Shakespeare Theatre Association
Practicum
Hosted by the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival
January 4-7, 2015

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS CONFERENCE IS OPEN TO STA MEMBERS AND INVITED GUESTS ONLY.  REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Sunday, January 4
7:00-9:30 pm
Gather at the Last Drop Tavern to greet Practicum participants (550 Powell Street)

Practicum Day 1: Monday, January 5
(all sessions in the Crystal Room)

9:00-9:30 am
Join STA Associate Member and certified Linklater teacher Rebecca Kemper in an energizing Linklater-based warm-up for the voice and body.

9:30-9:45 am
Break

9:45-12:00 pm
Start the Practicum off right with a twist on our traditional clown workshop – an exploration of Commedia dell’ Arte, including masks, with San Francisco Shakespeare Festival Resident Artists Michael Truman Cavanaugh and Sharon Huff Robinson.

12:00-1:00 pm
Lunch – provided onsite

1:00-2:45 pm
Pop-ups Part One: Practicum participants will work in small groups to present original pop-up performances of Shakespeare scenes in unexpected outdoor venues around the Fairmont Hotel, based on SF Shakes’ popular Free Shakespeare in the Parklet experiments. In this first session, groups and scenes will be assigned and sites suggested  – with Rebecca J. Ennals and SF Shakes’ Resident Artists.

2:45-3:00 pm
Break

3:00-5:00 pm
Psychiatrist Dr. George Mutch provides insights for teaching artists on using Shakespeare and performance to reach people on the autism spectrum. He’ll discuss his research and suggest exercises for engaging and inspiring this part of the population.

5:00-7:00 pm
Dinner (on your own)

7:00-12:00 am
Drinkcussions – Laurel Court Bar

Practicum Day 2: Tuesday, Jan 6 
(Field Trip to Djerassi, Woodside, CA)

8:45-9:00 am
Board shuttles (Fairmont Hotel Lobby) 

9:00-10:00 am
Travel to  Djerassi in Woodside, CA

10:00-12:30 pm
Sculpture hike – lead by Djerassi Executive Director Margot Knight

12:30-1:30 pm
Lunch – provided onsite

1:30-3:15 pm
24-hour Shakespeare – with Ben Crystal, Warren Rusher and Aslam Husain

3:15-3:30 pm
Break

3:30-6:00 pm
Original Pronunciation practices – with Ben Crystal, Warren Rusher and Aslam Husain

6:00-6:15 pm
Board shuttles

6:15-7:15 pm
Travel to San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel

7:15-8:00 pm
Dinner (on your own)

8:00-9:30 pm
Shotzspeare! One-act plays  inspired by Shakespeare especially for STA, written by local playwrights, at Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 – $10 for a ticket and a beer; pay cash at door (no cc) and please reserve in advance with Rebecca – rennals@sfshakes.org

10:00-12:00 am
Drinkcussions – Laurel Court Bar

Practicum Day 3: Wednesday, Jan 7   
(all sessions in the Crystal Room)

9:00-9:30 am
Warm-up: Join SF Shakes Resident Artist Sarah Shoshana David and act like a kindergartner! Sarah shares techniques she uses to teach Shakespeare songs and stories to the very youngest SF Shakes students, our 4-6-year-old Sprites.

9:30-9:45 am
Break

9:45-11:15 am
Use of Technology in Education and Performance Settings:  Stephen Muterspaugh and Laura Cole present current best practices and innovative augmented reality technology for use in classroom and performance settings to engage—rather than distract—students and audiences alike.

11:15-11:30 am
Break

11:30-12:30 pm
Shakespeare Works When Shakespeare Plays – Education and Training Focus Committee members share the details of their third successful conference training teachers to teach Shakespeare actively. Learn how you might bring this conference to your region. With Sarah Enloe, Carl Holvick-Thomas, and UC Davis’ Joyce Donaldson
    
12:30-1:30 pm
Lunch (on your own)

1:30-2:30 pm
Sarah Enloe shares tips for navigating the Common Core, and how to meet the standards in your residencies and curriculum. She will be joined by Kelly Boske, teacher at Cordova High School.

2:30-2:45 pm
Break

2:45-4:30 pm
Pop-ups Part Two: We’ll roam the Nob Hill/Union Square area watching Shakespeare scenes performed by all - and hopefully pick up some audience members along the way!

4:30-5:00 pm
Closing Session – feedback, evaluation, planning

5:00-6:00 pm
STA Officers’ Meeting - Executive Committee and past presidents only

Shakespeare Theatre Association Annual  Conference
Of Imagination All Compact: 
Innovation, Creativity, and Relevance in Shakespeare
Hosted by the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival
January 7-10, 2015

Wednesday, January 7
7:00-9:30 pm    Welcome Reception (Crown Room)
San Francisco’s glittering skyline is the perfect backdrop to the conference kick-off! Catch up with old friends, meet new ones and network with Shakespeareans from around the globe. (Cheese and crackers, crudite, and a drink of your choice are complementary, cash bar thereafter.)    

