As the "premiere gathering of theatre professionals," the 2015 SETC Convention will bring over 4,000 actors, professional company representatives, design and technical professionals, theatre educators, students from high schools and universities, commercial exhibitors, community theatre producers and theatre lovers to Chattanooga March 4-8 for America’s Largest Theatre Convention of its kind.
Centered at the Chattanooga Convention Center, this year’s SETC Convention will spread throughout downtown and take up residence in the local theatres, Chattanooga Theatre Centre and Tivoli Theatre.
Attendees will participate in a variety of over 300 theatrical workshops, masterclasses, presentations, and hands-on training during the four day event, including attending keynote speeches by legend of stage and screen and 2015 SETC Distinguished Career Award Winner, Ben Vereen; master voice and speech teacher, Kristin Linklater; and physical theater innovator Paata Tsikurishvili.
The convention also features multiple festivals that are open to the public of Chattanooga, including the Theatre for Youth Festival (March 5), performed for the children and public of Chattanooga for free at the Marriott Downtown Chattanooga. The High School Theatre Festival (March 5-6), housed at the Tivoli Theatre, features 20 schools from the 10 southeastern states with tickets available for purchase at the door. The Community Theatre Festival (March 4-7), will be at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. Tickets for the Community Theatre Festival can be purchased at the Chattanooga Theatre Center box office. The Fringe Festival and Ten Minute Play Festival (March 5) are open to convention attendees only.
Commercial exhibitors offer demonstrations and sneak peeks at some of the products by over 50 companies. Prospective students can talk and engage with school faculty and representatives from over 120 universities, colleges and training institutions. Auditions and off-stage interviews are held for undergraduate and graduate programs. SETC members will be given the opportunity to audition and interview for jobs, both on and off stage, as over 800 actors will audition and 700 will interview for over 84 professional companies that come from all over the United States.
The SETC pre-convention for Teachers Institute for Drama-Based Instruction: Activating Learning in and Through the Arts, will be offered Wednesday, March 4, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and is open to all regional educators for grades 7-12. In this day-long seminar, Katie Dawson and Lara Dossett from The University of Texas at Austin, will explore the theory and practice of drama-based instruction and its use in the arts and non-arts curriculum. They will share examples and resources which explore how drama-based instruction can be used for sustainable improvement in K-12 school culture, teacher satisfaction and student success. Cost is $85. Contact info@setc.org or call 336.272-3645 for more information.
Onsite registration for the SETC Convention begins Wednesday, March 4, at noon. Cost is $230 for students, $317 for individuals, and $247 for seniors. Call 336.272-3645 for more information. Registration information and the Convention program can be found online at www.setc.org.