May 2010 Issue   
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Late Night Musings from the Chair

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It’s Kind of Like the State Fair for techies

by Kristen Weller, Gustavus Adolphus College, recipient of the SECOA scholarship to the National Conference.



Kristen“It’s kind of like the State Fair for techies,” was the only way I could think to explain what the National USITT conference would be like to my not‐so‐theatre‐literate family. However, as I had never attended a national conference, let alone the 50th anniversary of USITT, I had no idea how far short that definition would fall. The conference was exhilarating, overwhelming, and inspiring, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to attend it.

I chose to attend a small liberal arts college in the Upper Midwest for my undergraduate degree and didn’t discover my true passion for theatre until my sophomore year. I had little exposure to theatre prior to college and, while I knew that the theatrical world was large and involved, I didn’t know exactly how large and involved.  It was incredible to see so many people who were working in technical theatre, and each of those people was amazingly talented and creative. I was in awe of each design exposition, session, and artist, and there were a lot of them! Admittedly, I was quite intimidated at first. 

I did find comfort in the conference, however. I was fortunate enough to get a portfolio review with two costume designers, and after getting a chance to actually chat with my portfolio reviewers, as well as some other professionals later that day I learned that they were each people (some of whom with similar beginnings as me) with a list of obstacles they had to overcome to get to where they are now. After that pleasant encounter, I had the opportunity—and the confidence—to talk to representatives from a variety of graduate programs that I might not have otherwise applied and discovered a lot more about which kind of program I want to go in to.

The sessions were incredible as well. The problem‐solver in me loved the Costume mission Poster Session, and I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation entitled, “50 Costume Designers, 50 Years,” as I’m a bit of a history buff and a nerd for biographies. I could go on for pages about each of the sessions. The only thing I regret is not being omnipresent, as there were so many other conflicting sessions I wanted to attend. One session in particular was very unique to me—the presentation by Laurie Kurutz on the alterable Elizabethan Peasecod Doublet was fascinating and useful. I really enjoyed her philosophy on costume creation. Kurutz said, “I don’t create garments for museums, I make them for practical use in a theatrical setting, so they have to be able to be used again.” She simplified the process of creating an alterable doublet into a format that appears to be applicable to other types of garments for the theatre. 

 The last session that I was able to attend was the Young Designer and Technician’s Forum. It was another overwhelming display of talent, but it was also very motivational. It’s hard not to be at least a little bit competitive in theatre, and seeing how stiff the competition was filled me with a renewed drive to push myself further. 

I left the Kansas City conference feeling invigorated. The presentations I saw and the professionals I met have inspired me. My path is much clearer now, and I’m comfortable knowing both my strengths, and what I will need to work on to achieve my goals in my field. I hope to attend the conference in Charlotte next year, and I am very grateful to SECOA for sponsoring my scholarship to the Kansas City conference; I would not have had this amazing experience without it.