Saturday, October 28, 2023, 11 AM - 7 PM Pacific
Z Space, San Francisco, CA
Details are continuously added to the schedule — keep checking back!
Schedule
11 AM - 12 PM: Coffee Networking Mixer & Conference Check-in
12:00 - 12:45 PM: Keynote Speech by Nataki Garrett
We are thrilled to have Nataki Garrett present the Keynote address! More details will be announced soon.
Nataki Garrett is a changemaker, trailblazer, and nationally recognized artist and artistic leader. She was the first executive artistic director and the sixth artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the first Black female in this role. As such, she was the first female and person of color in the country to lead a $44M fully producing theater company. Her accomplishments included helping to save OSF during the pandemic closure by raising $19M from government, foundation, and individual sources. Nataki used her platform to organize the Professional Non-Profit Theater Coalition, a national effort to advocate for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, which provided an unprecedented $15B of federal funding during the pandemic for live-performance venue operators, performing-arts organizations, theatrical producers, and more.
1:00 - 2:15 PM: Breakout Session A
The Importance of Arts Journalism in this Theatre Crisis
with David John Chávez & Jeffrey Lo
Artists and critics — do we need each other? Join David John Chávez and Jeffrey Lo in conversation about what arts journalism brings to our current theatre crisis. How do theatremakers relate and respond to theatre critics in our work? Press coverage is often considered a lifeline to the performing arts, but how does it support theatres in practice? From shaking off a bad review to the journalistic process of writing about performance, bring your listening ears and your burning questions to these experts for discussion and insight. If you are interested in the role arts journalism should — or should not — play in this critical moment, don’t miss this session!
Nightmare Fuel
with Dani Spinks
Get into the spooky spirit: award-winning special effects artist, designer, and director Dani Spinks brings Halloween horror to TBAConnect with a monstrous make-up demonstration. Want to make your next show’s wounds, bruises, and monsters unforgettable? Dani will demonstrate how to create horrifying stage looks live on a model! Learn how to conjure the blood and gore you need to create chilling characters.
Spoken and Unspoken: Writing Killer Dialogue
with Lauren Gunderson
America’s most-produced living playwright, Lauren Gunderson, will guide you through this hands-on workshop that includes writing exercises for about the spoken and unspoken ways to tell stories. Supercharge your storytelling through incisive dialogue, powerful stage directions, and action that fuels plot.
Tech Basics for Actors and Directors
with Jax Steager
Looking to up your game as director? Want to become your lighting designer’s new favorite person? This session is for you! Bay Area designer and technician Jax Steager will walk you through the basic terminology and functions you need to communicate with lighting designers, set designers, and technicians. This session will help directors understand exactly what to ask for, calculate more accurately how much work is involved in each request, and collaborate more effectively with designers and technicians. Actors will come away with a better understanding of their work environment and learn the practical skills and mechanics of theatrical storytelling.
Visual Storytelling from Stage to Still
with Tasi Alabastro
Ignite your storytelling inspiration using the tools at your fingertips! Experiment with other theatremakers at this hands-on photography workshop led by photographer and inspirational storyteller Tasi Alabastro. Whether it’s through his acting, photography, design, podcasting, game reviews, or teaching, Tasi’s stories are unique-- profound while remaining engaging and fun. Tasi will guide you through this visual storytelling workshop through the use of still images. All you need is your camera phone and your creativity! This workshop is great for directors, designers, playwrights, and anyone who wants to sharpen their storytelling skills.
Working Toward Sustainable Production Models
with Carlos Aceves and Devon LaBelle
Session details to come!
2:30 - 3:45 PM: Plenary Panel
Moderated by Sean Fenton, with Ezra Reaves, Star Finch, Katja Rivera, Claudio Silva, and Tanya Telson
We’re bringing together an all-star panel of theatremakers for a one-of-a-kind cross-disciplinary discussion. Details coming soon!
4:00 - 5:15 PM: Breakout Session B
Acing Your Next Dance Call
with Christina Lazo
Want to ace your next dance call? Bring jazz shoes and your best self to this mock audition! Get practical pointers from a choreographer and dance professional while learning combinations in real time. Come ready to move! This workshop is for performers who want to waltz in, stand out, and bring the house down at their next audition. Get on your feet and get that gig!
Arts Activism: Because All Theatre Is Political
with Michael Gene Sullivan
Session details to come!
Creating a Culture of Consent: Q&A with an Intimacy Director
with Amanda Pulcini
What does it take to create a culture of consent in your theatrical space? Bring your curiosity and ask an intimacy director! No matter your experience level, this session will deepen the conversation and practicalities around consent in the rehearsal room and on stage. Come with your questions about your individual experience, company culture, or the wider world of theatre. This session is for anyone interested in what it takes to make rehearsal spaces where cast, crew, and leadership have the emotional safety to take creative risks. Continue the conversation on intimacy direction in an upcoming webinar with Amanda this November.
Feminist Acting Class
with Gina Young
This transformative approach to actor training is for actors of all genders and levels of experience. LA-based award-winning actor and director Gina Young has been offering Feminist Acting Class since 2016. Gina describes this work as “a series of experiments to see if the form and content of an acting class can both be made feminist. A paradigm shift.” This session is a bite-sized look at the full weekend class TBA will be offering in November. Let's flip the script together!
Resume Doctor
with Krystle Piamonte & TBD
Is your resume properly formatted? Does it have everything directors need to know? Bring your theatrical resume and get one-on-one tips to make it more polished and professional. Whether you’re an actor, designer, dramaturg, or director, make sure your resume stands out!
Directors' Breakout
with Karina Gutiérrez & Ely Sonny Orquiza
Session details to come!
5:30 - 6:00 PM: Closing Remarks
6:00 - 7:00 PM: Happy Hour Networking Mixer
