2021 Fall Conference
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
As theatres reopen around the country the CTAM Board of Directors would like to invite you, your theatre and theatre friends, to join us for the Fall Conference on Saturday, October 2, 2021 in Midland.
The conference will look a bit different this year, as we know everyone is working hard to bring theatre back. For this reason, the CTAM Board wanted to work with you to achieve the best learning experience, in the most accommodating way. To accomplish this we have planned a one-day in-person conference.
We are offering 75 minute classes in each of our five core areas: Acting, Directing, Administration, Technical (Skills) and Youth Theatre, of which you will be able to attend two classes. The conference will feature a town hall session, a morning class session, time for lunch and breaks, an afternoon class session and our regular annual meeting. The full schedule is listed below, followed by the registration form and the entire day’s event will only cost $36 to attend.
Specific information on the classes are listed at the bottom of this page after the registration form.
Midland’s Central Auditorium has graciously offered to be our host facility. Central Auditorium is incredibly spacious and offers plenty of room to spread out. However, please note that they are following national and state guidelines and are requiring everyone to wear masks in the facility and that social distancing will be taken into consideration for all workshops and gatherings.
CONFERENCE LOCATION
Midland Central Auditorium
305 East Reardon St
Midland, MI 48640
For more information about the theatre click here.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
8:00 — Registration, donuts and coffee
9:00 — Town Hall Meeting: Bring your questions and concerns regarding re-opening procedures, mask wearing, social distancing, budget concerns, etc. We will post the topics before the meeting and add/delete as needs change.
10:00 — Morning break
10:15 — Morning workshop sessions with topics pertaining to Acting, Directing, Administration, Technical (Skills) and Youth Theatre
11:30 — Lunch break on your own. At registration we will provide a list of nearby places to grab a great lunch.
1:00 — Annual Meeting, elections, awards. All member groups please send two delegates from your theatre to attend this meeting, but everyone is welcome to attend!
1:30 — (Afternoon break)
1:45 — Afternoon workshop sessions. Round two of Acting, Directing, Administration, Technical (Skills) and Youth Theatre workshops.
3:00 — Q & A, farewell
3:30 — Adjourn
REGISTRATION FORM
ABOUT THE CLASSES
ADMIN CLASS
INSTRUCTOR ALAN SEMONIAN
(STAGECRAFTERS, ROYAL OAK)
Covid: Pandemic or Panacea for Fundraising in Community Theatre
How to use a crisis for the best opportunities in fundraising
Alan will set the stage (no pun intended) for where Stagecrafters was financially at the moment that the pandemic began and what the dire outcome would have been without additional fundraising efforts. He will explore and explain what kind of fundraising is effective and which kind of fundraising is worthless. He will explain the vital roles that board members should play in fundraising.
He will give several examples of fundraising techniques that were wildly successful at Stagecrafters which could be used in your community theatre. He will introduce the concept of “piloting” new ideas for greater organizational acceptance.
He will discuss how best to cultivate relationships with donors. Most importantly, he will raise the awareness of why community theatres cannot rely on ticket receipts as the core component of revenue and the importance of multiple streams of income.
ABOUT ALAN SEMONIAN
Alan Semonian is currently the Executive Director and Administrative Vice President of Stagecrafters community theatre, located in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is a Certified Public Accountant and financial advisor who has been President of his own company Ameritax Plus for 37 years. He received his B.A. in Economics and French from Albion College and a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University.
The focus of his accounting and tax practice has been to teach entrepreneurs how to run their business and make them successful. His strong understanding of finance, operations, and management issues has made it possible to make community theatre a successful and thriving enterprise, even during a pandemic.
Alan has served on numerous non-profit boards (civic, civil rights, community, artistic, and religious) in which he has motivated volunteers and spearheaded large fundraisers. In addition, he has been a leader in the local business community in which he has served as President of the Berkley Chamber of Commerce as well as chair of the Berkley Downtown Development Authority.
ACTING CLASS
INSTRUCTOR BILL ANDERSON JR
(GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE)
The Art of Acting Through Song
In this session we will explore the characteristics that create an effective performance of a song in musical theatre. Through conversation, observation of performances (thank you YouTube) and even some live performances we will breakdown what helps a performer really “nail it!” If you have an audition song that you’d like some feedback on, be sure to bring a backup track and we will provide the Bluetooth speaker.
