindy Garrison
Emery Brubaker
Inna E Gomez
J. Theresa Bush
Mason Street Warehouse at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts
Sophia Neylan Goral
Tené A. Carter
Chadwick McDonald
Natalie Jane Tangeman
Julia Guarino
Lionel Walsh
Emma E Harris
Emerson Beth McKenzie
Gino Julian Hernandez
Haley A Mizelle
Jim Hunter
Madison Noelle
Courtney Justine Kane
Jeyneliz Ortiz-Valentin
Gregory K Collins
Axyl D Langford
Caitlin Elise Raffield
Davidson College
Lisa A Leibering
Ricky Ramon
Kayley A. Chance Clarence Brown Theatre Company Kristian S ClemonsFreeman
Chelsey M. Rowe
Aurora Lucille Spear Brandon C Szep
Elizabeth Watkins Jennifer Welch Shannon Oneal Williams Youth Theatre of the Bluegrass
To make a donation to SECT, click here
www.setc.org
Winter 2023
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75TH ANNUAL SETC CONVENTION
Workshops Galore
Get ready for a smorgasbord of workshops and experiences at SETC’s 75th annual convention in Mobile, Alabama! Our diverse and highly experienced Neno Russell constituency will present over 200 workshops centered on a wide Vice President of Services range of interest areas. As always, (he/him) there are some great catchy titles for instance one directing workshop is titled Save a Set, Use an Actor! The Physical Theatre of Using Actors as Scenic Elements in Productions. Just the title of this workshop makes me want to attend.
a Life: Monologue Tune-Up Using Michael Chekhov Technique.
There are very timely acting workshops: How Do You Stage the Internet? or Actor Sustainability: Avoiding Burnout and Embitterment.
Another timely issue in education is artificial intelligence, and we have two workshops focusing on A.I.: A.I.-Powered Theatremaking: Classroom Devising in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence and A.I. as a Design Tool.
Workshops that take on the challenges our industry is facing post pandemic in this financially challenging time for producing and building audiences: Shakespeare in a Coffee Shop — Performing Odd Shows in Intimate Spaces or Expanding Your Stage: How group partnerships can increase theatrebased opportunities for community artists, high school, and college students and Creating Theatre in Unpredictable Times — The Importance of Community Engagement. We have an excellent selection of traditional instructive programming as well: The Art of Acting: A Master Class in Meisner and 45 Seconds to Live
www.setc.org
There are many workshops that challenge us as artists and focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Respect. A few I find remarkably interesting: Legal Issues Hot Topics: Censorship, Discrimination, Inclusion, Copyright, and More and Improving DEIA in Your Tech, and an exciting and timely offering, “The Blur” A Devised Theatrical Performance about Race, Privilege, and Complacency.
We are proud to announce that this year we have organized the Workshops into eight tracks that group interest areas together. These tracks will help conference goers to plan their week and attend more workshops within their areas of interest. Join us to celebrate 75 wonderful years while ushering in a new era with renewed passion and dedication to all our various arts that come together to make that unique experience known as Theatre. We are SETC and we are embracing a New Era. See you In Mobile!
Winter 2023
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ONWARD & UPWARD AT SETC
A New eNewsletter We hope that you have noticed changes in just about every aspect of your SETC experience. We are constantly working behind the scenes to make SETC more accessible, more impactful, and more relevant to you and the theatre you make.
Thomas Pinckney Marketing & Communications Manager (he/him)
As a result, you may notice a few changes to this eNewsletter and the contents herein. We send it less often and it is considerably leaner. At present we are planning four eNewsletters a year with two of them very much devoted to the annual convention; one before as a preview and one after as a report. You may notice an article in this eNewletter from Tiffany Gilly-Forrer. That piece was the direct result of Tiffany pitching a story she wanted to see published. We hope you will be more engaged in the work that we put in print. To that end, please send us your story ideas, your pitches, your success stories, information & photos about the productions of which you are particularly proud. If you are sending photos, please include as much information as possible about the photos including who took the photo and who is in the photo. You never know, it may end up on the cover of Southern Theatre. You can email me directly at Thomas@SETC.org. I sincerely look forward to hearing your news and sharing it. I am so excited to serve this community. With gratitude, Thomas
www.setc.org
Winter 2023
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NEWS
EXPLORING NEW WORKS
World Premiere Play at Western Kentucky University – Child of The Night: Pirates of the Mediterranean
Tiffany Gilly-Forrer Actor and Adjunct Professor at Western Kentucky University (she/her)
Evan Arroyo (he/him) as Guisca, Ashley Austin (she/her) as Asra del Mar, Abram Korfhage (he/him) as Bravadura, Reili Farmer (she/her) as Pinchy puppeteer/Lancetta. Photo by Sebastian Tingle
Making theatre takes courage. It thrives and evolves when artists are bold and curious about stories that are not yet written or lesser known. However, since the devastating pandemic, many theatres and training programs have quieted their curiosity in order to stay afloat, producing a litany of blockbuster musicals and wellknown titles in order to keep “butts in seats.” However, curiosity and courage has begun to blossom again in academic theatre, with an exciting example at Western Kentucky University, where their department is mounting the world premiere production of Child of the Night: Pirates of the Mediterranean. The new work is based on the play The Son of the Night; the Pirate, by America’s first Black professional playwright, Victor Séjour, and his collaborators, Alexandre Dumas père, Gérard de Nerval and Bernard Lopez. This adaptation of the melodrama is a sea-faring adventure that follows the life of Asra del Mar, the most feared pirate in the Mediterranean, but a web of secrets ties her to nobility and rebellion in 16th century Naples. In a series of fabrications, surprises, unexpected twists and turns, and elaborate sword fights between pirates and lobsters, Asra faces the grand quest to reclaim her birthright and defeat imperial Spain, overcoming lies from the past that threaten to destroy her and those she loves. The story was adapted by WKU’s theatre professor and program coordinator, Alan White (they/them). When asked about the inspiration for crafting this show, White said, “When my colleague shared the original script with me, it immediately captured my imagination as an opportunity for an act of creativity and activism.” WKU professor Carol Jordan (she/her), whom White is referring to, is serving as director of the project. “I came across the original version of the show while looking specifically for 19th century plays created by BIPOC authors. Séjour is a fascinating literary figure — he was the son of a Haitian father and French Creole mother and was born and raised in a free Black family in pre-Civil War Louisiana. However, as a teenager, his family sent him to Paris, where he remained for the rest of his life and made a name for himself as a writer continued
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Winter 2023
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EXPLORING NEW WORKS of plays and short stories in French. Because his work and life straddle two continents and languages, he sometimes disappears from both French and American theatre history, which is a shame since he was the first Black American to earn his living as a professional playwright.” It is no surprise Jordan decided to collaborate with White, with rich knowledge and passion for the subject material of the show, and a Black playwright themself. White spent many years in Boston, Massachusetts, working with the Freedom Trail Foundation. White’s dedication to creativity and activism is evident in Child of the Night. “I’ve always been drawn to stories of adventure and swashbuckling, and it was these genres of stories that inspired me to choose a career in theatre. Adapting this play aligns my various interests both fictional and historical in more harmony than any project I have worked on to date.”
