NBS Fall Regional Conference
Schedule of Activities
Southwest Minnesota State University- SMSU
Fine ArtsBuilding
Friday, September 13:
• 6pm - Registration and setup for "Cover the Walls and Tech Solutions Expo" Student, faculty, staff, and theatre professionals- SHOW US YOUR DESIGN WORK! Open invitation to exhibit work and share with fellow artists!
• 7pm -Dinner and Socializing join us for dinner- included in the registration fee.
• 8pm - Northern Boundary Membership Meeting.
- Section Meeting and Show and Tell session
• 9:45pm - Social Event (9:30pm) Bowling! Also, students are invited to a student event hosted by the SMSU Drama Club.
Saturday, September 14:
• 8am - Registration with donuts & coffee/ tea
• 9am to 11am Morning Session Choose one of the following sessions:
Social Media/Theatre Marketing
Presented by Jocelyn Meidinger – student at South Dakota State University and coordinator of social media for State University Theatre and Prairie Repertory Theatre, AND JD Ackman- Director of Theatre at South Dakota State University.
Description: Social media is becoming a part of most people’s daily lives. We check Facebook, follow Twitter feeds, watch the latest viral video on YouTube, and check in on Foursquare as part of our daily routine. How can we tap into social media resources to better promote our productions? This session will explore some methods of marketing with social media.
Media Design for Live Performance, collaboration, creation, and presentation.
Presented by Todd F. Edwards. Designer and Technical Director at St. Olaf College and Freelance Projection, Scenic, Sound and Lighting Designer.
Description: Explore the process of collaborating and creating media design for live performance. Additionally, this session will look at various types of media servers and how that technology can be leveraged into small to medium sized professional, community and educational theaters. Session will also look at the use of iOS applications and devices (iPads, iPods, iPhones) in the creation and presentation of media for live performance.
Networking, social hour: View and vote on “Cover the Walls” and “Tech Solutions” (included in registration- get a voucher for eating in the Student Union)
• 12:30-2:00 Afternoon Sessions Choose one of the following sessions:
“What’s Next?”
Presented by Andrea M Gross is a free lance costume designer in the Twin Cities.
Description: This forum will focus on what it takes to succeed in the industry: what options for work may be open to you, and what skills and expectations are necessary to maintain and thrive in a life in the arts. Bring your questions, and a notebook for reflections and ideas. This presentation is based on my experience and the experiences of my colleagues (many of whom have taken very different paths to arrive where they are). The conversation starts from a costume designer's perspective, but is relevant to all disciplines.
“Rigging Inspection and Safety”
Presented by Dan Culhane, engineering Manager at SECOA
Description: Theater rigging can be complicated and confusing. We will discuss basic maintenance, inspection and operation of a manual counterweight rigging system. There will be plenty of time for your questions as part of the discussion.
• 2:30-4:00pm Afternoon Session
“When is too much too much? – Stay Healthy!”
Presented by Corey Shelsta, lighting and scenic designer and TD at SDSU and Terena Wilkens, lighting and sound designer and TD at Gustavus Adolphus College.
Description: Whether you are an artist, technician, educator or a combination of all three, the threat of burnout faces us all. This session explores the strategies professionals and students employ to cope with often exhausting schedules and the work loads which design and production faculty commonly shoulder. How is this model imparted on students and what is it's affect on our industry and academic training? Offered in partnership with "What’s it all Worth? Exploring how faculty and staff production responsibilities are counted in workloads". Educators and Students of all levels encouraged to attend.
• 4:00 pm
-- Wrap-up Meeting
- Student Scholarship winners for March 2013 National Conference Registration announced
- Short meeting and send off!
For additional info, contact Peter Lerohl
peter.lerohl@anokaramsey.edu
Presenter Bios:
Andrea M Gross is a free lance costume designer in the Twin Cities. She holds a BA from Santa Clara University, and an MFA from Illinois. Work experience includes: design for small to large theaters in the Twin Cities and the Bay Area; academic posts at a non-profit liberal arts college and a for-profit arts school; stitching, draping, patternmaking, and paint/dye work at theaters including TheatreWorks, Opera San Jose, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and The Colorado Shakespeare Festival.
Todd F. Edwards is a designer and the Technical Director at St. Olaf College as well as a Freelance Projection, Scenic, Sound and Lighting Designer. Todd's designs have been seen or heard at The MN Jewish Theatre Company, Frank Theatre, Chameleon Theatre Circle, Lyric Arts, Workhouse, and Commonweal Theatre. He has an MFA in Theatrical Design and Production, having designed projections, scenery, lighting and sound for more than 150 productions nationally and internationally. Todd is a Fight Director (Member of the Society of American Fight Directors) and member of the theater faculty at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.
Terena M. Wilkens is resident lighting and sound designer, technical director and adjunct instructor at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. She currently teaches Craft and Design: Lights and Sound, Computer Aided Drafting and Design 1 and 2, as well as advising all lighting and sound student designs. She holds an MFA in theatre design from West Virginia University and a BA theatre from St. Cloud State University.
Dan Culhane is currently the Technical Business Development Manager at SECOA Inc. Prior to this position; he spent eleven years as SECOA's Engineering Manager, responsible for converting architectural drawings and consultant's specifications into manufacturing drawings as well as facilitating the design of specific solutions to venue specific problems. He is an ETCP Certified Rigger for Theatre and Subject Matter Expert for that organization.
Dan is a veteran of the industry. He spent 15 years as a Technical Director working for theaters across the country including the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN; The Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis, MN; StageWest, Springfield, MA and Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Cleveland, OH. He has an MFA in Theatre Technology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a BA in Theatre from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale.
He serves on the PLASA Technical Standards Program, Rigging Working Group and is the chairman for the task group writing the standard for Manufactured Electric Chain Hoists for the Entertainment Industry. He is also a member of the Stage Lift Working Group through PLASA which is developing a standard for stage lifts for this industry. Dan also is the Treasurer for USITT.
Jocelyn Meidinger is a student at South Dakota State University. She serves as the coordinator of social media for State University Theatre and Prairie Repertory Theatre.
JD Ackman is the Director of Theatre at South Dakota State University.
Corey Shelsta is Designer and Technical Director for South Dakota State University Theatre and Prairie Repertory Theatre.