Administrative Workshops

“Getting the Green…The Basic Rules of Grant Proposal Writing”
Robin Deveroux, Director of Program Development for Grantsource—Bay City, Michigan. Grantsource is currently undercontract with the Community Theatre Association of Michigan (CTAM) to assist members with grant writing.

“Survivor:  Theatre Volunteers”
Kalamazoo Civic Theatre's Director Of Volunteers Preston Misner gives tips on how to   'out wit', 'out play' and 'out last' community theatre volunteers and keep everyone in the game.

“Fundraising on the Road”
Many community theatres throughout the country have discovered that taking a trip to the Big Apple with theatre patrons can be fun    and raise money at the same time. Manhattan Tour and Travel has been bringing adult and student groups to NYC for 17 years and now have expanded to include London and Chicago. This workshop is for those who want to put together a group to explore    these three great theatre towns. Mark Devine from Manhattan Tour and Travel will be leading this workshop.

“The Artistic and Production Process from a Management Point of View”  Keith Martin, Managing Director for Richmond Ballet in Virginia   breaks down the various phases of the season activity with killer   handouts, including play selection, obtaining  performance rights, pre-audition/pre-production workshops, tryouts and callbacks,   casting and notification, rehearsal and tech, strike and post-mortem, even programs that utilize the talents of auditionees NOT cast in your productions.

"Advocacy 101:  A Primer to Grassroots Lobbying in the Nonprofit Sector"
A basic session for the beginning arts advocate with tips for more advanced campaigns for your theatre and local arts community.    Presented by Keith Martin, formerly the registered lobbyist and legislative strategist for ARTS North Carolina, this workshop is a  case study of one state's efforts to unify 880 different arts agencies   around issues of increased funding, arts education and cultural policy. 

“In-Kind Contribution” Details of an alternative fundraising source that netted  one not-for-profit theatre over $500,000 annually in donated services,    equipment, materials, and facilities. Presented by Keith Martin, this is the most requested repeated session from previous AACT Festivals.

“Licensing In-and-Out: Royalties, Rights & Scripts”
Everything you ever wanted or needed to know about making thelicensing of a show painless, fun, and affordable! Bring along your   questions about the do’s and don’ts of licensing.  Representatives from MTI will provide you with candid, supportive answers to enable you to   produce money-making musicals.  Additionally, you’ll learn the answers   to the five most-frequently asked questions at MTI:  Why can’t we   videotape?  Why is a show restricted to us? Why can’t we use pre-  recorded music? Why are royalties so high? 

Artistic Workshops

 “I Got the Horse Right Here! : A Tip Sheet for Directing the Musical”
Morrie Enders, award winning director, covers 12 essential tips for  making your musicals better. From a chorus line to the ladies who  lunch, Morrie will offer insight into creating a more focused and   emotionally true musical theatre experience for both performer and audience member.

“Okay, I’m Singing, but What Do I Do With My Hands?”
You’ve learned the melody, memorized the lyrics, and finally got   stage to sing. Everything’s great, but you’re standing there like a    tree! New York composer, performer, and musical director Ed    Linderman will explore how to physicalize your song through   theatre games and exercises. Mr. Linderman has conducted singing  workshops and master classes in New York City and all over the country.

“Broadway Musicals and the Joy of Singing in Them”
This exciting workshop is about all the participants “breaking through” to more joyous and powerful singing performances.    Here’s your chance to work with and ask New York Theatre Professional Ed Linderman all your questions about singing, auditioning, and what’s going on in NYC. Please bring sheet music. Accompanist will be provided (If you don’t have music with you,  you are still encouraged to attend).

“Nail That Audition”
Presented by April J’Callahan Marshall, Director of Professional  Services at Southeastern Theatre Conference where she manages the auditions for professional theatre companies, summer stock,    dinner theatre, etc. She also leads audition workshops across the  Southeast. As a 25-year veteran of community theatre she has a   unique perspective of both professional and volunteer theatres.    This workshop will be formatted for the actor auditioning for    Community Theatre productions.

“The Joys and Pitfalls of writing and producing New Plays”
Presented by Kate Snodgrass, Artistic Director for the Boston Playwrights  Theatre and author of festival entry, “The Glider.”  How do you go about  getting your play up and onto the stage?  How do you know its working,what do you do if it's not?  From the start of the developmental process to the finished product with actors, designers, and a director, new plays arethe theatre's greatest challenge and its greatest reward.  Kate will discuss    how you get from the first draft to the last and what to do in between--in  other words, what new plays/writers/producers need to be successful.

Technical Workshops

“Where Did You Find That Fabric?”
Award-winning, veteran costume designer Robert Fowle from    Grand Rapids Civic Theatre will discuss how to use local fabric sources for period costumes: a ‘search and destroy’ tactic. Also:  resources for finding period costume patterns.

 “How to Be Nice and Still Get the Job Done: The Art of Stage Management”
Production Manager of Opera Grand Rapids Roseanne Steffens gives an in-depth and hands-on instruction of how to be an  excellent stage manager. She will provide beneficial resources and handouts.

“From 2-D to 3-D: The Magic of Scenic Art”
Scenic artist David Len has designed for theater, opera, and movies. David will lead participants through a hands-on demonstration    through a variety of scenic artistries. Wear your paint clothes and  be ready to play. Currently, David is set designer and scenic artist for the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre.

“Resources for Musical Theatre”
MTI Theatrical Resources Workshop. Win valuable prizes. Try out new products and resources. Learn about the new shows and theatrical resources available and in development from Music Theatre International. Included is an in-depth introduction and demonstration of the RehearScore MIDI rehearsal pianist—the tireless computer-generated accompanist that has revolutionized the theatre industry and MTI’s newest resource: The OrchEXTRA.  With OrchEXTRA you can have a full orchestra sound even when you don’t have access to a pit full of musicians. Take the REHEARSCORE CHALLENGE, a trivia quiz based on RehearScore examples where you can win valuable, fun prizes for your producing organization.  Representatives from MTI will be on hand to answer all of your questions regarding these and other resources!