STA 2019 | There is a world elsewhere…

Prague Shakespeare Company was honored to host the Shakespeare Theatre Association 2019 Annual Conference in Prague, Czech Republic. The theme was “There is a world elsewhere,” and the focus was on artistic, managerial and educational methodologies from native- and non-native-English-speaking Shakespeare companies from around the world.

STA 2019 Prague offered valuable insights into new ways of thinking about and producing Shakespeare, while allowing STA members to share their own proven practices with fellow artists from many countries. Highlights included workshop sessions, panel discussions, nightly performances including a performance at the National Theatre’s historic Estates Theater (where Mozart premiered Don Giovanni in 1787), and a final banquet at the Lobkowicz Palace inside Prague Castle. STA 2019 celebrated Shakespeare’s global impact with us in the City of 100 Spires and saw Shakespeare through different eyes.

A note about who was allowed to attend our conference in Prague. Attendees needed to be an employee or board member of a STA member company or an associate member of STA to attend this conference. Invited Non-STA family members (for example, spouses, partners, family members of STA members) could attend as adult or student guests, but their attendance was limited to plenaries and peripheral social and performance activities. Non-STA affiliated guests could attend the educational pre-conference and the plenaries in an OBSERVER ONLY capacity in addition to optional performance and touring opportunities upon approval by Prague Shakespeare Company. Non-STA Observer Guests were not permitted to participate in the 2019 STA Conference sessions. STA members needed to pay the regular Conference and Practicum Rates, AND STA members needed pay their 2019 dues prior to attending the conference.

2019 Shakespeare Theatre Association Conference Schedule

PRE-CONFERENCE PRACTICON: FOCUS ON ACTOR TRAINING
JANUARY 6, 7 & 8

2019 STA CONFERENCE
JANUARY 9, 10, 11, 12

2019 STA CONFERENCE – 9, 10, 11, & 12 JANUARY, 2019

Saturday 5 January, 2019
3pm – Hotel check-in & Practicon/Pre-Conference registration begins

4:45pm – Escorted travel from the hotel to Optional Welcome Dinner at U Fleku

5pm – Welcome Dinner – On Your Own (OYO) or U Fleku (Legendary Czech Pub – additional cost paid on the day in cash) – *Reservation required for U Fleku. Email sta2019@pragueshakespeare.org to sign up for this and other meals. Diners attending the optional play performance will have escorted travel from the restaurant to the theatre at 6:15pm. Other dinners not attending the optional play performance will stay on at the restaurant until the end of the dinner and/or until they are offered escorted travel back to the Marriott Hotel.

6:15pm – Escorted travel from both U Fleku Restaurant and the Marriott Hotel to Svandovo divadlo for Optional Theatre Performance of The Winning Pig. Via tram – cost 24Kcz.

7pm – Optional Theatre performance: Buchty a loutky – Vítězné svině
Svandovo Divadlo Studio
In the great tradition of puppetry in the Czech Republic and inspired by troupes like Bread + Puppet Theater, the company Buchty a loutky present their new work Vítězné svině (The Winning Pig). The performance explores the motifs of various stories by existential Czech philosopher Ladislav Klíma. Grotesque with elements of horror, pure love, and pure hatred. The puppets express that suffering can become a delight and then delight in that suffering. 90 minutes. Part of the 8 Play Theatre Ticket Package.

10pm – 2am – Conversations at the Marriott Hotel Bar

Sunday 6 January, 2019
8:00am-9am – Coffee Available at the Marriott Hotel

9am-9:30am – Shakespeare, Mindfulness & Yoga
led by Scott Jackson
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 1

9:30am-10am – Travel to Estates Theatre Rehearsal Hall (10 minute slow walk) or Divadlo Na Pradle (20 minute via tram)

10am-11:30am – Two Breakout Options:
Physical Theatre Workshop for Shakespeare – part 1
led by Robert Orr, NIE Theatre & Prague Shakespeare Company
Estates Theater Rehearsal Hall

Shakespeare and Voice – the Czech Method
led by Eva Poustova, DAMU (National Theatre School of the Czech Republic)
Divadlo Na Pradle

11:30am – 1pm – Lunch On Your Own (Recommendations Provided)*
*Escorted travel for those switching venues will depart each venue at 12:45pm

1pm-2:30pm – Two Breakout Options:
Clown and Shakespeare – part 1
led by Rupesh Tillu, Prague Shakespeare Company / Theatreact / Clowns without Borders
Estates Theater Rehearsal Hall

Original Practice in Practice
led by Laura Cole, Atlanta Shakespeare Company / The Shakespeare Tavern
Divadlo Na Pradle

2:30pm-2:45pm – Break

2:45pm-4:15pm – The Coast of Bohemia – Shakespeare Exchange part 1 –
Czech-based directors work with native English speaking actors & native English speaking directors work with Czech-based actors on scenes and speeches from The Winter’s Tale – translators provided and Martin Hilsky’s translation of The Winter’s Tale will be used. Two locations: Estates Theatre Rehearsal Hall and Divadlo Na Pradle – more info upon registration check-in

4:15pm-7pm – Break & Dinner OYO

6:15pm – Escorted travel from the Marriott Hotel to Divadlo Na Zabradli for Optional Theatre Performance of Macbeth Too Much Blood. Tram/metro ride and 10 minute walk to the theatre – cost 24Kcz.

7pm – Optional Theatre performance: Macbeth
Divadlo Na Zabradli
The Theatre Critics 2017 Award Performance of the Year. 6:15pm escorted travel to the theatre – tram/metro ride and 10 minute walk to the theatre – cost 24Kcz. In simple English with Czech Titles. 110 Minutes with an interval. Part of the 8 Play Theatre Ticket package.