Conference Day 1: Thursday, January 8
9:00-9:45 am    Warm-Ups (Venetian Room)
Join STA Associate Member and certified Linklater teacher Rebecca Kemper in an energizing Linklater-based warm-up for the voice and body.

10:00-12:30 pm
Plenary Session: Welcome and Member Updates (Venetian Room)
        • Member Theatre Updates (1 minute each)
        • Associate Members (1 sentence each)
        • New Member Organizations (1 minute each, and invitation to connect with current member)
        • Additional Introductory Exercises

12:30-1:30 pm
Lunch (Pavilion Room)
Suggested tables – International Shakespeare, Free Shakespeare, University-affiliated, others upon request.

1:30-2:45 pm
Plenary Session: Why Free? Why Shakespeare? Why in the Park? (Venetian Room)
Cindy Melby Phaneuf moderates a discussion with Stephen Burdman, Toby Leavitt, Jemma Levy, and Brian Phillips about why they produce Shakespeare in a Free Shakespeare in the Park setting and how this setting impacts audience, art, and community. 

3:00-5:00 pm
Break Out Sessions

He Got Rhythm: The Shakespeare Variations 
(Venetian Room) 
 Neil Freeman (Associate Professor, University of British Columbia) shares his simple, theatre-friendly methodology for working with verse. His terminology sets up Shakespeare’s wonderful textual rhythms as a practical tool for rehearsals and classrooms, replacing intellectual scansion terminology with a downright human approach. Jeff Watkins will moderate the discussion, and share how he has incorporated Professor Freeman’s methodology into his artistic practice.

Organizing the Creative Community for Change
(Fountain Room)
Sara Stackhouse leads a discussion about how artists and arts organizations are organizing to advocate for change, and succeeding!  Come explore what is possible when we organize and flex our collective creative muscles.  Together we’ll discover how to shift our energy from navigating our environment to CHANGING our environment to a healthier one in which arts and culture can thrive. Sara is joined by Brad Erickson, Executive Director of Theatre Bay Area.
        
Shakespeare in Prisons 
(Crystal Room)
Lesley Currier, Scott Jackson, Matt Wallace, and Kate Powers share their experiences working with incarcerated men and women – the challenges and rewards, and why Shakespeare is particularly well-suited to this work. A member of the California Arts Council will provide a state-wide perspective.

5:00-7:00 pm
Dinner/Tonga Room happy hour (on your own)
Walking Tour – complimentary, registration required 

7:00-9:30 pm
Theater Outing - SF Playhouse’s Promises, Promises
Location: 450 Post Street, Ticket purchase required, use discount code TOBEORNOTTOBE online or 415-677-9596

10:00-12:00 am
Drinkcussions – Laurel Court Bar

12:00-2:00 am
Drinkcussions continue – hosted suite

Conference Day 2: Friday, January 9

9:00-9:45 am
Warm-Ups (Venetian Room)
Michael Cavanaugh (SF Shakes Resident Artist) leads a clown- and movement-based warm-up.  Bring your red noses!

STA Officers’ Meeting (Fairmont Hotel Lobby)
Executive Committee and past presidents only

10:00-11:15 am
Plenary Session: Capitalization & Sustainability (Venetian Room)
Susan Nelson (Principal, TDC) will focus her presentation on the complex challenge of aligning an organization’s strategy, implementation plan and financial sustainability. Her deep financial analysis skills and hands-on operational experience has given her a special expertise in how to scale an organization to an appropriate size while creating a sustainable financial capitalization plan.

11:30-12:30 pm
Break Out Session (by Budget Size)
Groups discuss issues specific to budget size. Plenary speaker Susan Nelson will visit each of the break-out sessions to address additional questions from her presentation.       

  • Over $2 million - moderated by Casey Gallagher (French Room)
  • $500K - $2 million - moderated by Paige Newmark (Crystal Room)
  • $150K - $499K - moderated by Melissa Nicholson (Fountain Room)
  • Under $150K - moderated by William Brown (Venetian Room) 

Shakespeare in Prisons: Part 2 (depart from lobby)
11:45 am – 4:30 pm
Lesley Currier leads a field trip to San Quentin State Prison in Marin to participate in a Shakespeare at San Quentin class. (Advance registration, background check required.)

12:30-1:30 pm
Lunch (Pavilion Room)
Suggested tables by budget size
    
1:30-2:45 pm
Plenary Session: Get You Home: New Spaces for Shakespeare (Venetian Room)
It’s a major achievement for a company to open a new space. Patrick Spottiswoode moderates a discussion among Fred Adams, Lesley Malin, Clark Nicholson, and Angus Vail on their companies’ new spaces.    