Shylin Sade (she/her) as Julia di Favelli, and Jaysha Taylor (she/ they) as Tamasa Photo by Tiffany Gilly-Forrer
Jordan added that in early development of the play with White, “we spent a lot of time researching both the creation of the original work and the conventions of 19th century melodrama, as well as the social and political realities of early 16th century Naples, where the show is set. One thing we hope to capture in the production is the incredibly diverse, cosmopolitan nature of Naples in this era.” In addition, both Jordan and White hope to promote the work of the original playwright. “In adapting this show, we hoped to both increase awareness of his work, as well as to introduce our students to the gloriously theatrical world of 19th century melodrama,” Jordan says. “And what better way to do that than with an epic pirate adventure?” White added, “One of the original playwrights, Alexandre Dumas, has inspired me for a long time, but this was my first introduction to Victor Séjour. Apart from Dumas, I was not aware of any other writers of Color who created works in the genre of the swashbuckling melodrama. With the rising visibility of BIPOC writers of Futurist Fantasy Fiction and other niche genres, this play seemed like a great opportunity to raise awareness of the works of Black writers of swashbuckling melodrama.” Child of the Night: Pirates of the Mediterranean premiered Oct. 26-30, 2023, at WKU’s Russell H. Miller Theatre in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Post-production, the collaborators plan to seek publication.
www.setc.org
Winter 2023
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NEWS Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre Nationwide
Central Office SETC 5710 W. Gate City Blvd. Suite K, Box 186 Greensboro NC 27407 336-265-6148 info@setc.org
Executive Committee Ginger Poole (she/her) President Steven H. Butler (he/him) VP of Administration Neno Russell (he/him) VP of Services Annette Grevious (she/her) VP of Finance Ricky Ramón (he/him) VP of Equity & Inclusion Kyla Kazuschyk (she/her) Secretary Tiza Garland (she/her) Elected Past President Mia Self (she/her) VP of States Lynn Nelson (she/her) VP of Divisions
Advertise with us! SETC offers several affordable ways to put your program in front of a broad audience. Email us for more information.
Send your news to Thomas Pinckney, Marketintg & Communications Manager thomas@setc.org
www.setc.org
SETC INTRODUCTIONS
Introducing our newest Board Member SETC is pleased to announce our newest Board Member: Steven H. Butler, VP of Administration. Over the years, Steven has had the opportunity to serve SETC through the Equity Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, the BIPOC Global Committee and the Steve Bayless Scholarship Committee. Prior to becoming the Artistic Director for the Sarasota Players (Sarasota, Florida), Steven served as the Executive Director for the Florida Theatre Conference. He is the Founder of Actors’ Warehouse (Gainesville, Florida) which was honored to represent the United States at Mondial Du Théâtre International Amateur Theatre Festival (Monte Carlo, Monaco). On a national level, he serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Theatre and its respective committees: Play Selection, Nominations, Finance, and International Festival. Steven was appointed to replace Kris McIntyre who had to step down.
New to the SETC Central Office Maegan McNerney Azar, Staff Board Liaison, is Furman University’s 2020 SCICU Excellence In Teaching Award winner. She chairs Furman’s Theatre Arts Department and serves as associate professor of acting & directing. Azar earned an MFA in Acting Pedagogy from The University of Alabama and a B.S. in Theatre from East Tennessee State University. At Furman, Azar’s course load includes Foundations of Acting, Characterization & Storytelling, Voice, Period Styles, Movement, First Year Writing Seminars titled adapting the Classics and Quest for Meanings & Values through Theatre, and the theatre department’s capstone Senior Synthesis course. In addition to her traditional teaching load, Azar directs a show each year for the Furman Theatre Main Stage season. Previous year’s productions include The Threepenny Opera, Hair, The Winter’s Tale, Pippin, and John Proctor is the Villain. She is the faculty sponsor for two student theatre organizations that champion student-produced work. Aaliyah Jordan, Resource Specialist, is originally from Canton, Michigan. She recently earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance with a minor in Cinema Studies in May 2023 from Hampton University. She graduated with a 3.97 GPA and was the recipient of an HU Merit Scholarship. She is currently a graduate student at Pace University in NYC. Winter 2023
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