10pm-2am – Conversations at the Marriott Hotel Bar

Monday 7 January, 2019
8:00am-9am – Coffee Available at the Marriott Hotel

9am-9:30am – Shakespeare, Mindfulness & Yoga
led by Scott Jackson
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 1

9:30am-10am – Travel to Estates Theatre Rehearsal Hall (10 minute slow walk) or Divadlo Na Pradle (20 minute via tram)

10am-11:30am – Two Breakout Options:
Shakespeare & Viewpoints
led by Jay Skelton, LAMDA
Estates Theater Rehearsal Hall

Clown and Shakespeare – part 2
led by Rupesh Tillu, Prague Shakespeare Company / Theatreact / Clowns without Borders
Divadlo na Pradle

11:30am – 1pm – Lunch On Your Own (Recommendations Provided)*
*Escorted travel for those switching venues will depart each venue at 12:45pm

1pm-3pm – The Coast of Bohemia – Shakespeare Exchange part 2
Czech-based directors work with native English speaking actors & native English speaking directors work with Czech-based actors on scenes and speeches from The Winter’s Tale – translators provided and Martin Hilsky’s translation of The Winter’s Tale will be used. Two locations: Estates Theatre Rehearsal Hall and Divadlo Na Pradle – more info upon registration check-in

3pm-7pm – Break & Dinner OYO

6:30pm – Escorted travel from Marriott Hotel to the Estates Theatre for Optional Theatre Performance of The Cremator. 10 min slow walk.

7pm – Optional Theatre performance: The Cremator – Narodni divadlo (National Theatre of the Czech Republic)
Estates Theater
6:30pm escorted travel from the hotel to the theatre – 10 min slow walk. Performed in Czech with English titles. Part of the 8 Play Theatre Ticket Package.

10pm-2am – Conversations at the Marriott Hotel Bar

Tuesday 8 January, 2019
8:00am-9am – Coffee Available at the Marriott Hotel

9am-9:30am – Shakespeare, Mindfulness & Yoga
led by Scott Jackson
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 1

9:30am-10am – Travel to Estates Theatre Rehearsal Hall (10 minute slow walk) or Divadlo Na Pradle (20 minute via tram)

10am – Daily Tour to Old Town & the Jewish Quarter leaves Marriott Hotel. Meet in the lobby for your tour guide. Available with purchase of the Daily Tour Package.

10am-11:15am – Two Breakout Options:
Shakespeare and Trauma
led by Stephan Wolfert
Divadlo Na Pradle

Physical Theatre workshop for Shakespeare – part 2
led by Robert Orr, NIE Theatre & Prague Shakespeare Company
Estates Theater Rehearsal Hall

11:30am – pm – Lunch On Your Own (Recommendations Provided)

1pm-2:15pm – Final Presentation – The Coast of Bohemia
Estates Theater Rehearsal Hall

2:15pm-2:30p – Break

2:30pm-3pm – Pre-Conference Wrap Up and Closing
Estate Theater Rehearsal Hall

3pm – Hotel check-in & Conference Registration begins
Marriott Hotel

3pm-5:45pm – Break – Dinner On Your Own (DOYO) or at Kolkovna Celnici (Classic Czech Pub – see below). Sign up in person at the Registration table or Email sta2019@pragueshakespeare.org to sign up for this and other meals.

4:15pm–5:45pm – Optional Dinner at Kolkovna Celnici (Classic Czech Pub next to hotel. People will ordered a la carte and pay their own individual bills in cash) – *Reservation required for Kolkovna. Escorted travel from the Marriott Hotel to Kolkovna leaves at 4:15pm.

5:45pm – Escorted travel from the Marriott Hotel and Kolkovna Pub to Divadlo Bez Zabradli for Welcome Reception and Optional Theatre Performance of Much Ado About Nothing. 15 minute walk

6pm – Welcome Reception at Divadlo Bez Zabradli begins – ALL STA ATTENDEES INVITED*
** PLEASE NOTE: There will be Czech TV & other media and journalists at this event recording for TV and taking photos. Some Czech journalists might ask for on-screen and/or off-screen interviews with various attendees.

7pm – Optional Theatre Performance: Much Ado About Nothing
Performed in Czech. 2 hours and 15 minutes with an interval. Part of the 4 Play Theatre Ticket Package. Tickets for this production may also be purchased individually upon registration check in for 500Kcz. PLEASE NOTE: This is not a private STA performance – there will be members of the general public at this event.

9:15pm – Welcome Reception continues at Divadlo Bez Zabradli following the performance – ALL STA ATTENDEES INVITED. Light food and drinks will be served. PSC reps will be available to escort people back to the Marriott Hotel at 9:30pm and 11pm. Please note there may be Czech media at this event as well.

10pm-2am – Conversations at the Marriott Hotel Bar

Wednesday 9 January, 2019
8am-5pm – Coffee available at the Marriott Hotel

8:30am – Registration Table Open

8:30am-9am – New Member Orientation
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

9am-9:30am – Moderator Planning session with Patrick Flick (optional for all moderators)
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

9:30am-10am – Pre-Conference Wrap Up
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

9:30am-10am – Break

10am-12pm – STA 2019 Kick Off, Welcome & Roll Call
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

10am – Daily Tour to Prague Castle & Strahov Monastery leaves Marriott Hotel. Meet in the lobby for your tour guide. Available with purchase of the Daily Tour Package.

