Management
Available online learning
This session discusses the media designer’s process for presenting design ideas, designing and documenting the system, and all of the paperwork required to go from concept to design. See examples presented from working digital media designers and discuss how workflow changes between different types of projects.
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Presenters:
Alex Oliszewski's specialization is in theatrical media design and devising. His technical knowledge includes sound, lighting, stagecraft, and performance in video, musical, dance, play, and interactive forms. He has consulted Cirque du Soleil. He is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University with a joint appointment between the Department of Theatre and The Advanced Computing Center for Art's and Design. He teaches courses in Experiential Media Design, Media and Projections Design for Theatre, and History of Performance in Media. His MFA graduate studies in Interdisciplinary Digital Media and Theatre at Arizona State University include coursework from The Herberger School of Theatre and Film and The School of Arts, Media + Engineering. His interdisciplinary experience has included work on an NSF-funded project focused on developing online resources to boost the retention of women in STEM fields.
Katherine Freer is a multimedia designer working in theater, installation, and film. Frequent collaborations include Liz Leman, Ping Chong, Ty Defoe, Carl Cofield, Tim Bond Kamilah Forbes, Talvin Wilks, Andrew Scoville, and Tamilla Woodard. Recent designs: Ajijaak on Turtle Island (New Victory, dir. Ty Defoe and Heather Henson), By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Signature Theater, dir. Kamilah Forbes), the Convent (ArtNY, dir. Daniel Talbott), Antigone (Richard Rogers Amphitheater, dir. Carl Cofield), Cellular Songs (BAM Harvey, by Meredith Monk), Next to Normal (Syracuse Stage, dir. Bob Hupp), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Syracuse Stage, dir. Risa Brainin). Katherine is a proud member of USA829 and Wingspace Theatrical Design.
Jeromy Hopgood is an Associate Professor of design and Technology at Eastern Michigan University, where he coordinates the multidisciplinary Entertainment Design & Technology program. He previously taught design at Appalachian State University in North Carolina and the University of Kentucky. He is also the author of "QLab 3 Show Control," a guidebook on Figure 53’s popular show control software as well as the forthcoming "Dance Production: Design & Technology" published by Focal Press. Recently, Jeromy joined the faculty of professional instructors at LDI, teaching QLab-based projection design at the LDI Institute at Arizona State University. In addition to teaching, he is the resident scenic designer for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, the official Shakespeare Festival of the State of Michigan. Jeromy works professionally in scenery, lighting, projections, and sound design. He was an assistant scenic designer at the Williamstown Theatre Festival for its Tony-Award-Winning season.
In late August 2017, Hurricane Harvey dropped 50+ inches of rain in the Houston metro area. This led to exhaustive flooding all over the city, including inundating the Alley Theatre’s Neuhaus Stage and Props storage areas with more than 19 feet of water. This session will review the damage caused to the Alley Theatre properties inventory and the subsequent salvage and recovery operations. Karin Rabe Vance, Alley Theatre Prop Master, will take us through the efforts they undertook to salvage any recoverable props while also taking a full inventory of the unrecoverable items. She’ll include some best practices and tips for determining priority items, cleaning processes and products, and how to determine insurance values for treasured props both shop built and purchased. Presented by the Education Commission.
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Presenters:
Karin Rabe Vance's has been the Properties Master at Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas as since 2004 where she has managed the production of props for over 130 productions, including Three Musketeers, Sherlock and the Suicide Club, Harvey, November, Red, Toxic Avenger, Noises Off, Peter Pan, Cyrano de Bergerac, 39 Steps, Arsenic and Old Lace, Lieutenant of Inishmore, Treasure Island, Subject to Fits, and The Pillowman. While at the Alley she also managed the recovery of properties following the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. Prior to working at the Alley, she served as the Properties Master for Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo New York, Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell Massachusetts, and as the Properties Shop Assistant at the Santa Fe Opera. She is an active member of both S*P*A*M (The Society of Properties Artisan Managers), USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technology), and TX-CERA (Texas Collections Emergency Response Alliance). She has a BFA in Theatre Design and Tech.
What does it take to be an effective and supportive Assistant Stage Manager? Join us to explore the role of the Assistant Stage Manager within the Production Process, within the SM team, and beyond! We will explore the specifics of what it means to ASM for Broadway, for an Opera, and as a resident ASM.
