Technicians Spotlighted at next MTA meeting
The program for the October 25th 5:30 pm MTA meeting at Children's Theatre will be an
opportunity for technicians and producing theatres to meet. Instead of a special guest
speaker, MTA invites theatre technicians throughout the Metrolina area to come and speak
about their specialities with member theatres. Please pass the word to help get as many
techies to the meeting as possible.
MTA will meet on October 25 at 5:30 pm at Children's Theatre. Members should RSVP by
5:00pm on October 18 by calling 333-8983. The show for this meeting will be The Hobbit.
Remember that member organizations are entitled to 2 tickets only.
The position of Member at Large is still open following the resignation of Dan Shoemaker
of Actors Theatre last month. Got anyone in mind? Call one of your Executive Committee
members and make your nomination. We're trying to keep the board as diverse as possible to
represent all elements beneath the MTA umbrella. At this time the most underrepresented
group on the board is the professional wing. The best way to make a difference is to
volunteer. MTA needs you!
MTA held its first meeting of the year at Theatre Charlotte on Thursday September 12.
Approximatrely 32 member companies were in attendance for a free and open discussion of
MTA. Its purpose. Its goals. Its future.
While no consensus was reached in the course of the wide ranging, hour long exchange, a number of issues were raised for MTA members to consider. Is MTA too big? Is our membership too diverse for effective action? What membership needs are not being met? Should subdivisions of MTA be formally created to better address specific needs? Several projects were discussed ranging from the creation of joint technical facilities to technician job banks.
Obviously these are large and far reaching questions impossible to address in one hour's talk. It is always problematical when an entirely volunteer organization with little or no financial resources of its own tries to take on any continuing fiscal responsibilities.
It was clear to those present at the meeting that more discussion is in order. But at the same time, it does no organization any good to get bogged down in talk to the exculsion of any action whatsoever.
As you are making plans to attend the next MTA meeting, take a moment to reflect on what you heard and didn't hear at our last meeting. What is the best mechanism to address the clearly deeply felt concerns on the part of members as to the benefits of MTA? Bring your ideas to the next meeting and share them with others. Ask yourself what you are willing to do to solve these issues. How can you help other members deal with the obstacles they are facing as they strive to present quality theatre to their audiences? For let us not forget what brought us together in the first place. Making theatre happen is hard work. In the heat of production it is easy to get so isolated by one's own immediate needs that frustrations blind us to the opportunities available outside our own little worlds.
MTA can do whatever its members have it do. There is no magic "them" to look
to for solutions. As Pogo said so well, "I have met the enemy and them are us".
Who is that teacher happily leading a class in the Harvey Gantt ad running on local television stations? Could it be MTA's own treasurer Joanna Smith? Check it out for yourself and see.
Southern Theatre, the magazine of the Southeastern Theatre Conference, is seeking submissions. Photos are being sought for the feature "On Stage in the South" to showcase recent productions. Send your best production shots (black and white glossy preferred), along with caption information (name of the play, group presenting, director and names of those pictured). The magazine is also seeking to profile professional, semi-pro and nonprofessional theatre companies in the region. Send photos , profiles and a SASE to Editor, Southern Theatre, P.O. Box 9868,Greensboro, NC 27429-0868. If you're not sure what to include in your profile, contact the editor, again with an SASE, and request the detailed list of questions to be covered in theatre profiles. Come on! Blow your own Horn!
First Friday of the Month Club for Working Actors of Charlotte publishes a monthly
newsletter which is mailed to all of its members. If your theatre organization would like
to have audition and performance notices included in this publication, please send
information to
Annette Gill
5612 Roundhouse Lane
Charlotte, NC 28226
or call 704/541-1831.
Deadline is the 12th of the month in order to be in the next issue which comes out around
the 1st of the month.
The North Carolina Theatre Conference 1996 Meeting will be in Winston-Salem on November
7-9. Besides the usual slate of wonderful programs and guest speakers, NCTC members will
vote on suggested changes in the organization.
Ginger Heath will bring MTA up to date on these proposals. Bring your ideas for NCTC to
our next meeting at Children's Theatre.
The 1996 -97 edition of MTA's web page is up and running. If you haven't taken a look lately, please do so and let Tom Hollis know if there are any errors. If you don't find yourself there, it's because you haven't sent in your season brochure for conversion.(MTA Web Address-http://www.charweb.org/arts/mta)
It is much easier to do this if you send your information on disk. I can work with either PC or Mac disks. Graphics are very effective for this kind of presentation. If your brochure has graphics, all you have do is provide them to me and I'll convert them for web use.
The UNCC Dept. of Dance and Theatre is seeking applications for its newly established
Incoming Freshman Scholarships. These scholarships are reserved for incoming freshman and
carry a minimum value of one semester's tuition. Applicants are required to audition
and/or present a portfolio. For complete details contact:
Dept of Dance and Theatre
UNC at Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28223-001
704/547-2482
Joanie Starr will present an update on the AATE (American Alliance of Theatre
Educators) convention coming in 1997.
Doug Robinson will bring us up to date on what's happening with last month's decision to
invite the Executive Committee of AACT (American Association of Community Theatre) to meet
in Charlotte.
Got a topic for MTA to discuss? Contact Ginger Heath and let her know. Ginger as Vice-Chair is responsible for the program at each meeting. She needs your help to do this.
So if you've got a burning topic that MTA needs to address, please contact Ginger ASAP.
The Metrolina Theatre Association and the Committee for American Sign Language Access
to the Arts are pleased to present the following schedule of signed performances for
persons who are Deaf. Some of these performances will be utilizing Deaf people as
interpreters. These interpreted performances have been made possible through a generous
grant from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council.
The Hobbit November 2 at 1:00pm Children's Theatre
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree Dec. 7 at 1:00pm Children's Theatre
A Tuna Christmas Dec. 15 at 2:00pm Charlotte Rep
Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha Feb. 2 at 2:00pm PAC at Ovens
Beau Jest March 16 at 2:00pm Charlotte Rep
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying April 27 at 2:00pm PAC at Ovens
Sylvia May 18 at 2:00pm Charlotte Rep
Puss in Boots May 10 at 1:00pm Children's Theatre
Box Office Numbers for the Deaf
Charlotte Rep Box Office 372-1000 (V/TTY)
Children's Theatre Use Relay North Carolina and callthe CTC Box Office at 333-8983
NC Blumenthal PAC 372-1000(V/TTY)
