Join the Midwest Regional Section as it presents a backstage tour of Cirque Du Soleil's Kooza 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 12 in the United Center Parking Lot, Chicago, Illinois.

Participants will have a chance to see, up close, the unique way Cirque sets up in the parking lot and is able to completely control the performance and audience environment. Heads of departments who are available will talk about their respective responsibilities for the show with a chance to dialogue with participants. Following the session there will be time for a late lunch before the 4 p.m. or 8 p.m. performances. Registration is limited to current USITT Midwest Section members only and is limit is 50. E-mail Steve Jacobs at sjacobs192@comcast.net for more information or view the registration form.

To Top

Some new officers and some familiar faces are in the Upstate New York Regional Section. As a result of spring elections, the regional section will have the following officers: P. Gibson (Trish) Ralph, Chair; Johan Godwaldt, Vice-Chair for Programming; Jeff Reeder, Vice-Chair for Membership; Kitty Macey, Secretary; and Don Guido, Treasurer.

At the March 20 annual meeting in Houston, the section set locations for 2008-2009. The fall meeting will be hosted by SUNY Fredonia, the fourth annual job fair will be at SUNY Oswego in January, and a spring meeting will be hosted by the University at Buffalo. Collin Ranney, student designer at UB, has volunteered to get the web page up and running. Details concerning programs should appear there soon.

To Top

The Chesapeake Regional Section's annual Stage Expo will be held on September 13 at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. The section will wrap up celebrations of its 30th birthday and kick off festivities leading to the celebration of the National organization's 50th year.

Sessions will be geared toward beginners and intermediates. Professional level workshops will be announced once final schedules are set. The Section is also looking for anyone interested in helping generally, presenting workshops, or taking over the charge of the Dress Black Ball, the newest addition to the Expo. Interested people should contact Chair Kacey Fisher at kacey@fishertheatrical.com or First Vice-Chair Patrick Wallace at pwallace@shepherd.edu.

More information will be in the next few issues of Sightlines and on the section website, www.usittchesapeake.org as workshops, vendors, and details are finalized. But this is a good time to mark the event on calendars for the beginning of next academic year.

Chesapeake is proud to announce the return of its bi-monthly newsletter, In the Wings. It will be distributed via e-mail to members and interested parties who belong to the USITT Chesapeake Yahoo Mailing Group. Among other things, this publication has an at-a-glance listing of the activities of the section; in depth articles on activity, members, and programs; reviews of new products; tours of vendors, manufacturers, schools, and theaters in the section; and a place to make the members' voices heard.

Those interested in receiving the newsletter may contact Patrick Wallace at usittchesapeakepublicity@gmail.com or become a member at www.usittchesapeake.org and receive it as a benefit of joining. In the Wings is always looking for people interested in submitting articles or helping to edit. Volunteers can contact the Publications Committee at the same e-mail account.

To Top