So! You’ve registered for the Shakespeare Theatre Association 2022 Conference… Now what?
Greetings from Harrisburg, PA! Harrisburg is in the heart of South-Central Pennsylvania. It is the home of the Pennsylvania State Capitol and very close to Amish country, Hershey (Chocolate World and Hersheypark,) and the Gettysburg battlefield. We are 3 hours from New York City and Pittsburgh, 2 hours from Philadelphia and Washington DC, 1.5 hours from Baltimore and State College (Penn State University.) It is a small city surrounded by suburbs, which are surrounded by farmland. It is an ethnically, economically, and politically diverse region. It is extremely affordable. When friends come to visit from larger metropolitan areas, they are always amazed at the value for the money spent. We are proud of our little city and are excited to share it with you. Here are some things to keep in mind:
COVID SAFETY
MANDATORY – You must send a photo of your Covid vaccination card with SUBJECT: STA PROOF OF VACCINATION to Abby Carroll, Gamut Theatre Office Manager, at gamut.office@gmail.com. In your email, please provide first and last name and company (if applicable). If you are able to save your photo and name it with your Last Name, First Name, you win extra bonus points! You must be fully vaccinated to attend the STA 2022 Conference.
We highly recommend that you get a booster as soon as possible for extra protection, but proof of booster is not required.
Masks are recommended* for Conference Sessions, except while consuming food and beverages, and mandatory for all conference events that are open to the public (i.e. Classics Fest performances and Plenary sessions held at the Whitaker Center.)
* Mask policies may change to reflect ever-evolving Covid conditions.
LET US GET TO KNOW YOU
If you haven’t done so yet, please take 5 minutes, go to the WHOVA conference site, and update your photo and bio. Click on your name in the top right corner and visit “My Profile” in the menu. This helps so much when connecting with others at the conference.
TRAVEL TIPS
If you are flying in for the conference, NOW is the time to book your flight if you have not already done so. Be sure to check flights directly into larger hubs like Baltimore (BWI), Philadelphia (PHL) and New York City (JFK, LGA, or EWR.) The money you save could be significant and cover the cost for a rental car or train ticket to get to Harrisburg.
Amtrak service from Philadelphia to Harrisburg is $35 one way. New York City to Harrisburg is $50. Baltimore to Harrisburg is $73. Washington DC to Harrisburg is $77. The train station in Harrisburg is one block from Gamut Theatre and two blocks from the Harrisburg Hilton.
If flying into the Harrisburg airport (MDT), you can reserve shuttle service with the hotel for $14. YOU MUST RESERVE AT LEAST ONE WEEK AHEAD for guaranteed service. The Hilton cannot guarantee service if reserved with less than one week’s notice.
If driving to Harrisburg and staying at the Hilton, parking is available for hotel guests at $10/day.
PLEASE stay at the conference hotel! We negotiated a great deal with the Hilton ($134/night) and all conference activities will be within walking distance of the hotel. You never know how January weather will be in Central PA, and you can avoid snowy/icy travel by being where all of the action is. Also (and past conference hosts will attest) we need to meet a minimum number of room nights booked at the Hilton or we get slapped with some steep fees. So be a Gamut Friend and book your room at the Hilton.
Book your hotel by December 12th! The conference rate of $134/night is only good through December 12.
Copy and paste the link below into your web browser. (It is recommended that you copy and paste the link, instead of directly clicking on the link pending your browser.) Once on the directly linked page, you can change the range of dates by clicking on the “JAN 2 SUN” directly under the “Your Stay” line. You must use the group code: BARD22 when you call or link. May sure you book by midnight EST on December 12th 2021!
If you have any issues with reserving online, you may call the Front Desk of the Hilton at 717-233-6000.
HOTEL ODDS & ENDS
There are Vegan/Vegetarian options in the events where we are providing food: Wednesday night Reception, Thursday Lunch, and the Saturday night Banquet. We will have special instructions for those of you who indicated other dietary concerns (for example, gluten free) in your conference registration.
The gym and swimming pool at the Hilton will be open 7 am – 11 pm daily, and you can access each with your room key.
Ad Lib Craft Kitchen and Bar and 1700 Steakhouse are the restaurants at the Hilton. Don’t let the reasonable prices fool you… the food is excellent. They also have Happy Hour specials from 4pm - 6pm, Monday - Friday.
PRACTICON
If you are arriving on Monday or even Tuesday, you can still participate in the Pre-Conference Practicon activities! Almost all of Practicon will take place at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th Street, Harrisburg, PA. Gamut is two blocks from the Hilton (6 min. walk.) If you are new to STA, the Practicon features “hands on” activities and practices that you can participate in and take back to use at your own theatres.
If you didn’t sign up for the Practicon when you registered, but you’d like to participate, you can add it on at any time. Contact Patrick Flick, STA Executive Director, at patrick@stahome.org, if you have any issues with your registration.
The 3-day Practicon has two tracks: Artistic and Education/Engagement. The Artistic Track is great for Directors, Actors, and Educators. It is led by Clark Nicholson, Gamut Theatre Artistic Director, and explores improvisational techniques to invigorate classical performance. It is a “build upon the last session” track. If you are arriving on Monday and miss a few sessions at the beginning, we will do our best to get you up to speed and into the track.
There is a one-day Management-focused Practicon on Wednesday. It is still being developed and because of the last-minute planning, it is FREE. We hope to post content by December 15.
CLASSICS FEST
To celebrate your arrival into PA’s capital city, Gamut has planned Classics Fest not only for you, but for our community at large. Classics Fest is a week-long festival of plays and performances that celebrate diversity and classic works. Admission is FREE for all STA Conference participants, but you must wear your conference identification tag to gain free admittance. All shows are either at Gamut Theatre or at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. (The Whitaker Center is one block from the Hilton and can be reached directly through the second floor hotel lobby.) You do not need to reserve tickets for any of the shows. More info at www.classicsfest.org.
Our two plenary sessions: TRACE practices in the Theatre (Friday 2:15 PM) and Innovative Partnerships and Collaborations (Saturday 10:30 AM) will be open to the public and held at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts.
WHAT TO WEAR
Practicon wear is casual to allow for movement. Most folks dress business casual or casual for the Main Conference. Feel free to “gussy up” for the Closing Banquet, but you can also go casual. You be YOU. We are just glad you are coming in whatever clothes you love!
STAY CONNECTED
Download the "WHOVA" app to your phone and log in with your registration info. The WHOVA app is a great way to stay connected with other attendees during the conference. The app allows you to set meetings with other attendees, chat on message boards, post photos, view a list of speakers and schedules, and so much more. By posting photos to the WHOVA app, you may be featured on Gamut's or STA's social media pages!
QUESTIONS?
Registration or membership issues? Contact Patrick Flick, STA Executive Director, at patrick@stahome.org.
First-time STA attendee or other conference questions? Contact Stephen Burdman, Artistic Director, NY Classical Theatre, at sburdman@nyclassical.org.
Hotel and/or miscellaneous issues? Contact Abby Carroll, Gamut Theatre Office Manager, at gamut.office@gmail.com, and she will direct your question to someone who can assist.
With much love and anticipation,
Melissa Nicholson, Executive Director, Gamut Theatre Group