USITT's Grants & Fellowship Program fulfills the Institute's mission of "promoting the advancement of the knowledge and skills of its members" by supporting research projects that promote lifelong learning and creative development. Many USITT members have benefited from funding by USITT as a result of founder Edward F. Kook’s foresight and the generosity of members.

Anyone interested in submitting a proposal for funding during the 2010 grant cycle should make sure completed applications and supporting documentation are submitted before the January 12 deadline. More information and applications are available here.

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USITT again will offer an employment service at the 2010 Annual Conference & Stage Expo in Kansas City, Missouri March 31 to April 3. Carolyn Satter, Management Commissioner and member of USITT’s Board of Directors, will coordinate the program.

Forms are now available on the web here as part of the Conference Opportunities section of the USITT website. The employment service provides those looking for new employees, interns, or graduate assistants, or people seeking such positions, a place for face-to-face interviews. Interviews will be conducted at specific times at the KC Marriott Downtown from April 1 to 3.

Those with specific questions may contact Ms. Satter at carolyn.satter@sandiegotheatre.org.

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Electronic balloting will begin in December for the 2010 USITT election cycle. Voting will continue through January for members of the USITT Board of Directors. An additional item, concerning the official spelling of the name of the organization, has been placed on the ballot at the recommendation of the organization’s legal counsel. This addition has been ratified by the Board of Directors.

Members will receive an e-mail with a link to the on-line balloting. Any member voting via a paper ballot must return the ballot to the USITT office by the January deadline. Any USITT member current as of noon, Eastern Standard Time on December 7 is eligible to vote.

Members can access online voting from USITT’s home page by clicking on the “vote” button. For members who prefer not to vote electronically, paper ballots are available. For questions contact Shannan Hoerger at shannan@office.usitt.org or call 315-463-6463 extension 101.

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OISTAT recently announced that members can apply for OISTAT Grants. The deadline for application is December 6 for 2010 grants.

Project-based grants awarded to individuals and organizations are intended to produce more public programs to foster the development and exchange of diverse and challenging ideas about theatre technology and its role in the arts, culture, and society.

Guidelines and application forms are available on the OISTAT website.

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The latest version of the draft standard, BSR E1.28 - 200x, Guidance on Planning Followspot Positions in Places of Public Assembly, is available for public review through December 28. The document can be downloaded for free. Comments should be submitted before the end date shown on the website.

The E1.28 document offers guidance on planning permanent followspot positions. It is a guidance document, not a mandatory compliance document.

For more information, please contact Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001; 1-212-244-1505; or standards@esta.org.

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Members of the Stagecraft Mailing list, an Internet group of theatre technicians, are pictured in a new 16-month calendar that takes its cue from the famous Maple Glen Farmers calendars of years gone by. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will benefit the Behind the Scenes program, an initiative of The ESTA Foundation.

Paul Schreiner and Kelly Robertson came up with the idea for the calendar. The initial photo shoot at USITT’s 49th Annual Conference & Stage Expo in Cincinnati, supplemented by further sessions which produced a whimsical 16-month calendar of technicians posed in front of scenic backdrops and various places backstage.

Greg Williams, of Appalachian State, admits that the idea of using slightly risqué or suggestive calendars to raise funds for a worthy cause is certainly not new. However, “This may well be the first time that so many people who are used to being clothed in all black and unseen in the shadows actually stepped into the light and posed for one of these things.”

The calendar is published by Greg Williams and Alice Neff and sponsored by eventsbum.com, Fisher Theatrical, lightplotdeconstructed.com, USITT Chesapeake Section, Sapsis Rigging, Stageworks Lighting Ltd., positivecontrast.com, and pitzermedia.com.

Calendars may be purchase by visiting www.estafoundation.org/bts/calendar or calling 212-244-1421.

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