12pm-1pm – Meet, Greet & Eat Working Lunch with New STA Members & those returning after a long absence (RSC, -, Bremer Shakes, Gdansk Festival, York Shakespeare, Seoul Shakes, etc.) – lunch provided at the Marriott Hotel Restaurant
*Executive Committee Lunch Meeting #1 planned during this time also – Meeting Room TBA

1pm-2:15pm – Shakespeare on Continental Europe
An introduction to Shakespeare and Shakespeare Theatres on Continental Europe, focusing on modern day traditions in France, Germany, Poland, Georgia and the Czech Republic.
led by David Prosser with Irina Brook (France – Théâtre National de Nice ), Renate Heitmann (Germany- Bremer Shakespeare Company), Joanna Śnieżko (Poland – Gdansk Shakespeare Festival), Pavla Sližová & Martin Hilský (Czech Republic – Letní shakespearovské slavnosti/Summer Shakespeare Festival) and George Varsimashvil (Georgia – Liberty Theatre)
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

2:15p-2:30pm – Break

2:30pm-3:30pm – Break out sessions:
Artistic: Gender Conscious, Gender Neutral & Non-binary Artists in Shakespeare
Discussion of Gender Issues in the world of Shakespeare from plays, casting to production.
led by Lisa Wolpe with Debra Ann Byrd, Jenn Deon, Charlene V. Smith
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Managerial: BURNOUT – Balancing staff/production needs with staff who work on production
Many Shakespeare theatres are run by individuals who also actively participate in production. When rehearsals and administrative duties conflict, how are they best resolved? How do organizations and individuals deal with BURNOUT from leadership and staff?
led by Jessica Boone with Jenni Stewart, Tess Burgler, Brian Phillips, Sara Clark
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

Education: Practicon Report and Education Departments and Actor Training
An overview of the pre-conference will be shared for those unable to attend, followed by a discussion of the place of Actor Training for Education Departments and Shakespeare Theatres. led by Laura Cole with Rebecca Goodheart, Brian Crowe
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

3:30-3:45pm – Break

3:45pm-4:45pm – Break out sessions:
Artistic: Shakespeare around the world (non-European)
An introduction to Shakespeare and Shakespeare Theatres on outside of North American and Continental Europe, focusing on modern day traditions in South Korea, UK (outside London), Australia, the Bahamas and Argentina.
led by Grant Mudge with Michael Downey and Charles Jeong (South Korea – Seoul Shakespeare Company), Phillip Par (UK – York Shakespeare), Nicolette Bethel (the Bahamas – Shakespeare in Paradise), Carlos Drocchi and Mercedes de la Torre (Argentina – Fundación Shakespeare Argentin), Will Brown (UAE – Arabian Shakespeare Festival)
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

Managerial: Artistic Director & Managing Director – Models and Relationships
Successful Artistic Director and Managing/Executive Director partnerships are explored and discussed
with Melisa Nicholson and Clark Nicholson, Lesley Malin and Ian Gallanar, Patrick Mulcahy and Casey Gallagher
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 3

Education: What copy Shakespeare? Folios and the new RSC Editions
The story of Eric Rasmussen’s quest to examine every Folio in the world and create the RSC and new-RSC Complete Works editions.
Darren Freebury-Jones introduces Professor and Shakespeare Scholar Eric Rassmussen
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

4:45pm-7:45pm – Break and Dinner on Your Own (DOYO) or Dine Arounds Day 1

5:30pm-6pm – Escorted travel via tram (cost 24Kcz) from the Marriott Hotel to the Dine-Arounds near Divadlo Na Pradle. All restaurants (except Shakespeare & His Contemporaries – see below) are within a short walk to Divadlo Na Pradle (performance venue for Cry Havoc). Each Dine-Around will have at least one PSC rep who will help coordinate travel to the restaurant/theatre as well as serve as liaison with the restaurant and assist with any questions regarding the menu, etc.

6pm-7:45pm – Dinner on Your Own (DOYO) or Dine Arounds Day 1*
*Reservation required for all group Dine-Arounds. Escorted Travel from all restaurants to Divadlo Na Pradle for the Optional Theatre Performance will be provided. Sign up in person at the Registration table or Email sta2019@pragueshakespeare.org to sign up for Dine-Arounds

Dine-Around #1 – Pericles led by Lesley Currier – 2 spots available as of 11pm 7 Jan.
Restaurant: Luka Lu (Balkan) – Újezd 402/33, Malá Strana

Dine-Around #2 – Coriolanus led by Charlene V. Smith – 3 spots available as of 11pm 7 Jan.
Restaurant: Luka Lu (Balkan) – Újezd 402/33, Malá Strana

Dine-Around #3 – Titus Andronicus led by Brian Crowe – 1 spot available as of 11pm 7 Jan
Restaurant: Olympia (Czech Plsner Pub) – Vítězná 619/7, Malá Strana,

Dine-Around #4 – The Tempest led by Terry Burgler – FULL
Restaurant: Olympia (Czech Plsner Pub) – Vítězná 619/7, Malá Strana,

Dine-Around #5 – Shakespeare’s Contemporaries – Marlowe, Johnson and Beyond led by Ralph Alan Cohen – FULL
Restaurant: La Gare (French) – V Celnici 1038/3, Nové Město**
**PLEASE NOTE: La Gare is opposite the Marriott Hotel. You will eat first THEN travel to Divadlo Na Pradle. Because of time, there are ONLY set menu options available (choose ONE each): Starters: Foie gras / beef tartar / smoked salmon / Goat Cheese (Veggie option)
Mains: Rabbit, Duck, Coq au vin, Chicory salad (Veggie option)

8pm-9:30pm – Optional Performance: Cry Havoc (Stephan Wolfert)
Part of the 4 Play Theatre Ticket Package. Tickets for this production may also be purchased individually upon registration check in and at the door for 500Kcz General Admission and 300Kcz Student/Senior Admission. PSC reps will be available to escort people back to the Marriott Hotel via tram (cost 24kcz) at 9:30pm and 10:30pm.