3:00-4:00 pm
Break Out Sessions 

  • Single-play Focus  (French Room) - Panelists take a single play – Much Ado About Nothing – and discuss their different approaches, affected by venue, period concept, choice of text, etc. Featuring Lisa Tromovitch, Christopher Edwards and others.
  • Shakespeare and Accessibility (Venetian Room) - Building on the popular session from 2014, Dr. Luane Haggerty will lead a discussion about the incorporation of actors with disabilities, drawing on her research and recent experience directing a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream featuring deaf and hearing actors.
  • Working with First-time Actors (Fountain Room) - Jennifer Wintzer, Nancy Bell, and Stephen Muterspaugh share their experiences working with first-time actors, and thoughts on how including the audience in art-making can bring new insights and inspirations. They will be joined by Rob Melrose, who directed the New York’s Public Theater’s Mobile Shakespeare Unit production of Pericles.
  • Stewarding Shakespeare: The Role of the Board  (Crystal Room) - Jeffrey Nelson speaks about Utah Shakespeare Festival’s good governance practices, and how a board can have a positive effect on a Shakespeare theater’s mission, finances, and strategic direction. Attendees will be asked to share questions and experiences regarding board performance.

4:15-5:15 pm
Plenary Session: Shakespeare 400: 2016 Celebration Activities (Venetian Room)
STA shares its plans to celebrate Shakespeare 400. 

5:15-7:00 pm
Dinner/Tonga Room happy hour (on your own)
Walking Tour – complimentary, registration required

7:00-9:30 pm
Evening Discussion (Venetian Room)

  • Paul Prescott shares the results of the “Shakespeare on the Road” project
  • STA past president Richard Garner will share experiences, insights, and lessons learned during his celebrated tenure at Georgia Shakespeare
  • Reed Martin, managing partner, actor, writer, and director for the Reduced Shakespeare Company, discusses the history of the company, their process in creating a show, why Shakespeare, and what’s next for the “Bad Boys of Abridgment!”

9:30-1:00 am
Drinkcussions – Laurel Court Bar

1:00-2:00 am
Drinkcussions continue – hosted suite

Conference Day 3: Saturday, January 10

9:00- 9:45 am
Warm-Ups (Venetian Room)
Emily Jordan (SF Shakes Resident Artist) leads a vocal and physical warm-up including a period dance.

10:00-11:15 am
Plenary Session: Shakespeare and New Work 
(Venetian Room)
Playwrights Bill Cain, Lauren Gunderson, and Amy Freed discuss how Shakespeare inspired them to write new plays, while Ralph Cohen champions the 
production of lesser-known Early Modern plays as new work. Moderated by Patrick Flick. 

11:30-12:30 am
Focus Groups

  • Education (Crystal Room) - Moderated by Sean Hagerty
  • Artistic (Fountain Room) - Moderated by Stephen Burdman
  • Management (French Room) - Moderated by Sara Young
  • Board (Venetian Room) - Moderated by Pam Sogge  (SF Shakes Board Chair)

12:30-1:30 pm
Lunch (Pavilion Room) – Suggested tables by focus group

1:30-2:45 pm
Plenary Session: Opening up the Canon: Cross-gender and Non-traditional Casting (Venetian Room)
Lisa Wolpe and Rebecca J. Ennals present the case for non-traditional casting practices as a tool to keep Shakespeare relevant and accessible. Using different casts for the same scene, they’ll ask “How can cross-gender casting help us find new and deeper meaning in the plays?” and “Are there scenes for which this practice doesn’t work, and why? Philippa Kelly will suggest ways in which dramaturgs can contribute perspective on racially-charged and gender-specific language, with the goal of making our theatres a place for conversations and transformation. 

3:00 – 4:30 pm
Break Out Sessions

  • Race & Shakespeare (Crystal Room) - Shakespeare theatres often capitalize on the common assumption that Shakespeare is the world’s greatest playwright and universal in his appeal. Dr. Ayanna Thompson, a leading scholar on the subject, explores the privileges and challenges inherent in this assumption, and addresses practical approaches to producing Shakespeare for everyone.
  • All the World’s a Stage : Touring Shakespeare to Schools  (Fountain Room) - Dr. Bobbi McKean and Susan Miller will share research on the evolution of the Montana Shakespeare in the Schools program, the preparation of actor-teachers for the fall tours, evidence of the impact of the program on students and teachers, and challenges for the design and implementation of effective evaluation methodologies. Attendees will be asked to share their preparation and assessment successes and challenges, and discuss how to maintain connections with schools between annual visits through distance learning and other strategies. 
  • Where the Fish Are: Swimming in Social Media (Venetian Room) - Jenn Deon and Jim Helsinger team up to share where the fish are swimming on social media, how best to bait and hook them through social media strategy development, and success in creating huge schools of fish at flash mobs.

4:45-5:45 pm
Plenary Session: Closing Exercises  (Venetian Room)    
         •    Quarto strategic planning
        •    STA Business Meeting
        •    Additional closing exercises

5:45-6:15 pm
STA Officers’ Meeting (Venetian Room)
Executive Committee and past presidents only
        
7:00 – 10:00 pm
Closing Dinner (Crown Room) 
Toast your colleagues, get ready for the 2016 conference, and leave your heart in San Francisco. (Dinner accompanied by red and white wine, cash bar.)  We will also be presenting the Sidney Berger Award, and remembering our dear friend, Douglas Cook.
        
10:00 – 1:00 am
Drinkcussions –  Laurel Court Bar

1:00 - 2:00 am
Drinkcussions continue –  hosted suite