ABOUT BILL ANDERSON JR
Bill has been an avid community theatre volunteer for over 28 years. He has worked in nearly every facet of community theatre including performing, stage management, lighting design, set design & directing. Bill’s list of directing credits include titles such as Avenue Q, Annie, Ragtime, Shrek, The 39 Steps & a production of Urinetown that placed 2nd at the 2011 National AACTFest. In 2017, Bill served as an adjudicator for the National YouthFest in Rochester, MN for AACT. Bill has also served for the past 8 years as an adjudicator for the Michigan Interscholastic Forensics Association and their forensics tournaments and 1-Act festivals. Now residing in Grand Rapids, Bill works as Training Specialist for Spectrum Health.
DIRECTING CLASS
INSTRUCTOR RODEL SALAZAR
(STAGECRAFTERS, ROYAL OAK)
The Director’s Guide from Page to Stage
A director’s tool for directing
Directing a show can be a daunting and scary experience but it also can be a very wonderful and fulfilling adventure too. This workshop will help you organize your thoughts and vision for your show in order to have a successful and stress-free directing experience. Whether you are a seasoned or a novice director, we will discuss the process of what needs to happen from pre-production, audition, rehearsals and tech leading up to opening night.
ABOUT RODEL SALAZAR
Rodel Salazar has been a member of Stagecrafters in Royal Oak since 2007. He currently serves on Stagecrafters’ and CTAM’s Board of Directors as a member-at-large. He has directed multiple shows around the Metro Detroit area such as Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Titanic, Full Monty, Sister Act and If/Then. He’s also performed in numerous musicals such as In The Heights, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Once On This Island and Evita. He also serves as a committee member for Stagecrafters Youth Theatre program where he’s taught several workshops on acting, playwriting, auditioning and directing. Off stage, Rodel teaches French for Wayne State University and Oakland Community College and is currently working on his PhD in French on Social Topics On Contemporary French and Francophone Theatre at Wayne State.
YOUTH THEATRE CLASS
INSTRUCTOR TOMMY WEDGE
(SAGINAW VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY)
Building an Active Audition Monologue
In this session we will explore the characteristics that create an effective performance of a song in musical theatre. Learn some fast and effective techniques to shape your monologue and showcase your range and talent! After touching on selecting smart monologues, we’ll explore breaking down the text and give you tools to make fresh, bold choices. Let’s make that monologue active and slay your next audition!
ABOUT TOMMY WEDGE
Tommy Wedge is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at SVSU and has been active in teaching, directing, stage management, and stage combat. Recent directing credits include A Doll House, No. 6, Mamma Mia!, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Hairspray. Tommy holds an MFA in Directing from The University of South Dakota and a BS in Theatre from South Dakota State University. Professional memberships include Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), The Association of Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), and The Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) where Tommy holds the rank of Advanced Actor Combatant.
TECHNICAL THEATRE CLASS
INSTRUCTOR PAUL COLLINS
(CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY)
The Art of Projection
Have you ever wanted to include projections in your productions, and were not sure where to start? Or have you included projections and vowed “never again” because of the disaster that the first attempt was? This is the workshop for you! Paul will demonstrate projection hardware and software, as well as design techniques, all through the lens of the projection as an element that adds an element of dynamism to your theatrical environments.
ABOUT PAUL COLLINS
Paul Collins is the Faculty Lighting and Scenic Designer at Central Michigan University. Paul is active in professional and academic theatres around the country. Paul has designed for PURE Theatre (Charleston, SC), The Warehouse Theatre (Greenville, SC), Annapolis Shakespeare Company (Annapolis, MD), Kickshaw Theatre (Ann Arbor), and many more. In addition to Lighting and Scenery, Paul also designs projections and sound.
Paul has often enjoyed collaborating on new works. Paul has worked alongside playwrights Jen Silverman and Arlene Hutton on new works. In addition he worked alongside Director/Choreographer Martha Clarke and Lighting Designer Christopher Akerlind in developing In the Night, as part of the Iowa Partnership for the Arts.
Paul holds degrees from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (BFA), Grand Valley State University (MS), and University of Iowa (MFA).