10pm-2am – Conversations at the Marriott Hotel Bar

Thursday 10 January, 2019
8am-5pm – Coffee available at the Marriott Hotel

10am – Daily Tour to Obecni Dum (Slav Epic), & Wenceslas Square leaves Marriott Hotel. Meet in the lobby for your tour guide. Available with purchase of the Daily Tour Package.

10am-12pm – Plenary with Irina Brook Artistic Director of the Théàtre National of Nice, Centre Dramatique National Nice Côte d’Azur and Tina Packer, Founder and Former Artistic Director Shakespeare & Company
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

12pm-1:15pm – Budget Breakout Working Lunch – provided at the Marriott Hotel
Lunch Day 2: Budget Breakouts – $99,000 & under led by Katherine Brokaw
Lunch Day 2: Budget Breakouts – $499,000 & under led by David Stradley
Lunch Day 2: Budget Breakouts – $1,499,000 & under led by Lisa Tromovich
Lunch Day 2: Budget Breakouts – $1,500,000 & over led by Scott Jackson
*STA Executive Committee Strategic Planning Meeting during this time. Current EC members and past STA Presidents invited to join.

1:15pm-2:45pm – Break out sessions:
Artistic: Hamlet Study: a reflection on Shakespeare in Poland and the work of Stanislaw Wyspiański
Many of us will have read the Polish critic Jan Kott. His Shakespeare our Contemporary probably had more impact on Shakespeare productions in the second half of the 20th century than any other work. Many of us will know of the films of the Polish directors, Andrzej Wajda and Roman Polanski. Few, perhaps, will have heard of the most influential Polish theatre maker and theatre thinker of the 20th century, Stanisław Wyspiański. Wyspiański was a director and playwright as well as a distinguished painter and stained-glass designer. Polish directors to this day cut their teeth directing his plays. His work influenced Wajda, Polanski and Kott. THis year (2019) marks the 150th anniversary of his birth in Krakow. Across Poland, exhibitions and productions will celebrate his life and work. Neither his meditation, Hamlet Study , nor his short one-woman play Death of Ophelia have ever been translated and published in English…until this year. To mark the anniversary, Shakespeare’s Globe commissioned Basia Howard and Tony Howard to translate both. The publication will be launched in late June as part of a two-week Festival, Poland is Hamlet , at Shakespeare’s Globe. Death of Ophelia will be staged in the candlelight of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. STA delegates can enjoy a world premiere of extracts from Hamlet, Study read by actors from the Prague Shakespeare Company. The afternoon will begin with an introduction to Stanislaw Wyspiański and a reflection on his work and approach to Shakespeare from Tony Howard (who spoke at the Florida conference) and Polish Theatre scholar, Dariusz Kociński. The discussion will be chaired by Patrick Spottiswoode. We thank the Polish Cultural Institute of Prague for funding the visits of our two guest speakers. Join us to discover more about a neglected theatre genius. It might even change your Shakespeare.
led by Patrick Spottiswoode with Tony Howard and Dariusz Kociński.
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Managerial: Touring Shakespeare Domestically & Internationally
Discussion of the ins and outs, challenges and possibilities of touring Shakespeare domestically within your own country and abroad.
led by Scott Jackson with Renate Heitmann, Suzanne Dean, Joanna Śnieżko
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

Education: Shakespeare and Eco-Theatre
How do we perform Shakespeare at a time of environmental crisis? This panel showcases Shakespearean performances in Yosemite National Park, the green spaces of New York City, wild Montana, and the Australian outdoors. We will share ideas about how Shakespeare plays can be adapted to talk about ecological themes, about the opportunities for highlighting environmental issues in outdoor performances, and about green practices for the theatre.
led by Ian Gallanar with Katherine Steele Brokaw, Thomas Weaver, Stephen Burdman
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

Shakespeare: The Age and Body of the Time
Shakespeare plays in times of social and political crisis. Do we have an obligation to present particular Shakespeare plays at times of political and social unrest? Looking to the past and the relationship between Essex and Richard II, to recent events in Europe with the rise of Nationalism and the evolving status of women in society
with Brian Philips, Lesley Malin, Jenni Stewart, George Varsimashvili, Dawn McAndrews
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 3

2:45pm-3pm – Break

3pm-4:15pm – Break out sessions:
Artistic: Advice from the STA Players or What I Would Do Now with What I Now Know
led by Tom Bradac with Robert Currier, Jeff Watkins, David Prosser
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

Managerial: Advice from the STA Players or What I Would Do Now with What I Now Know
led by David Dreyfoos with Lesley Currier, Casey Gallagher
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

Education: Advice from the STA Players or What I Would Do Now with What I Now Know
led by Laura Cole with Amanda Giguere, Linda Henry Dean, Marilyn J. Halperin
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 3

IDEA: Color Conscious Casting & Design for non-white performers in Shakespeare
What are the unique opportunities and challenges for non-White performers in Shakespeare from casting to design.
led by Kanome Jones with Debra Ann Byrd, Brad Caleb Lee, Erin Knowles, Eva Bellefuielle, Přemysl Janda
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

4:15pm-4:30pm – Break

4:30pm-5:15pm – Question Salad led by Jim Helsinger
Quick fire Q&A for group discussion about all things relating to producing Shakespeare.
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

5:15pm-7:45pm – Break and Dinner On Your Own (DOYO) or Dine Arounds Day 2
*Reservation required for all group Dine-Arounds. Escorted Travel from all restaurants to Divadlo Na Pradle for the Optional Theatre Performance of EVIL GENIUS will be provided via tram & short walk to the theatre – cost 24Kcz. Sign up in person at the Registration table or Email sta2019@pragueshakespeare.org to sign up for Dine Arounds

5:45pm – Escorted travel via tram (cost 24Kcz) from the Marriott Hotel to the Dine-Around #6 ONLY near Divadlo Na Pradle.

