Regional Sessions

Wednesday, March 19

Costumes, colored pigment, and colored light, and how one affects the other. Using scenic products vs. DIY type products to get the most of a design and a dollar.

Thursday, March 20

Hailed by the New York Times as 'one of the nation’s best ballet companies,' Houston Ballet is the 4th largest company in the United States. Every season’s repertory features classic works as well as newly commissioned works, world famous choreographers and designers. Join the Houston Ballet’s resident artists in Scenery and Costume as they discuss the unique challenges, strategies and beauty of designing and building for ballet. This session will be followed by a walk through the Ballet Exhibit at Stage Expo with Thomas Boyd.

The history of the role of the drag life, as opposed to theatrical drag, is both complex and fascinating. Through a review of literature on the subject, a history of the drag life is explained, with specific emphasis on individuals who have lived as transgenders in historical periods. An emphasis on the role of the drag culture as it has evolved in the center of modern American drag—Houston, Texas—is explored in a series of photographic and verbal vignettes. These vignettes are summaries of visits to a variety of drag events in the 2007-2008 "season". In addition, the presentation will feature several local performers.

Friday, March 21

Bettye Fitzpatrick will share memories and stories of her life in theatre. She has been a company and staff member at the Alley Theatre for over 50 years, including serving as production manager for 17 years. She continues to perform on the Alley Theatre stage as well as being actively involved in the internship program.

The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts, part of the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, is one of the most important collections of scenic and costume design in the United States. Founded by former University of Texas theatre student, businessman, and philanthropist Robert L. B. Tobin, the collection houses over 12,000 objects from the 1500s to the present. In this session, a panel of San Antonio designers, historians, and educators, will present particular strengths of the Tobin collection (including Baroque festival books, Edward Gordon Craig, and the Ballets Russes) and discuss ways in which it can be a resource for USITT members.

Oscar Brockett, leading theatre historian, discusses the growth of theatrical design and tech after WWII. His soon to be published History of Scene Design will provide the background for this discussion. Professor Brockett’s books include: The Essential Theatre (now in its eighth edition), History of the Theatre (now in its ninth edition), Century of Innovation: A history of European and American Theatre and Drama Since the Late Nineteenth Century (With Robert Findlay, now in its second edition), Plays for the Theatre (now in its eighth edition), World Drama, Modern Theatre: Realism and Naturalism to the Present, The Theatre: An Introduction (now in its fourth edition), Studies in Theatre and Drama, Perspectives on Contemporary Theatre, and A Bibliographical Guide to Research in Speech and Dramatic Art.