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Presenter: Frank Ludwig is the Director of Core Curriculum for Viterbo University in La Crosse Wisconsin and a tenured Professor in the Department of Theatre and Music Theatre. Mr. Ludwig has over 30 years of academic and professional experience and is a member of the United Scenic Artist in the Set Design category. He has been an active member of USITT since 1990 with his service including several Vice Commissioner roles and one tour of duty as a Co-commissioner of Scene Design and Technology.
A-Alley, BB-Broadway & Bournemouth, Sea...attle. An exploration of different costume shop management styles, sizes, and genres: Broadway, opera/ballet, regional, and international. Listen to long-time industry costume shop managers discuss and compare notes with each other on their shop management successes and innovations.
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Presenter: Sally Ann Parsons is a costume designer and costume technologist. She is a member of USA Local 829, and her costume designs are featured in the book American Dance Festival written by Jack Anderson and her technical work is featured in Unbuttoned: The Art and Artists of Theatrical Costume Design written by Shura Pollatsek. In 1980, she founded Parsons–Meares, Ltd. In Chelsea, NYC with her husband James Meares, and together they became a legend in the industry. Working first out of an abandoned school building, the business would grow into one of the premiere costume shops in New York City. Since her husband’s passing in 2008, Sally has been the sole proprietor, continuing to employ over 60 dressmakers, craftsmen and artists. The list of productions that have gone through Parsons–Meares is long, varied, and distinguished. Seventeen Tony award-winning costume designs were created at Parsons–Meares in addition to circus, opera and dance costumes.
In honor of the Year of the Stage Manager 2020, dedicated to celebrating and educating, explore how theatrical paperwork has evolved. From the prompter and stage director/theatre manager origins of the past to the modern idea of stage manager, examples range from centuries-old prompt scripts and paperwork to the present day. Curated by Erin Joy Swank & Jennifer Leigh Sears Scheier, along with Tina Shackleford.
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Presenters:
Erin Joy Swank is a Denver-based stage manager who enjoys working in multiple genres, including musical theatre, opera, dance, plays, cirque, and events. She also has guest lectured for numerous colleges around the country, both in person and by video chat, and has been a Stage Management Respondent for KCACTF Region IV. Recent credits include Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Tuacahn Center for the Arts, a highly technical production of The Nutcracker for Nevada Ballet Theatre in Las Vegas, and numerous opera companies including Boston Lyric. Five Christmases were also spent touring with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, featuring the Rockettes and three adorable camels. For USITT, Erin is the Vice Commissioner in Management for Portfolio Reviews & Interview Materials Prep (PRIMP) & Special Projects, has mentored for both SMMP and Gateway, and hails from the Rocky Mountain USITT region. She invites you to join her and colleagues celebrating 2020 as the Year of the Stage Manager.
Jennifer Leigh Sears Scheier is a freelance AEA stage manager and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her dissertation is focused on reclaiming stage management history while investigating and interrogating 20th-century labor practices and power shifts, especially in regards to invisible and emotional labor and its continued effect on the field today. In-between researching, dissertation writing, teaching, stage managing, and life, she writes articles about her research for Stage Directions Magazine. Her past stage management credits include Celebration Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Knoxville Opera, La Jolla Playhouse, Lamb’s Players Theatre, Long Beach Opera, San Diego Repertory Theatre, and Tennessee Repertory Theatre. She graduated from the University of Iowa with an MFA in Theatre Arts (Stage Management) and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Stage Managers’ Association.
An introduction to, and summary of, the draft of the new recommendations for sound system documentation for theatre. Prepared over the previous 2+ years, with the input and collaboration of Broadway designers, touring designers, educators, and more, this major expansion of the extant recommendations addresses (for the first time) all of the standard paperwork forms needed to document a contemporary sound system design.
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Presenters:
Todd Proffitt teaches Lighting Design, Sound Design and Computer Technologies for the Department of Theatre and Dance at the State University of New York at Fredonia. As well as creates lighting Designs for the Theatre of Youth Company in Buffalo NY.
DeMara Tamsel Cabrera is the Costume Designer and Instructor for the Theatre Arts Department at Oregon State University. She received her BA in Drama from Stanford University in 2004 and her MFA from Boston University in 2013. DeMara worked as an Assistant Professor at Central Connecticut State University for two years. She has also worked as an Instructor, Designer, and Costume Shop Manager at Linfield College (2007). Favorite credits include: Shakespeare in Love (OSU), Romeo and Juliet (Bard in the Quad), The Dialogues of the Carmelites (Huntington Theatre and Boston University Opera Institute), Angels in America and Hair (Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, CT), A Servant of Two Masters (CCSU), Women in Congress (Linfield College).
