News & Notices
Announcements
TCG Offers New Mamet Book
Theatre Communications Group (TCG) announced the publication of David Mamet's Keep Your Pantheon (and School), a pairing of two unrelated, short plays. Keep Your Pantheon received its world premiere at Center Theater Group in Los Angeles, while the two comic plays received their New York City premiere as a double bill at Atlantic Theater Company. David Mamet's newest play, The Anarchist, is slated for a Broadway premiere in fall 2012, starring Patti Lupone and Laurie Metcalf.
CITT Rendez-vous Registration Open
On-line registration for CITT Rendez-vous 2012 Annual Conference and Trade Show in London, Ontario, Canada is now open. Pre-conference Workshops will be held August 14 to 15 with the conference running August 16 6 to 18. The Trade Show will run 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, August 17.
Early bird registration with a special rate for members is available until July 31. Student volunteers are encouraged to get involved, be connected, and live the experience.
The Hilton London is offering conference accommodations starting at $95 a night. Visit the website for more travel details.
Trade show exhibitors and conference event sponsorships are available here.
Behind the Scenes Holiday Cards Unveiled
The ESTA Foundation recently unveiled the 2012 Behind the Scenes Holiday Cards created by a lineup of all-star designers — John Lee Beatty, Michael Curry, Ralph Funicello, Andrew Hefter, Cindy White, and David Zinn.
Three card ordering options are offered this year including personalized cards with a company logo and custom message, card packs of 10 with a standard greeting, and electronic versions for delivery by e-mail.
Orders will be taken until September 7 to arrive by early November. All proceeds benefit The ESTA Foundation’s Behind the Scenes program. View and order cards at www.estafoundation.org/holidaycards. For more information, please contact Lori Rubinstein at 212-244-1421 or holidaycard@estafoundation.org.
John Lee Beatty is nominated for a 2012 Tony Award for Other Desert Cities. His other Broadway shows this season include Venus in Fur, The Columnist, and Don’t Dress for Dinner. He has designed almost 100 Broadway shows and been nominated for 14 Tony Awards. Michael Curry has created puppetry and theatrical designs for global brands including Disney, Cirque du Soleil, Universal Studios, and The Olympics.
Ralph Funicello has designed over 250 productions throughout North America. He is an associate artist at the Old Globe Theatre. Annual favorite, and recent Savannah College of Art and Design graduate Andrew Hefter is back with a stunning new photograph of the Winspear Opera House chandelier shot especially for Behind the Scenes.
Cindy White’s theme park conceptual design, illustration, and art direction has been featured in top attractions in Disney parks, Universal Studios, Radio City Music Hall, Busch Gardens, and more. Costume and scenic designer David Zinn’s work has graced the Broadway stage in Seminar, Other Desert Cities, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, and In the Next Room.
ALPS Offers Rigging Classes
ALPS/Advanced Lighting & Production Services, Inc. is presenting a series of rigging classes designed for ground riggers, up riggers, venue managers, production managers, stage hands, master electricians, and installers.
The classes will be held at the ALPS Academy and taught by Ethan Gilson, ETCP certified rigger and an ETCP Recognized Trainer. He can be reached at 866-961-3066 or ethan@entertainmentriggingsessions.com.
For more information, visit www.alpsweb.com/alpsacademy.html.
ETCP To Waive Administration Fees in July
In order to keep the ETCP examinations fresh and current, the subject matter experts have written new questions for the Arena Rigging examination. ETCP is set to launch these questions July 1. To gather the statistical data necessary to properly score the exam, it is essential that as many Arena Riggers as possible are tested during July. To further this initiative, the test administration fee of $675 for groups of ten or more will be waived for July. Candidate application fees will still apply and score reports will be delivered in six to eight weeks.
ETCP will send a proctor, but space must be provided. A list of testing requirements is available at etcp.plasa.org/onsiteexams.html. Test administration requests must be received five weeks prior to the exam date, and candidate application deadlines will be set by the Certification Manager. Candidates must fill out the "Pre-arranged Paper and Pencil Application Form," available on the website.
Contact Meredith Moseley-Bennett, ETCP Certification Manager, at 212-244-1505 or etcp@plasa.org.
Clearwing Open House Features Elation Products
Clearwing Productions recently hosted an open house event with Elation Professional. Elation Professional is a leading manufacturer of state-of-the art intelligent lighting fixtures, LED video panels, effects, and controllers.
The open house on May 3 was one of Clearwing’s most well attended events this year. Among the displays were the energy efficient Platinum Beam 5R, the Spot LED ProPlatinum fixture, the Opti Quad Series (LED Par), ELAR Series (Linear LED), and a selection of Broadcast LEDS
Clearwing hosted German Light Products on May 23.
First Sustainability in Theater Conference Well Attended
The first U.S. national Sustainability in Theater conference was presented by the Minnesota Theater Alliance and the Twin Cities Sustainable Theatres Group at Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis April 30 and May 1.
The event was Webcast live by QwikCast on April 30, and 11 breakout panels were live online for interactive participation through Google+ Hangouts on May 1. Locally, there were 90 attendees, including many individual artists representing 60 different organizations. Online, there were 30 attendees representing 20 different organizations, nine U.S. states, and four countries.
Keynote presentations were made by Terry Gips, Sustainability Associates; Stephen Rueff, The Clean Campaign; and Mary T'Kach, Ramsey County.
International case studies were presented by Ian Garrett, the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, and included presentations by Arcola Theatre (U.K.), Festivals Edinburgh (U.K.), Julie's Bicycle (U.K.), York University (Toronto), Fisher Dachs Associates (Washington), and Childsplay (Arizona).
A complete list of the conference sessions is available here and a list of conference presenters is available at here.
Rock Our World Awards Nominations
Nominations opened May 1 for PLASA’s fifth annual Rock Our World Awards, which recognize groundbreaking achievement by PLASA members. Designed to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designers or integrators who apply it, these awards highlight new products, product applications, or projects in the industry.
Nominees for the 2011 awards showcased a wide variety of achievements, from the simplest problem solver to complex uses of technology that highlighted the collaborative nature of the industry and extended the boundaries of entertainment technology. The 2011 winners ranged from motor control cables and a new digital camera system to the Academy Awards and a temporary opera house.
Anyone may nominate a PLASA member for the awards. Nominations for the 2012 awards must have been available in the market or premiered between October 1, 2010 and June 30, 2012 and must not have been previously nominated. Nominations close July 1. Finalists will be announced in early September. The winners will be announced at PLASA’s annual cocktail and awards ceremony at the LDI show in October. Submit nominations and view more info at www.plasa.org/rock.
OISTAT Theatre Timeline Working Group
The newly-formed OISTAT Theatre Timeline Working Group will meeting in London from June 12 to 15 in conjunction with the ABTT Theatre Show and the Theatres Trust Conference - Delivering Sustainable Theatres hosted by the ABTT Historical Research Committee.
A year ago at the Prague Quadrennial the History & Theory and Technology Commissions initiated a new OISTAT working group with a title of Theatre Timeline. It aims to provide a focus group for interest and projects in historical theatres, theatre practice and technologies, to foster better general understanding of older theatre technologies, international exchange of information, and guidance on recording and preservation.
Planned around the UK Theatres Trust 2012 Conference – Delivering Sustainable Theatres - and the annual ABTT 2012 Theatre Show, the week offers a menu of self select events open to the OISTAT Membership, with opportunities to meet and network with those in the UK and from other countries with similar interests. The schedule is still being finalized.
