Professional Affiliations
- I am an active member of Theatre Communications Group: "Our Mission: To strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, was founded in 1961 with a grant from the Ford Foundation to foster communication among professional, community and university theatres. Today, TCG's constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to nearly 700 Member Theatres and Affiliate organizations and more than 12,000 individuals nationwide. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through our conferences, events, research and communications; grants approximately $2 million per year to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level and serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute, connecting its constituents to the global theatre community. TCG is the nation's largest independent publisher of dramatic literature, with 13 Pulitzer Prizes for Best Play on our booklist; it also publishes the award-winning American Theatre magazine and ARTSEARCH®, the essential source for a career in the arts. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its member theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre. In 2005, TCG received the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in recognition of its impact on the national field. TCG and its Member Theatres are major contributors to the American theatre sector, which employs more than 126,000 people, produces over 215,000 performances each year and contributes over $2 billion to the US economy annually. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, TCG is led by executive director Teresa Eyring and governed by a national board of directors representing the theatre field." - From their website tcg.org.
- I am on the advisory board for Farm Arts Collective in Damascus, PA.
- I am an active member of LMDA (The Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas): "Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas was founded in 1985 as the volunteer membership organization for the professions of literary management and dramaturgy. LMDA is a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization with members throughout North America and abroad. LMDA holds the belief that theater is a vital art form that has the power to nourish, educate, and transform individuals and their communities and that dramaturgy is central to the process of theater-making.LMDA is committed to the following objectives: to affirm, support, and broaden the roles that literary managers and dramaturgs play in the theater; to promote the exchange of information about the function, practice, and value of literary management and dramaturgy; to encourage cooperation among the practitioners and theoreticians of dramaturgy; to expand the boundaries of the field and enrich our conversation about the making of live performance by welcoming colleagues from disciplines such as dance, opera, and performance art; to put emphasis on international exchange, as well as a commitment to diversity of form, culture, and content; to encourage regional activity across North America" - from their website lmda.org
- I am an active member of VASTA (the Voice and Speech Trainers Association): "VASTA is an international organization whose mission is to advance the art, research, and visibility of the voice and speech profession. Goals: SERVE the needs of voice and speech specialists, teachers, and students in training and in practice. ADVOCATE for those who work and study in the field. PROMOTE the vital role of voice and speech specialists for all professional voice users. BROADEN public understanding of the nature and importance of voice and speech use and training. CREATE opportunities for ongoing education and the exchange of knowledge and information among professionals in the field. CULTIVATE diversity within our membership, and encourage a liveliness of thought and opinion. UPHOLD and advance excellence in voice and speech." - From their website vasta.org
- I am an active member of NCA (the National Communication Association): "The National Communication Association advances Communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. NCA serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching. Dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems." - from their website natcom.org
- I am an active member of KCACTF (the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival): "Started in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center's founding chairman, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 20,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide annually. For 46 years, the organization has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 700 academic institutions throughout the country. The goals of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival are: to encourage, recognize, and celebrate the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theater programs; to provide opportunities for participants to develop their theater skills and insight; and achieve professionalism; to improve the quality of college and university theater in America; to encourage colleges and universities to give distinguished productions of new plays, especially those written by students; the classics, revitalized or newly conceived; and experimental works. Through state, regional, and national festivals, KCACTF student and faculty participants celebrate the creative process and share experiences and insights within the community of theater artists. The KCACTF honors excellence in overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, dramatic criticism, directing, and design. The KCACTF is a year-round program in eight geographic regions in the United States. Regional activities are coordinated through eight KCACTF regional administrations. With funding and administrative support from the Kennedy Center, the regional administrations coordinate all aspects of the production response process on the local and regional level and supervise regional-level KCACTF award, scholarship, and residency programming. The playwriting chair works with schools that have entered new and student-written plays by providing mentorship in the development of new scripts--assessment specifically designed for a developing play--and by providing information on the numerous playwriting awards offered. In January and February of each year, regional festivals showcase the finest of each region's entered productions and offer a wide range of activities, including workshops, symposia, and regional-level scholarship and award programs."
- I am an active member of UNIMA-USA (Union Internationale de la Marionnette, United States of America): "…is an organization in which all those people in the world concerned with the Art of the Puppet Theatre associate voluntarily in order to serve through their art the idea of peace and of mutual understanding without distinction as to race, political ideas or religion. UNIMA-USA, founded in 1966, is the North American Center of Union Internationale de la Marionnette, the oldest international theatre organization in the world, founded in 1929. The organization's mission is to promote international understanding and friendship through the art of puppetry." - from their website unima-usa.org
- I am an active member of SAFD (Society of American Fight Directors): "The Society of American Fight Directors is an internationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to promoting safety and fostering excellence in the art of stage combat. Whether you are a producer, director, actor or teacher, we can help accelerate your stage combat skills. SAFD members gain access to a world class networking organization, high calibre stage combat training, and mentorship all designed to expand your career. Our members include professional actors, directors, producers, educators, dancers, singers, stunt performers, historians, and armorers working in theatre, film, television, all levels of academia, stunt shows, opera, and the video gaming industry." - From their website safd.org
- I am an active member of NYSTEA (New York State Theatre Education Association): "strong, statewide organization to advocate for Drama/Theatre Education in New York State, NYSTEA promotes and supports theatre education in grades K-12 for the betterment of youth and theatre itself. NYSTEA believes theatre is an essential part of a K-12 education for all students, developing abilities needed for the 21st century such as: Creativity & innovation; Critical thinking & problem solving; Communication & collaboration; Flexibility & adaptability; Initiative & self-direction; Productivity & responsibility; Cross-cultural skills; Social responsibility.
- I am an active member of LEAD (Leadership Exchange on Arts and Disability): "In August of 2000, a small group of cultural arts administrators – all of whom were responsible for accessibility at their respective cultural arts organization – gathered at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. to discuss institutional cultural arts and disability issues. While the level of experience among participants ranged from more than 20 years in the field to less than six months on the job, everyone shared one common goal: the desire to create accessible cultural arts programs that are inclusive of people with disabilities and older adults. That initial group has now grown into a professional network focused on expanding the breadth and scope of accessibility services and programming across the country and around the world. The Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) network: explores practical methods for implementing accessibility in cultural environments; communicates information about arts and accessibility, and; shares resources and knowledge among professionals in the field of accessibility. LEAD accomplishes its objectives through an annual conference, an active communications network, and resources generated by the LEAD network and maintained by the Kennedy Center." - from their website www.kennedy-center.org/accessibility/education/lead/