News From
Regional Sections
Southwest: To Hold Symposium, Design Competition in January
The Southwest Regional Section wants to remind all professional and student designers and technicians in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and neighboring states that its fall Symposium will be held January 14 and 15 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The student design/ tech competition awarded industry tools, internships, and student registrations to the USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo last year. Check the website usitt-sw.org for the conference schedule, entry rules for the design/tech competition, and a list of last year's prizes. Join in two days of hands-on workshops and communing with fellow artists.
California: Five Years and Counting
January will bring the fifth year for the California Regional Section’s Annual Theatre Design and Production Career Fair Expo and Student Design Exhibit and Competition. It will be held 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, January 21 on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, California. Members of the USITT California Section (and those from neighboring Sections) are encouraged to participate.
Faculty and other theatre professionals, along with students, are welcome to attend at no charge. Potential employers and representatives from graduate and undergraduate programs are invited to participate in the job and career fair. Jeff Allen of PCPA (jallen@pcpa.org) is the vendor contact. Student designers, technicians, and stage managers for theatre and dance productions are encouraged to submit their work for the Richard Thompson Student Design and Production Exhibit and Competition.
For more information about the event, see the section website www.socalusitt.org or contact Section Co-Chairs Donna Parsons (stagemama@aol.com) or Jim Taylor (jptaylor@pomona.edu). For information about the venue, contact Sherry Linnell (slinnell@pomona.edu) or Mr. Taylor.
Desert State: Annual Meeting and Mini-Conference
Details for the Desert State 2012 Annual Meeting and Mini-Conference are now complete. The event will be Monday January 16, 2012, at Phoenix Theatre. with Registration and breakfast start at 9 a.m. lobby, followed by the business meeting and keynote at 10 a.m. with workshops to follow. This year’s keynote address will be given by Dennita Sewell, a curator at the Phoenix Art Museum and a Yale graduate. Winners of this year’s Student Awards will be announced at the meeting.
Four workshops, two in the morning and two after lunch are planned. There will be costume/textile and rigging sessions, a seminar by ETC and a presentation on The State of Modern Theatre. Tours of the center will be offered both morning and afternoon. Tour participants must wear appropriate clothing and closed toe shoes. There will be a quick closing session at 2:45 where raffle winners will be drawn, and the day is scheduled to end by 3 p.m.
The cost is $15 for members, $5 for students, and $40 for non-members. A Student membership is $5, professional membership is $20 and an Organizational Membership is $50. As in the past, scholarships are available for students who need assistance.
Clearwing will once again be sponsoring lunch. So that organizers have an accurate count for workshops, breakfast and lunch, those planning to attend are asked to e-mail an RSVP to desertstateusitt@gmail.com.
Any questions can be sent to the same address. Those who RSVP will be sent Paypal information and can choose to pay with a credit card in advance or at the door. Look for updates n our Facebook page, Desert-State USITT. Fran Sutherland, Section Chair, said “We look forward to seeing you there and welcome members from all sections. January in Phoenix...”
New England: Looking for a Job? How About New England?
The New England Regional Section will again help host a Job Fair for those seeking technical employment in the area. The Regional Entertainment Production & Administration Job Fair will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. February 18 at a new location to be announced soon. Check the Section website USITTNE.org for the latest information.
Sponsored by StageSource and USITT NE, admission is free for job seekers. Employers in entertainment, theatre, film, television, dance, industrial suppliers, and related industries are invited to find employees to fill job openings.
Meet producers and employers. Drop off a resume. Show off a portfolio. Internship applicants are provided with a list of attending employers and job openings. Employers may conduct interviews and review portfolios on the spot or take resumes and business cards for follow up. (Resumes of applicants unable to attend will also be distributed to registered employers; call 617-720-6066 to find out how).
Southeast: Announce Design Expo Winner
The Southeast Regional Section is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Design Expo, which was held during its annual Master Classes.
The student award winners are: John Bowhers - UNC School of the Arts, Victoria Amanda Edgerton - University of Georgia, Andy Jean-Mary - Greensboro College, Samanatha Kingsland - UNC School of the Arts, Kaitlyn Smith - UNC - Chapel Hill, and Clair Fleming - UNC - Chapel Hill
Each student was awarded Very Early Conference Registration for the 2012 USITT National Conference & Stage Expo in Long Beach, Califonia, through the support of USITT National and the Regional sponsors: BMI Supply, Barbizon - Charlotte, Stage Decoration and Supply, Sculptural Arts Coatings, and Stage Rigging Services.
The winner of the Joseph Stell Award (for faculty exhibitors) and receiving registration fees for the Design Expo at USITT’s Annual Conference was Rachel Pollock of UNC - Chapel Hill.