6pm-7:45pm – Dine Around #6: International Touring led by Guy Roberts – 2 spots available as of 7pm 9 Jan.
Restaurant: Ichnusa Botega Bistro (Sardinian) Plaská 5, 150 00 Malá Strana
**PLEASE NOTE: Ichnusa Botega Bistro is near Divadlo Na Pradle . You will first travel to the restaurant via tram (cost 24Kcz) to eat then walk to Divadlo Na Pradle.

6pm-7:30pm – Dine Around #7: Women in Leadership positions in the Shakespeare World led by Jenn Deon – FULL
Restaurant: Sia (Asian) – V Celnici 1034/6, Nové Město
**PLEASE NOTE: Sia is about a block away from the Marriott Hotel. You will eat first THEN travel to Divadlo Na Pradle via tram (cost 24kcz)

6pm-7:30pm – Dine around #8: Education – What should we be talking about for the future of students and Shakespeare led by Catherine Fannin Peel – FULL
Restaurant: Kolkovna Celnici (Czech Plsner Pub) – V Celnici 1031/4, Nové Město
**PLEASE NOTE: Kolkovna Celnici is about a block away from the Marriott Hotel. You will eat first THEN travel to Divadlo Na Pradle via tram (cost 24kcz)

6pm-7:30pm – Dine Around #9: Foreign Language Shakespeare led by Carlos Drocchi – 3 spots available as of 7pm 9 Jan.
Restaurant: La Bottega Linka (Italian) – Havlíčkova 1680/13, Nové Město
**PLEASE NOTE: La Bottega Linka about one block away from the Marriott Hotel. You will eat first THEN travel to Divadlo Na Pradle. Because of time, there are ONLY set menu options available (choose ONE each):

6pm-7:30pm – Dine Around #10: Annual Summer Shakespeare Festivals led by Jenni Stewart – 1 spots available as of 7pm 9 Jan.
Restaurant: La Gare (French) – V Celnici 1038/3, Nové Město**
**PLEASE NOTE: La Gare is opposite the Marriott Hotel. You will eat first THEN travel to Divadlo Na Pradle. Because of time, there are ONLY set menu options available (choose ONE each): Starters: Foie gras / beef tartar / smoked salmon / Goat Cheese (Veggie option)
Mains: Rabbit, Duck, Coq au vin, Chicory salad (Veggie option)

6pm-7:30pm – Dine around #11: Shakespeare & Universities led by Patrick Mulcahy – FULL
Restaurant: Kolkovna Celnici (Czech Plsner Pub) – V Celnici 1031/4, Nové Město
**PLEASE NOTE: Kolkovna Celnici is about a block away from the Marriott Hotel. You will eat first THEN travel to Divadlo Na Pradle via tram (cost 24kcz)

7:15pm – Travel from Marriott Hotel to Divadlo Na Pradle for Optional Theatre Performance of EVIL GENIUS. Via tram & short walk to the theatre – cost 24Kcz).

8pm – Optional Theatre Performance: Patrick Page – Evil Genius: How Shakespeare Invented the Villian
Divadlo Na Pradle
Note: all Dine-Around restaurants are close to the theatre. Part of the 4 Play Theatre Ticket Package. Tickets for this production may also be purchased individually upon registration check in and at the door for 700Kcz General Admission and 400Kcz Student/Senior Admission.

10pm – Patrick Page After Party
Divadlo Na Pradle Bar

11pm-2am – Conversations at the Marriott Hotel Bar

Friday 11 January, 2019
8am-5pm – Coffee available at the Marriott Hotel

9am-9:40am – Leadership Convenings
Artistic (open only to Artistic Directors)
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

Management (open only to Managing / Executive Directors)
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

Education (open only to Education Directors)
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 3

9:45am-10am – Travel to the Estates Theater (10 minute slow walk)

10am-11:30am – Plenary with Jan Burian (Director of Czech Republic National Theatre) and Martin Hilsky (Czech translator of Shakespeare)
Estates Theater

11:30am-11:45am – Break

11:45pm-12:45pm – Plenary with Patrick Doyle – Shakespeare and Music
Academy-Award nominator composer Patrick Doyle (Gosford Park, Sense and Sensibility, Thor, Brave, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Cinderella, Murder on the Orient Express, among others) discusses his work as an actor and composer over the last 30 years, including his longtime collaborations with Sir Kenneth Branagh onstage for the Renaissance Theatre Company and the Kenneth Branagh Company in the West End as well as the films Henry V, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Love’s Labor’s Lost and the most recent Branagh/Doyle collaboration about Shakepeare in retirement, All is True.
Estates Theater

12:45am-2:15pm – Lunch OYO (Recommendations in Welcome Packet)

2:15pm-3:30pm – Optional Performance: MADBETH – A Comic Spree from Prague Shakespeare Company
PSC Artist and TheatreAct (Sweden/India) Artistic Director Rupesh Tillu (Clowns without Borders) presents his award-winning one man clown version of Macbeth: MADBETH – A Comic Spree in a special performance for STA Conference attendees. Part of the 8 Play Theatre Ticket Package. Tickets for this production may also be purchased individually upon registration check in and at the door for 300Kcz.
MARRIOTT HOTEL – BOHEMIA 2

3:30pm-4pm – Break & Escorted Travel from Hotel to Lucerna Art Deco Cinema. 15 minute walk ride from the Marriott Hotel.