Demara Tamsel website, Demara Tamsel Facebook portfolio
Annmarie Duggan is a Professor and Chair of the Theatre Arts Department at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds an MFA from University of Arizona in Lighting Design. Annmarie is a freelance Lighting Designer and Production Manager. Her 12 years of New York based lighting design includes the Off Broadway shows: Jolson & Co. (Century Center) Syria America (Greenwich Street Theatre), Clue The Musical (Players Theatre). Regional Theatre includes: American Girl Place Theatre in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, Foothills Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre, Seaside Music Theatre, Cumberland County Playhouse, Utah Musical Theatre, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Florida Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Skylight Opera, Stoneham Theatre Company, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare, and St. Michaels Playhouse. www.amddesignonline.com. Other credits include Production Manager for American Girl Place in both New York and Los Angeles.
Freelance designers and individual artists have unique proximity to the heartbeat of the theatre field. They work at numerous venues each season, in many cases over multiple years and multiple visits, thus experiencing a variety of institutional cultures first hand. However, unlike Actors Equity, there are no industry-wide standards for engaging freelance artists. How can institutions incorporate the learning and experience of the freelance artists they hire more deeply into their organization’s fabric, acknowledging the invaluable nature of their vantage point? Especially during this time when the entire field is on a forced pause. In this session, we explore how guest artists are welcomed and valued by the institutions that invite them through their doors. We will discuss implementing industry-wide standards, creating sustainable feedback loops, recommended best practices sourced from the community at large, and how we can move forward as a community.
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Presenters:
Porsche McGovern is a lighting designer. She designed Skeleton Crew and We Are Proud to Present... (Playmakers Repertory Company), A Single Shard (People's Light and Theatre Company), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). In New York, she designed Mothers (Playwrights Realm), Bureau of Missing Persons (Neighborhood Productions), Ghetto Babylon (Dramatic Question Theatre), many shows with Spookfish Theatre Company, among others. She has an MFA from California Institute for the Arts and a BA from St. Lawrence University. She is also a researcher, concentrating on designers in regional theatres.
Deb Sivigny: As a costume and scenic designer, Deb Sivigny has worked on over thirty world premieres with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Theater J, Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences, Imagination Stage, The Source Festival, Young Playwrights Theatre, The Hub, Studio Theatre 2nd Stage, and Rorschach Theatre where she has been a company member since 2006. She has also designed for Round House Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Everyman Theatre, Signature Theatre, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Rep Stage, Adventure Theatre, Shakespeare Theater’s Academy for Classical Acting, 1stStage, Keegan Theatre, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, Opera Vivente, WSC Avant Bard, Flying V, DC and Seattle Fringe Festivals, Peridance, Dance Elixir and Tia Nina, among others. She is a member of the second generation of The Welders, where she served as Lead Producing Playwright for her work Hello, My Name Is… Set in a house, she designed and created environments that channeled the lives of Korean adoptees.
David Bengali is a projection and lighting designer based in New York. He has designed theater, opera, and dance Off-Broadway, Regionally, and internationally, and has worked as an associate designer on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Regionally. Recent design credits include: The Great Leap (Atlantic Theater Company); Van Gogh’s Ear (Ensemble for the Romantic Century - Drama Desk Nomination); Frankenstein (Dallas Theater Center); Rockin' Road To Dublin (National Tour); Assembled Identity (HERE); Uncommon Sense (Tectonic Theater Project); The Temple Bombing (Alliance Theatre); Conference of the Birds (Boston Center for the Arts); SPILL (Ensemble Studio Theatre); Anna Akhmatova (ERC/BAM), Jules Verne From The Earth To The Moon (ERC/BAM); Ring of Fire (Endstation Theatre); The Tempest (Classic Stage Company/The Young Company); Kill Me Like You Mean It (Stolen Chair); Two Point Oh (59E59); I Forgive You Ronald Reagan, The Sensational Josephine Baker (Theatre Row); The Orion Experience (XL).
