Annual Conference ~ 2008
A Comedy of Eras: Theatre Education Through the Ages
Sept. 19 & 20, 2008
Location: Denver School of the Arts
Ok, Ok .... so you lost your notes or you can't remember the title of
the book mentioned or you forgot to ask that one question ... we
understand!
Please use the following emails to contact the workshop presenters.
10:00 - 11:15 BREAKOUT SESSION I
Workshop: Adapting Shakespeare for Elementary School
presenter: Nancy Nyhus, <pengrad@msn.com>
Workshop: Group Improvisation
presenter: Allison Watrous, <alli_wa@hotmail.com>
Workshop: Stage Management
presenter: Claudia Carson, <cjcgals@msn.com>
Workshop: Effective & fun Vocal Warm-ups
presenter: Anne Penner, <apenner@dcpa.org>
11:30 – 12:45 BREAKOUT SESSION II
Workshop: Group Improvisation
presenter: Allison Watrous, <alli_wa@hotmail.com>
Workshop: Adding that one (design) thing.
presenter: Colby Elliott, <colbyelliott@msn.com>
Workshop: Acting in the Classical Theatre
presenter: Tim Mooney, <tim_mooney@earthlink.net>
Workshop: Ten Steps Every Music Theatre Student Should Know
presenter: Cyndi Huebner, <cyndi@mybodybydesign.com>
2:30 - 3:45 BREAKOUT SESSION III
Workshop: Neutral Mask
presenter: Brett Scott, < BLS6182002@yahoo.com>
Workshop: A Clinic Regarding Construction and Safety for the High School Stage for Directors and Technical Directors
presenter: Dr. Mike Pearl, <mikepearl@aol.com>
Workshop: It’s Murder!: Writing & Presenting Murder Mysteries
presenter: Karen Kennedy, <KKennedy@lewispalmer.org>
Workshop: Lighting Design and Console Training
presenter: Bobby Harrell, www.bobbyharrelllighting.com
4:00 - 5:15 BREAKOUT SESSION IV
Workshop: Preparing an original show
presenter(s): Shawn Hann and DSA students, denverhann@comcast.net
Workshop:Cool ideas for teaching technical theatre.
presenter: Colby Elliott, <colbyelliott@msn.com>
Workshop: Shakespeare’s Richard III
presenter: David Saphier, < dsaphier@dcpa.org>
Workshop: Lighting Design and Console Training
presenter: Bobby Harrell, www.bobbyharrelllighting.com
9:15 - 10:45 Breakout Session V Workshop: Hip-Hop & Your Students
presenter: Laurence Curry, < lcurry@dcpa.org>
Workshop: You Want Me to Move? A Brief Introduction to Anne E208/Craft
Theatre Bogart’s Viewpoints and Other Movement Teaching Techniques
presenter: Jenna Neilsen, <jennaneilsen@adams.edu>
Workshop: Identifying technical theatre potential in students; sparking a long term interest and nurturing their journey.
presenter(s): IATSE, Technical Entertainment Arts Educational Support
Team (Mark J. Gabriel DeBell, Susan Osborne, and Dean Ladany),
<susano.05@comcast.net>
Workshop: Making The Old New Again
presenter: Colby Elliott <colbyelliott@msn.com>
Working Lunch: Pathways to Creative Career
presenter: Gully Stanford, <gully.stanford@cic.state.co.us>
2:15 – 3:30 Breakout Session VII
Workshop: Networking – Elementary Level
moderator: Nancy Nyhus <pengrad@msn.com>
Workshop: Networking – Middle Level
moderator: Shawn Hann <denverhann@comcast.net>
Workshop: Networking - High School
moderator: Jen Shafer <shafejm@d11.org>
Workshop: Networking – Special Interests/Technical Theatre
moderator: David Peterson <drpete72@msn.com>
_________________________________________________________
2007 Conference
Theatre:
Your Stage for Success
September 7 & 8, 2007
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
(Tramway Building)
9:00 - 10:15 BREAKOUT SESSION I
Workshop IA Creating an Inclusive Environment
Studio 5 Presenter: Gillian McNally
Workshop IB Rasaboxes
Studio 8 Presenter: Hilary Blair
Workshop IC The Shakespeare Code
Studio 11 Presenter: Tim Grant
Workshop ID Shoestring Costumes
Design Studio Presenter: Tricia Stevens
10:30 – 11:45 BREAKOUT SESSION II
Workshop IIA Playwriting
Studio 5 Presenter: Dee Covington, Curious Theatre Company
Workshop IIB Vocal Care
Studio 8 Presenter(s): Staff from The National Center for Voice & Speech and The Center for Voice and Swallowing
Workshop IIC Auditioning
