2008 Educational Theatre Association Annual Conference

New Directions in Theatre Education

Join us for Educational Theatre Association’s annual conference in Chicago, September 25–28 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.

“New Directions in Theatre Education” will look at innovative approaches to student learning and assessment and teacher training, and recent trends in theatre education.

Featured keynote speakers:

	Richard Christiansen, longtime theatre critic for the Chicago Tribune, and author of A Theater of Our Own: A History and a Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago
	Dick Deasy, the founding director of the Arts Education Partnership, the nation’s premiere arts education advocacy organization

Panel discussion
This year we will host a special panel discussion, “Creating and Staying the Best: Pre-Professional and Ongoing Training of Theatre Educators,” which will feature the directors of several college and university theatre teacher training programs. Panelists include Michael Daehn, Ball State University; Rachel Evans, Kean University; Lana Hagan, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; Shawnda Moss, Brigham Young University; and Mary Schuttler, University of Northern Colorado.

Second City’s T.J. Jagodowski and David Pasquesi will bring to life their hour-long instant play in front of your eyes (and without your help!)

PDIs
The conference will feature nine full-day pre- and post-conference Professional Development Institute seminars, including sessions on acting in musical theatre, teaching film, theatre classroom assessment, stage manager training, and sound for the stage.

Graduate credits
Earn graduate credit throughout the entire Conference and stay current with your continuing education requirements. This year, you can accumulate up to 3 graduate credits (1 credit for Conference itself and up to 2 credits for the two PDI sessions) for your work at Conference. The University of Northern Colorado is administering graduate credits and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available through the American Council on Education (ACE). The links for downloading the credit registration form and course outline for the Conference credit are below; see the PDI page for the other course outlines.

Contact Conference manager Diane Carr for more details at dcarredta.org. (You will need to type this e-mail address into your message’s “To” field; to help protect against spam, this address is not a link.)

Workshops
More than fifty workshops are scheduled, on subjects ranging from improvisation, playwriting, and costume design to portfolio design, tech theatre safety, and musical theatre auditions. Other featured events include the Theatre Expo (an exhibitor showcase).

Hall of Fame dinner
Join us for a special recognition evening on Saturday, September 27: the Hall of Fame dinner, when we celebrate all who have helped to make EdTA what it is today. This year’s event will be held on the Mystic Cruise Line. Visit http://www.mysticbluecruises.com/chicago/all-about-the-ship/ for information about the cruise line and its route. There is limited seating capacity for this event, so register early. The boat will board at 7:45 p.m. and sail from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Fees
Registration is now closed. A late registration fee of $55 is in effect beginning September 13, and after September 19 registration is onsite only, with an onsite late fee of $65.

Update: Although the cutoff date has passed, there are still plenty of rooms at the group rate listed above. The availability of rooms at this rate is limited, so reserve your room today by calling the hotel directly (312-567-1234) or via their website at www.mccormickplace.hyatt.com/groupbooking/chimciedu2008.

Download Chicago transportation information