Katherine Freer is a multimedia designer working in theater, installation, and film. Frequent collaborations include Liz Leman, Ping Chong, Ty Defoe, Carl Cofield, Tim Bond Kamilah Forbes, Talvin Wilks, Andrew Scoville, and Tamilla Woodard. Recent designs: Ajijaak on Turtle Island (New Victory, dir. Ty Defoe and Heather Henson), By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Signature Theater, dir. Kamilah Forbes), the Convent (ArtNY, dir. Daniel Talbott), Antigone (Richard Rogers Amphitheater, dir. Carl Cofield), Cellular Songs (BAM Harvey, by Meredith Monk), Next to Normal (Syracuse Stage, dir. Bob Hupp), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Syracuse Stage, dir. Risa Brainin). Katherine is a proud member of USA829 and Wingspace Theatrical Design.
This presentation covers various ways to sanitize microphones.
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Presenter: Joe Cota: With a background as a worship pastor and vocalist, Joe can offer a few words of wisdom on the topic of sound. Check-in with Joe if you need some feedback on fighting feedback! He may even sing you his version of "Can't stop the feelin'" if you're happy with the results: "I got that sunshine in my pocket; Got that good soul in my feet."
On June 11, 2013, a small niche Facebook Group was created by two members of the George Izenour Penn State project. The intent was to allow its participants to continue the conversations they started and share their discoveries post-project. Little did the creators realize that what was intended to be for a few people would turn into something much greater; something that would grow beyond the borders of its intention and become a worldwide meeting spot for artists, researchers, students, and teachers alike. Come join us as we discuss how an online approach can help you find information to old problems and listen as we share stories of how this group impacted our work and what the future may hold.
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Presenters:
Wendy Waszut-Barrett is an historical consultant and artist, specializing in the restoration and replication of painted scenery for historic performance venues such as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Her passion, however, is the preservation of theatrical heritage and the continued training in historical scene painting techniques. Waszut-Barrett also works as a scenic art instructor across the country, sharing her knowledge of the dry pigment paint system and studio style that was used to create historical scenery during the turn-of-the-twentieth century.
R.W. (Rick) Boychuk has been a student, teacher, technical director, IA Stagehand, designer and recently inventor, and now an author. A graduate of University of Saskatchewan in technical theater, he has worked in the industry for over 40 years. Rick owns and operates Grid Well, Inc in Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Richard Bryant is the founder of the ATTH FB Group and an Assistant Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago's Academy for the Performing Arts. He holds a BFA (Theatre) for the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and an MA (Drama) from Roosevelt University in Chicago. The interest into theatre production research began with a USITT sponsored project at Penn State on the George Izenour Collection and he hasn't looked back since. He serves as a member of the USITT Publications Committee and is currently the USITT representative to the OISTAT Publication and Communication Committee.
As a result of COVID-19, there are lots of questions you will find yourself asking for the first time. "I work back of house close to other people, so if I get sick, can I sue?" "Can our ushers eject a patron who stands too close to other people in line?" "Does someone who looks sick have a right to come in?" We will address these and many more practical legal questions about how to reopen in a reasonably safe and healthy way.
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Presenter: Steven A. Adelman Sports and entertainment lawyer Steven A. Adelman is head of Adelman Law Group, PLLC in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Vice President of the Event Safety Alliance. His national law practice focuses on risk management, safety, and security at live events, and he serves as an expert witness in crowd-related lawsuits. With the Event Safety Alliance, he is one of the authors of the Event Safety Guide, he hosts the Event Safety Podcast and leads groups developing ANSI standards for Crowd Management and Event Security. He is on the faculty of Arizona State University’s Sports Law and Business Program, he writes the monthly "Adelman on Venues" newsletter on current issues in the live event industry, and he frequently appears in national and local media to provide analysis of sports and entertainment incidents. Steve Adelman graduated from Boston College Law School in 1994. He can be reached at sadelman@adelmanlawgroup.com.
This session discusses strategies for safely storing and maintaining your stage weaponry of various types and qualities at a variety of levels of production. Panelists will discuss procedures to help you work successfully with your colleagues, performers, administrators and local law enforcement successfully both in and out of the production requirements. Presented by the Education Commission.
