Show off a favorite conveyance at the Grate Louisville Transportation Expo. Vehicles such as this truck from Grapes of Wrath which was produced by the University of Alabama in 2003 are just perfect for the event which will be part of Stage Expo in 2006. Scenery (and truck) design by Andy Fitch.

Photo/Porfirio Solarzano

Bill Teague
Vice-President for Special Operations

Louisville is famous for bourbon, bats (baseball, not the horror movie kind), and boxers. But Louisville and surrounding environs are also famous for cars and boats.

The Ford F-150, America's best-selling vehicle, is made in Louisville; the Corvette and Cadillac XLR are built just down the road in Bowling Green; and the Ohio River is teeming with boats of all shapes and sizes from paddle wheelers to huge barges to the occasional Big River raft.

All of these forms of conveyance have inspired USITT to hold its first, and probably only, theatrical transportation exhibit. Those who have a built a car, truck, motorcycle, boat, plane, helicopter, (well, you get the idea), for a show and still have it hanging around in a dusty corner of the shop, just because you can't bear to throw it out, can rejoice!

Dig it out, dust it off, and bring it to Louisville next March. The rules are pretty simple and the entry fee is pretty low. The only rules are that it must be three dimensional (no cheesy profile things), carry real people (or actors if you can't get any real people), and those entering must get it to and from Louisville. It doesn't matter if it is self-powered or people-powered. The entry fee is about as low as it can get these days...nothing.

We think this will be fun and entertaining, and who knows, may inspire a couple of prop or tech program sessions. We already have lined up a 4/5 scale Model T from Ragtime, three Grapes of Wrath trucks, a motorcycle from Taming of the Shrew, a "personal people mover," and a pageant wagon.

Entering is pretty easy also. Just e-mail Bill Teague, wteague@theatre.as.ua.edu, and describe the vehicle, what it is, what show it was built for, self or manual powered, size, etc. Please send along a photo or two for promotional use. That's it! You will receive details of delivery and pick up later.

An announcement calling for entries in the transportation exhibit for the 2006 Louisville Conference & Stage Expo was made in Toronto. Since that conference, many inquiries and several more commitments have been sent.

This will be a unique and fascinating exhibit! Don't be left out of The Great Louisville 2006 USITT Transportation Expo!

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