4pm-6:15pm – Exclusive Private Screening of Kenneth Branagh’s All Is True. Courtesy of Sir Kenneth Branagh and SONY Pictures.
Lucerna Cinema

6:15pm-8pm – Break & Dinner On Your Own (DOYO) – Recommendations Provided

7:30pm – Escorted travel from Marriott Hotel to the Estates Theater for Optional Theatre Performance of Patrick Doyle Shakespeare in Concert – 10 minute slow walk.

8pm – Optional Theatre Performance: Patrick Doyle: Shakespeare in Concert with the Praga Sinfonietta Orchestra conducted by Dirk Brosse with members of Prague Shakespeare Company
Estates Theater
Part of the 4 Play Theatre Ticket Package. Tickets for this production may also be purchased individually upon registration check in and at the door for 700Kcz.

9:30pm – Patrick Doyle After Party
Marriott Hotel The Bourbon Bar

Saturday 12 January, 2019
8am-5pm – Coffee available at the Marriott Hotel

9:30am-10:45am – Break out sessions:
Artistic: Original Practice – Working without Directors. Can theatres program it successfully?
A discussion of working models of performing Shakespeare with no directors or designers and a very short rehearsal process – 2-4 days. and how can Artistic Directors program it successfully? This session will not be focusing on questions of original pronunciation, elizabethan costumes, or all male casts.
led by Jim Helsinger with Amanda Giguere, Patrick Mulcahy, Ralph Alan Cohen, Jeff Watkins
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

Managerial: New Directions and non-traditional business models for the future of Shakespeare
As we constantly look for new and innovative ways to produce Shakespeare onstage, how can we innovate off-stage? What new methods and non-traditional business models may we attempt to make our theatres more profitable and productive? Must we expand beyond Shakespeare? Do we expand by offering more or less Shakespeare?
led by Melissa Nicholson with Renate Heitmann, Joanna Śnieżko
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

Education: Artistic Director & Education Director Models and Relationships
Successful Artistic Director and Education Director partnerships are explored and discussed.
led by Ralph Alan Cohen with Jeremy Dubin and Brian Phillips, Mike Ryan and Alexandra Schroeder
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 3

Shakespeare: PLAY ON! In Practice
A working demonstration of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s innovative and controversial PLAY ON! Program
led by Lue Douthit with Irwin Appel – on your feet participation encouraged
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

10am – Daily Tour Walking Tour of Alchemy, Alchemy Museum & Classic Czech Pub Beer Tasting leaves Marriott Hotel. Meet in the lobby for your tour guide. Available with purchase of the Daily Tour Package.

10:45am-11am – Break

11am-12:15pm – Break out sessions:
Artistic: Sam Wanamaker and the Globe – Legacy and Aftermath
Shakespeare’s Globe in London was the fulfillment of Sam Wanamaker’s life work. A look behind the curtain into the man and the events that shaped him and the creation
presented by Paul Prescott
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Managerial: Fundraising beyond grants, corporate and individual giving
Many Shakespeare theatres today are faced with generating funds beyond typical season ticket subscriptions and fundraising needs beyond grants and corporate and individual giving. What are new avenues for revenue streams available for non-profit and for-profit theatres? How can we think as creatively about fundraising as we do about our work onstage?
led by Eric Sammons with Roxane Smyer, Casey Gallagher, Suzanne Dean
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

Education: Raising Achievement and Aspirations through ShakespeareThis session will explore some of the evidence that we have amassed at the Royal Shakespeare Company about the positive difference that Shakespeare’s language and a pedagogy inspired by rehearsal room practice can have on the attitudes, aspirations and achievement of children and young people. It will share our approach to developing long term partnerships with schools and the difference this makes to both learners and teachers.
led by Jacqui O’Hanlon, Education Director – Royal Shakespeare Company
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

Shakespeare: Women, Diverse/Non-Traditional Casting as Hamlet and Beyond
Today women are playing Hamlet and other traditionally male roles more and more. How do these casting choices open up the role of Hamlet and the plays for today? What are the considerations that must be addressed in producing productions featuring Diverse/non-traditional casting from design, to marketing to directorial vision and company integration? A discussion of the nitty-gritty to successfully opening up the role of Hamlet specifically and other roles in general to women and diverse/non-tradiional artists.
led by Irwin Appel with Lisa Wolpe, Janet Griffin
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 3

12:15pm-1:30pm – Lunch OYO (Recommendations Provided)

1:30pm-2:45pm – Break out sessions:
Artistic: Six mini-Artistic Break out sessions on:
Bare Bones Shakespeare – Best practices and the future of Bare Bones (Bard) Shakespeare
led by Irwin Appel
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Foreign Language Shakespeare – Best practices and what shows connect with non-native English speaking audiences
led by Will Brown with Renate Heitmann
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Solo Shakespeare Shows – Best practices and How to Create your Solo Show
led by Debra Ann Byrd with Lisa Wolpe, Patrick Page, Stephan Wolfert
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Site Specific Shakespeare Shows – Best practices and the future of site specific Shakespeare led by Stephen Burdman with Philip Parr
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Outdoor Shakespeare Best practices and the future of Outdoor Shakespeare
led by Lisa Tromovich with Rebecca Ennals, Robert Currier, Terry Burgler, Mike Ryan
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Shakespeare at Universities – Navigating the University environment
led by Michael Arndt with Patrick Mulcahy, Larry Optiz
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

Managerial: Artist and Organizational Politics on Social Media.
Should Shakespeare Theatre prohibit political expressions by employees and artists on social media? What do you do when the social media needs of the individual conflicts with that of the organization?
led by Jenn Deon
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