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Presenters:
Matthew Allar is a scenographer based in Williamsburg, Virginia. An Associate Professor of Theatrical Design, he is the Director of Production and resident Scenic Designer for The College of William Mary and creator of the Around The Edges play reading series. With over 120 designs for theatre, opera, dance, television, and industrials, he is the Vice Commissioner for Education Commission Programming, and a member of the OISTAT Education Commission, in addition to United Scenic Artists #829. www.matthewallar.com
Jennifer McClure is the Properties Master for Yale Repertory Theatre. She has worked as Props Master and Technical Director for Alfred University, Props Master for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse and New York Stage and Film, toured with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, and designed sets and props for the Yale Cabaret and New Haven-based A Broken Umbrella Theatre Company. She also works as a freelance properties artisan for companies such as Hudson Scenic Studios, Walt Disney World, and musician Amanda Palmer and has built custom puppets for The Stringpullers and custom masks for the Pilobolus dance company. Mrs. McClure holds a B.F.A. from Alfred University (2004).
Robb Hunter - Owner and operator Preferred Arms, SAFD Certified Fight Director, and Teacher.
20 steps to a build a powerful LinkedIn profile that will grab a recruiter's attention.
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Presenter: Irene Byrne Ohl (RBO) is the Founder and Chief Executive of piVot2 = professional industry vetting of theatre technicians (p2). Launched in 2019, p2's goal is to locate/mentor/widen emerging talents' career paths to provide firms with a deeper network of candidates serving the unique staffing needs of our industry. RBO is uniquely qualified to create this sea-change for the industry as she is both a theatre technician (BFA|CCM) and a formative entrepreneur in the entertainment design/build sector. Her Black Book Recruiting skills developed over 40 years as a technician/entrepreneur. Working as a professional opera and ballet production stage manager at Lincoln Center, RBO worked with a non-stop array of internationally acclaimed directors, choreographers, designers, and mentored 50+ interns until leaving to pursue full-time positions as the owner for her firms, Pook Diemont & Ohl and acouStaCorp.
This Webinar is a follow up to the 2019 conference session and winter TD&T article, Is Now When We Panic?. This session will explore data-driven trends in art and design academic program structures and how they align with contemporary administrative expectations and funding models. What are we seeing now across the country, what can we expect and how might it inform, or even dictate, curriculum innovation in the next ten years.
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Presenter: Frank Ludwig is the Director of Core Curriculum for Viterbo University in La Crosse Wisconsin and a tenured Professor in the Department of Theatre and Music Theatre. Mr. Ludwig has over 30 years of academic and professional experience and is a member of the United Scenic Artist in the Set Design category. He has been an active member of USITT since 1990 with his service including several Vice Commissioner roles and one tour of duty as a Co-commissioner of Scene Design and Technology.
Most academics never read the strategic plans written by their institutions as they are seen as an administrative hoop used for assessment (yuck). But I am here to show how leaning into administrative assessments via strategic plans can help you get what you need while helping administrators get what they need- a win-win. This webinar will walk through the process of deciphering a strategic plan for the purpose of requesting resources and/or equipment in a way that supports administrative assessment goals.
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Presenter: Frani Geiger Rollins (Assistant Professor of Design and Technology @Mercer University) earned her M.F.A. from the University of Oregon, and her B.A. in Theatre at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. She is the Poster Session Chair for USITT’s Education Commission Poster Session. Her current research interests focus on the relationships between administration and programs in Higher Education, and the scholarship of learning and teaching theatre at the University Level.
Most academics never read the strategic plans written by their institutions as they are seen as an administrative hoop used for assessment (yuck). But I am here to show how leaning into administrative assessments via strategic plans can help you get what you need while helping administrators get what they need- a win-win. This webinar will walk through the process of deciphering a strategic plan for the purpose of requesting resources and/or equipment in a way that supports administrative assessment goals. .
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Presenter: Frani Geiger Rollins (Assistant Professor of Design and Technology @Mercer University) earned her M.F.A. from the University of Oregon, and her B.A. in Theatre at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. She is the Poster Session Chair for USITT’s Education Commission Poster Session. Her current research interests focus on the relationships between administration and programs in Higher Education, and the scholarship of learning and teaching theatre at the University Level.
In part 1 of this series, Jenn Schwartz and Jason Wells are joined by Jared Mezzocchi to discuss how each production used Zoom differently, used add on technologies, and overcame the various abilities of the computers each cast member had access to. These choices drive many of the decisions you make in planning online productions.
