Minutes of USITT-SW Section Meeting

Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls , TX

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Chair James G. Cunningham called the meeting to order at 1:45.

The Chair asked that the minutes of the last meeting from Louisville be reviewed and accepted. Don Henschel made the motion, and the group accepted.

The Chair called for the Treasurer’s Report and Elizabeth Lewandowski indicated that in round numbers, the section has about $8,000 in the bank.

Tom Grabowski, Membership Vice-Chair, reported the membership at about 85, with one contributing member, one corporate member, 48 student members and 36 regular members.  There are 173 on the mailing list.

The first major topic was that of the Winter Symposium for the Martin Luther King weekend, Jan. 13 and 14 of 2007. The only tentative volunteer to host was Clairmarie Verheyen from the University of Houston. We were reminded that the winter meeting traditionally includes the student design competition.  The location of the meeting, obviously tends to dictate some of the appropriate topics. Suggested topics included Sound Design, Shopping in the Houston Fashion District, and Rendering Workshops in Pastels, Digital Techniques, and CAD. Rendering as a theme was bandied about a good deal. Some student members expressed interest in various trade union connections. Many said that a trip to Houston without seeing the various venues would be a shame - The Opera, Ballet, the Alley Theatre, etc.  But, since the national conference will be there in 2008, might there be overlap?  Then again, might our members be better hosts for the national if they were familiar with Houston's theatrical offerings? The discussion ended, not with a motion, but with an agreement for the Chair and Clairmarie to work together on it.

The second piece of business involved the National Conference in Phoenix, Mar. 14 – 17, 2007.  Did we want to provide breakfast for the group at the section meeting?  Don Childs moved we provide up to $400 for the event. As with most of our food and drink motions, it passed unanimously.

There was no old business to discuss.

New Business began with a notice from the Chair that six seats on the Board of Directors would be vacant in January. Don Childs move we suspend by-laws and hold the election at the meeting, rather than online.  The motion passed without an objection. The following positions were filled:

Clairmarie Verheyen - Second Vice Chair - was re-elected by acclamation.
Jason Foreman - Third Vice Chair - was re-elected by acclamation.
Roma Flowers – Director-at-Large II - was elected.
Mike Skinner – Director-at-Large IV - was re-elected.
Barbara Alkofer - Recording Secretary was elected.

The Director at Large V is a student position.  Several students expressed interest.  Elizabeth moved that each student place a single page bio on the section website, so we know for whom we're voting.  The motion passed without objection.   

National Programming for Houston in two years was the next subject.  Kris Hannsen is the program co-chair for that conference. Subjects discussed included all of those above in the Winter Symposium as well as:

Houston Space Center activities
McNay - Tobin Collection possibilities
Fashion people in Houston
Museum of Fine Arts
New Theatre District
Bayou Bend
Houston Architecture
The Alley Theatre
Fabric modification from a NY woman who does it incredibly well.
Wigs and Hair
Stage management
Non Traditional Materials
Sound Design and the light lab

A need for a keynote speaker for the Houston conference.

Greg Boyd of the Alley?
Desmond Heeley?
Edward Albee?
Oscar Brockett?

And any of these could be the recipient of the Thomas DeGaetani Award , named in honor of the first USITT president, honors an outstanding lifetime contribution to the Performing Arts Community by an individual living and/or working in the area where the Annual Conference & Stage Expo is held. Traditionally the Conference Committee consults with regional representatives on the Conference Committee and members of the Regional Section and then makes a recommendation that is reviewed by the Awards Committee and then approved by the Board of Directors. The award was first given in 1983.

Other Business included an invitation to sign for copies of papers available after the symposium.

Adjournment was declared by outgoing Chair, who expressed his thanks to the members, at 3:00.

Respectfully submitted - Don Henschel