Education: Shakespeare & Youth – Programs for the future: Bullying, Autism and Beyond
What are the programs for youth of tomorrow beyond school tours and student matinee performances? How do we engage the youth of today? Must we focus on other issues outside of the classroom such as bullying and creating special performances for youth on the spectrum? How can we think as creatively about educational initiatives as we do about our work onstage?
with Amanda Giguere, Sarah Enloe
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

Shakespeare: Measure for Measure and #metoo
Has the #metoo movement led to a reconsideration of Measure for Measure? Is the #metoo movement applicable to Measure for Measure? How should we select artists and design for Measure for Measure in light of the #metoo movement?
led by Paul Prescott with Rebecca Goodheart, Kristin Clippard, Megan Garbrick
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 3

2:45pm-3pm – Break

3pm-4pm – Focus Groups:
Artistic
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 2

Managerial
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 1

Education
Marriott Hotel – Moravia 3

4pm-4:15pm – Break

4:15pm-5:15pm – STA Business Meeting
Marriott Hotel – Bohemia 2

5:15pm-7pm – Break

7pm-7:30pm – Travel to the Lobkowicz Palace, Prague Castle (escorted travel assistance provided – details TBA)

7:30pm-10:30pm – Final Banquet
Lobkowicz Palace, Prague Castle

10:30pm-2am – Conversations at the Marriott Hotel Bar

Sunday 13 January, 2019
12pm – Hotel check-out

Conference Hotel & Venue

Prague Marriott Hotel – 2019 STA Conference Venue & Official Conference Hotel
V Celnici 10 Prague 1, Czech Republic (Nové Město)
Phone +420 222 888 822 | Toll-free Reservations +44 800 328 3528

Practicon Venue (Pre-conference)
Estates Theater, courtesy the National Theatre
Železná, 110 00 Staré Město

Divadlo Na Prádle
Besední 487/3, 118 00 Malá Strana

11 January Plenary & performance
Estates Theater
Železná, 110 00 Staré Město

SPECIAL GUESTS

IRINA BROOK
Irina Brook was born in Paris as the daughter of director Peter Brook and actress Natasha Parry; she grew up in England and France. At 16 she moved to New York to take acting lessons with Stella Adler and made her debut in Off-Broadway productions. In Paris, she performed at Bouffes du Nord in Peter Brook’s productions of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard and Molière’s Dom Juan ou Le Festin de pierre. After working on numerous productions in London, she presented her first work as a director there in 1996: Kalinoski’s Beast on the Moon, followed by Nicholas Wright’s Mrs. Klein and Shakespeare’s All’s Well that Ends Well. In 1998 she created Une Bête sur la Lune, a French version of Beast on the Moon for Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne. She then embarked on an international tour as well as performances at MC93, Bobigny and Théâtre de l’Oeuvre, Paris for which she won five Molière Awards including Best Director and Best Play. In 2000 she directed Katherine Burger’s Morphic Resonance at Théâtre de l’Atelier, Paris. For the Festival de Sartrouville she developed a version of Homer’s Odyssey. This was followed by Juliette et Roméo after Shakespeare and Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa at Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, as well as Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie in a co-production with Théâtre de l’Atelier and Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne. She devised En attendant le songe… a six-man version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, originally produced by the Dedans-Dehors festival in Brétigny for outdoor performances in France and Switzerland. The play was programmed for three weeks at the Villeneuve-lès-Avignon festival, before heading off on a French and international tour, with a month at the Bouffes du Nord (December 2007). The show was performed more than 300 times in France, Canada, New York and further afield. Brook’s productions of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt and Shakespeare’s The Tempest premiered at the 2012 Salzburg Festival and toured to the Barbican Centre and Spoleto Festival respectively. Her production The Island Trilogy (The Island of Slaves, The Tempest!, An Odyssey) was performed at the Spoleto Festival, Georgian International Festival of Arts, and Teatro dell’Arte, Milan in 2013. In 2014 Brook was appointed Director of the Théâtre National de Nice. Brook has also directed numerous operas; debuting with Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Nederlandse Reisopera), followed by Tchaikovsky’s Yevgeny Onegin (Festival d’Aix-en-Provence) and Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées/Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Royal Swedish Opera). She has also directed Handel’s Giulio Cesare (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées), Verdi’s La traviata (Opéra de Lille/Teatro Comunale di Bologna), Martín y Soler’s Il burbero de buon cuore (Teatro Real/Liceu), L’elisir d’amore (Deutsche Oper) and Don Pasquale (Wiener Staatsoper). In 2018 Brook directed Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur with future seasons including a return to the Wiener Staatsoper. Irina Brook has received multiple Moliere Awards, the Mitrani Prize, the Air France Prize for innovation and French culture overseas; been named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the Ministry of Culture, an Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres and in May 2017 Brook was named Officier de l’ordre des Arts et Lettres and awarded the Légion d’honneur.