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Presenters:
Jenn Schwartz is the Production Manager and Instructor of Stage Management for the School for Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to joining TDPS, Jenn was the General & Production Manager for Imagination Stage in Bethesda, MD, where she was provided the opportunity to spearhead many unique projects. Those projects include the successful planning and execution of an expansion into DC that began with a partnership with The National Theater in 2014, as well as producing and stage managing a tour of Inside Out as part of the 25th ASSITEJ International Summer Festival in South Korea in 2017. Imagination Stage was the first American company to present at the festival, and Jenn was thrilled to be able to represent American Theatre for the Very Young. Previously, Jenn filled the role of production manager at Round House Theatre, also in Bethesda, MD. She started her career as a stage manager, having worked on over 50 productions, and is a proud AEA member.
Jason Wells became the Director of Production of the Fisher Center at Bard in January 2020. Prior to that, he was the Director of Production of American Dance Institute/LUMBERYARD. At ADI/LYD he was instrumental in developing an ambitious technical residency program for contemporary performing artists. During his seven years there, he worked directly with some of the most respected American contemporary choreographers, directors, designers and performers as they created new works for the stage including Yvonne Rainer, David Gordon, Raja Feather Kelly, Sō Percussion, Elevator Repair Service, The Team, Bill T Jones, Urban Bush Women, Susan Marshall, Suzanne Bocanegra, David Neumann and Jodi Melnick. Jason was Head Electrician at the Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theater from 2005-2012 and Master Electrician for the Sarah Lawrence College Theater Department, Barrington Stage, Westport Country Playhouse and Weston Playhouse. A 2001 graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Jason is also a playwright, performer, and lighting designer. He lives in Catskill, NY with his wife Jacy Barber and their three cats.
In part 2 of this series, hear Jenn Schwartz and Jason Wells discuss how each of their companies adapted and morphed traditional roles to the unique challenges and requirements of online production, when Designer, Stage Manager, and Technician all mean different things when you take your show online.
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Presenters:
Jenn Schwartz is the Production Manager and Instructor of Stage Management for the School for Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to joining TDPS, Jenn was the General & Production Manager for Imagination Stage in Bethesda, MD, where she was provided the opportunity to spearhead many unique projects. Those projects include the successful planning and execution of an expansion into DC that began with a partnership with The National Theater in 2014, as well as producing and stage managing a tour of Inside Out as part of the 25th ASSITEJ International Summer Festival in South Korea in 2017. Imagination Stage was the first American company to present at the festival, and Jenn was thrilled to be able to represent American Theatre for the Very Young. Previously, Jenn filled the role of production manager at Round House Theatre, also in Bethesda, MD. She started her career as a stage manager, having worked on over 50 productions, and is a proud AEA member.
Jason Wells became the Director of Production of the Fisher Center at Bard in January 2020. Prior to that, he was the Director of Production of American Dance Institute/LUMBERYARD. At ADI/LYD he was instrumental in developing an ambitious technical residency program for contemporary performing artists. During his seven years there, he worked directly with some of the most respected American contemporary choreographers, directors, designers and performers as they created new works for the stage including Yvonne Rainer, David Gordon, Raja Feather Kelly, Sō Percussion, Elevator Repair Service, The Team, Bill T Jones, Urban Bush Women, Susan Marshall, Suzanne Bocanegra, David Neumann and Jodi Melnick. Jason was Head Electrician at the Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theater from 2005-2012 and Master Electrician for the Sarah Lawrence College Theater Department, Barrington Stage, Westport Country Playhouse and Weston Playhouse. A 2001 graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Jason is also a playwright, performer, and lighting designer. He lives in Catskill, NY with his wife Jacy Barber and their three cats.
Jared Mezzocchi Jared Mezzocchi is a multimedia director and designer for theater and received his Masters of Fine Arts through Brooklyn College's Performance and Interactive Media Arts. He was awarded a Princess Grace Award in 2013 as the first projections designer to receive the honor. He has designed productions in New York City with 3-Legged Dog (Downtown Loop, SpyGarbo), Baryshnikov Arts Center (Robert Wilson’s On The Beach), HereArts (You Are Dead. You Are Here.), Builders Association (Jet Lag 2011), Rob Roth (Screen Test), and has toured nationally and internationally with Big Art Group (SOS, The Sleep, The People). Regionally, he has designed for Center Stage (Stones in his Pockets), Cleveland Playhouse (Breath and Imagination), Milwaukee Rep (History of Invulnerability, The Mountaintop), and CompanyONE (Astroboy and The God Of Comics). Locally in DC, he's designed for Woolly Mammoth (Totalitarians, Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety), Synetic Theater (A Trip to the Moon), Theater J (Race, Yellowface), and Studio (Astroboy and The God Of Comics). As a director, he has spent the last 6 summers directing original work at Andy's Summer Playhouse, located in Wilton NH (Donkey Xote, Dick Tracy, The Lost World, The BFG, The Little Prince, The Block). In 2011, he won Best Original Play at the New Hampshire Theater Awards for his writing and direction in The Lost World. Outside of theater, Jared co-designed with Guilio Cappellini for Design Week in Milan Italy, for Connect4Climate and Alcantara. and this year will design the entrance and immersive experience for a Surf Museum in Montauk, NY. Jared has also taught multimedia design courses at NYU's Playwrights Horizons and Brooklyn College's MFA program in Performance and Interactive Media Arts.