Studio 11 Presenter: Anne Penner
1:45 - 3:00 BREAKOUT SESSION III
Workshop IIIA On Being a Thespian
Studio 5 Presenter(s): Mary Schuttler, Jay Seller
Workshop IIIB Vocal Care
Studio 8 Presenter(s): Staff from the National Center for Voice & Speech and The Center for Voice and Swallowing
Workshop IIIC Integrating Drama into Core-curriculum
Studio 11 Presenter: David Saphier
Workshop IIID Basic Rigging
Tramway Theatre Presenter: Jeff Wilson
3:15 - 4:30 BREAKOUT SESSION IV
Workshop IVA Newspapers in Education Media
Studio 5 Presenter: Gretchen Neilson
Workshop IVB Using Commedia in the Classroom
Studio 8 Presenter: Scotty Walsh
Workshop IVC Muscular Bonding, Motion and Activism: Viewpoints of
Studio 11 Historian William McNeill, Choreographer Alwin Nikolais and Theatrical Director/Political Activist Augusto Boal,
Presenter: Jan Justis
Saturday September 8, 2007
8:30 – 9:00 Guest Speaker – Tramway Theatre
John Moore, Denver Post Theater Critic
Workshop VB Making Improv Fit
Studio 8 Presenter: Kerstin Caldwell, Gaining Perspective
Workshop VC Herding Cats: Success on an Elementary School Stage
Studio 5 Presenter: Nancy Nyhus
11:00 – 12:30 Breakout Session VI
Activity VI College Panel
Studio 11 Panel Members: Theatre Instructors from various Colorado Higher Education Institutions, moderated by Rick Barbour
12:30 – 2:00 Working Lunch – Studio 11
This working session provides ACT attendees with the following:
*Prize Drawings (Our Vendor’s gracious giveaway!)
*”The State of Theatre Education” Discussion
Find out how we are doing in Colorado and Nationally in terms of theatre arts education and how everyone can be better at advocacy. Several advocate organizations will report on current findings with a Q & A to follow.
*”I want to serve!” Informational Meeting
Get information on joining the ACT Board. Come on! You know you want to be a part of the fun! Get info on the meetings, what’s required, the gaps we would like filled, developing your pet projects and much more!
Workshop VIIA Networking – Elementary Level
Studio 5
Workshop VIIB Networking – Middle Level
Studio 4
Workshop VIIC Networking - High School
Studio 8 Moderator: Shawn Hann, Denver School of the Arts
Workshop VIID Networking – Special Interests/Technical Theatre
Studio 11 Moderator: David Peterson, Chaparral High School

Conference 2006! - The Right to Teach: Meeting the New Challenges of Theatre Education
As a working theatre educator, you face enormous challenges. You struggle for program funding at a time when policymakers have devalued arts education. You try to select plays that will provide your students a meaningful educational experience without setting off a censorship battle. It is really no small task being a continually energized educator and keeping your students engaged while contending with these hurdles. This year, EdTA focused on the issues that theatre educators deal with on a daily basis.
EdTA, ACT, and Colorado Thespians are featuring plenary speakers addressing the topics of program funding, intellectual freedom, censorship, and play selection in school theatre programs. The conference provided time for you to meet with fellow theatre educators to discuss problems and solutions, and workshops to sharpen and augment your skills. ACT presented the 2006 awards to several theatre teachers and advocates from around the state, and begun the process of aligning mentor teachers with new teachers.
Keynote Speakers:
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- Playwright William Mastrosimone (Bang, Bang, You’re Dead, Extremities)
- Administrators Frank Philip and Marcia McCaffery
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Workshops included:
- The Importance of Being Honest: Acting Techniques from the Masters
- ACTivities to Activate Your Actors
- Teaching Voice and Accents to Teens
- Raising the Curtain: Activities for the Theatre Arts Classroom
- Lighting Design Basics
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