Jenn Schwartz and Jason Wells wrap up the series with a discussion of the impact the move online had on the rehearsal and performance process. From zoom etiquette to helping the performer get some sense of audience engagement, each production learned lessons and adapted in different ways. This session will offer some help as you begin to think about how things work in the online production world.
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Presenters:
Jenn Schwartz is the Production Manager and Instructor of Stage Management for the School for Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to joining TDPS, Jenn was the General & Production Manager for Imagination Stage in Bethesda, MD, where she was provided the opportunity to spearhead many unique projects. Those projects include the successful planning and execution of an expansion into DC that began with a partnership with The National Theater in 2014, as well as producing and stage managing a tour of Inside Out as part of the 25th ASSITEJ International Summer Festival in South Korea in 2017. Imagination Stage was the first American company to present at the festival, and Jenn was thrilled to be able to represent American Theatre for the Very Young. Previously, Jenn filled the role of production manager at Round House Theatre, also in Bethesda, MD. She started her career as a stage manager, having worked on over 50 productions, and is a proud AEA member.Jason Wells became the Director of Production of the Fisher Center at Bard in January 2020. Prior to that, he was the Director of Production of American Dance Institute/LUMBERYARD. At ADI/LYD he was instrumental in developing an ambitious technical residency program for contemporary performing artists. During his seven years there, he worked directly with some of the most respected American contemporary choreographers, directors, designers and performers as they created new works for the stage including Yvonne Rainer, David Gordon, Raja Feather Kelly, Sō Percussion, Elevator Repair Service, The Team, Bill T Jones, Urban Bush Women, Susan Marshall, Suzanne Bocanegra, David Neumann and Jodi Melnick. Jason was Head Electrician at the Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theater from 2005-2012 and Master Electrician for the Sarah Lawrence College Theater Department, Barrington Stage, Westport Country Playhouse and Weston Playhouse. A 2001 graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Jason is also a playwright, performer, and lighting designer. He lives in Catskill, NY with his wife Jacy Barber and their three cats.
Jared Mezzocchi Jared Mezzocchi is a multimedia director and designer for theater and received his Masters of Fine Arts through Brooklyn College's Performance and Interactive Media Arts. He was awarded a Princess Grace Award in 2013 as the first projections designer to receive the honor. He has designed productions in New York City with 3-Legged Dog (Downtown Loop, SpyGarbo), Baryshnikov Arts Center (Robert Wilson’s On The Beach), HereArts (You Are Dead. You Are Here.), Builders Association (Jet Lag 2011), Rob Roth (Screen Test), and has toured nationally and internationally with Big Art Group (SOS, The Sleep, The People). Regionally, he has designed for Center Stage (Stones in his Pockets), Cleveland Playhouse (Breath and Imagination), Milwaukee Rep (History of Invulnerability, The Mountaintop), and CompanyONE (Astroboy and The God Of Comics). Locally in DC, he's designed for Woolly Mammoth (Totalitarians, Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety), Synetic Theater (A Trip to the Moon), Theater J (Race, Yellowface), and Studio (Astroboy and The God Of Comics). As a director, he has spent the last 6 summers directing original work at Andy's Summer Playhouse, located in Wilton NH (Donkey Xote, Dick Tracy, The Lost World, The BFG, The Little Prince, The Block). In 2011, he won Best Original Play at the New Hampshire Theater Awards for his writing and direction in The Lost World. Outside of theater, Jared co-designed with Guilio Cappellini for Design Week in Milan Italy, for Connect4Climate and Alcantara. and this year will design the entrance and immersive experience for a Surf Museum in Montauk, NY. Jared has also taught multimedia design courses at NYU's Playwrights Horizons and Brooklyn College's MFA program in Performance and Interactive Media Arts.