prof. MgA. JAN BURIAN, General Director of the National Theatre
Between 1995 and 2013, Jan Burian served as director of the multi-ensemble J. K. Tyl Theatre in Plzeň, whose repertoire encompasses drama, opera, ballet, musicals and operetta. In 1984 he completed his studies of stage direction at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, while in the final year at the school he worked as stage director at the Satirické divadlo Večerní Brno (Evening Brno Satirical Theatre). His first engagement as a stage director was at the O. Stibor Theatre in Olomouc. In 1986 he worked for the first time as a guest director in Plzeň, where in the following year he was engaged. Until 1989, when he assumed the post of Artistic Director of the Drama section in Plzeň, he staged a number of remarkable productions of controversial titles (Mikhail Bulgakov: Adam and Eve, Karel Steigerwald: The Tartar Pilgrimage, Alexander Kazantsev: Eve’s Dreams – Czechoslovak premiere). In 1990 he directed the Czechoslovak premiere of Václav Havel’s Temptation. From 1991 to 1995 he worked as a stage director at the Vinohrady Theatre in Prague. In May 1995 he was appointed General Director of the J. K. Tyl Theatre in Plzeň, where he created productions encompassing a wide range of genres, from grand classical plays (Shakespeare, Lorca, Miller, O’Neill) to contemporary Czech and international drama. He also staged several operas (Rusalka, Carmen, The Lantern, Il trovatore, Jenufa). During his tenure in Plzeň, he prepared world premieres of two Pavel Kohout plays – The Zeros and Arthur’s Bolero. Subsequently, in 2002, upon the invitation of Oleg Tabakov, Artistic Director of the Moscow Art Theatre (MKHAT), he prepared The Zeros and in so doing became the first Czech stage director to have worked for this world-renowned theatre. Since 1990 he has taught stage direction at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, since 1992 he has been the head of the drama department. In 2015 he was appointed professor. Jan Burian is the director of the Theatre International Festival, the most significant event of its kind in the Czech Republic. He was the Vice-President of the Czech Centre of the ITI/UNESCO and Vice-President of the Union of Employer Associations. He is a member of the Board of Opera Europa. As Chairman of the Association of Professional Theatres of the Czech Republic and, he represents Czech professional theatre at negotiations at both the national and European level. His managerial work has been praised within the Czech and international context. Jan Burian also played a major role in getting a new theatre constructed in Plzeň.

PATRICK DOYLE
Patrick Doyle is a classically trained composer. He graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in 1975, where he was made a Fellow in 2001. After many years composing for theatre, radio and television, Patrick joined the Renaissance Theatre Company as composer and musical director in 1987. In 1989 director Sir Kenneth Branagh commissioned Patrick to compose the score for feature film ‘Henry V’, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, and they have subsequently collaborated on numerous pictures, including ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘As You Like It’ and ‘Cinderella’. Patrick and Branagh’s collaboration within film and theatre has continued to this day, with performances worldwide that include Branagh’s 2015 production of ‘The Winter’s Tale’ and 2016 productions of ‘Romeo & Juliet’ and ‘The Entertainer’ which both ran at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End.. Patrick has been commissioned to score over 50 international feature films, including ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’,‘Gosford Park’, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Indochine’,‘Carlito’s Way’and ‘A Little Princess’.His work has led to collaborations with some of the most acclaimed directors in the world, such as Regis Wargnier,Brian De Palma, Alfonso Cuaròn, Ang Lee, Chen Kaige, Mike Newell and Robert Altman. In October 2007, Patrick Doyle’s ‘Music from the Movies’ sell-out concert on behalf of The Leukaemia Research Fund was staged at The Royal Albert Hall. It was directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh and starred a host of international talent, including Emma Thompson, Sir Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench and Alan Rickman, among many others. In December 2013, the London Symphony Orchestra performed a programme of Patrick’s work in a special celebratory concert at the Barbican for Patrick’s 60thbirthday, at which Sir Derek Jacobi, Emma Thompson and soprano Janis Kelly performed. Patrick has received two Oscar, two Golden Globe, one BAFTA and two Cesar nominations, as well as winning the 1989 Ivor Novello Award for Best Film Theme for ‘Henry V’. He has also been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from The World Soundtrack Awards and Scottish BAFTA, the Henry Mancini Award from ASCAP and the PRS Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Music. Patrick has composed several concert pieces, including Tam O Shanter, commissioned by the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust; Corarsik, composed for Emma Thompson’s birthday; ‘The Face In The Lake’, commissioned by Sony and narrated by Kate Winslet and The Thistle and the Rose, commissioned by Prince Charles in honour of the Queen Mother’s 90thbirthday. His concert suite Impressions of America received its world premiere in July 2012 with the National Schools Symphony Orchestra, of which Patrick is a patron. Patrick scored ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ for Fox Studios, and ‘Brave’ for Disney/Pixar, for which he was subsequently awarded Best Original Composition for Film at the International Music and Sound Awards. In addition, Patrick completed a score for the silent movie ‘IT’ starring Clara Bow, commissioned by The Syracuse Film Festival, which received its world premiere at the Syracuse historic Landmark Theatre in October 2013. His score was recently performed in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall by young students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Junior Orchestra as part of a pioneering music education programme for the International Society for Music Education (ISME) In 2015, Patrick completed work on the music for Walt Disney’s live action version of ‘Cinderella’, directed by Branagh and marking their eleventh film collaboration to date. Patrick also completed recording a solo piano album, made up of a collection of his film scores to date, which was released by Varese Sarabande in July 2015. In 2016 Patrick completed the scores for the remake of Scottish classic ‘Whisky Galore!’ and Amma Asante’s ‘A United Kingdom’, starring Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo. Most recently, Patrick completed the score for ‘Sgt Stubby: An American Hero’ and Twentieth Century Fox’s ‘Murder On The Orient Express’.

MARTIN HILSKY MBE
Professor of English Literature. Martin Hilský is the most prominent translator of Shakespeare’s plays and poems into Czech. He is a recipient of the prestigious Jungmann Prize for his Czech rendering of Shakespeare’s Sonnets (1997), in 2002 he was awarded the Tom Stoppard Prize for his essays on Shakespeare, and an MBE (An Honorary Member of the British Empire) by Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II. for his lifelong achievement as translator, writer and teacher. His publications include Současný britský román (Contemporary British Fiction, 1991) and a book-length study of modernist writing in Britain Modernisté (The Modernists, 1995). He is editor and co-author of a book of essays on contemporary American literature Od Poea k postmodernismu (From Poe to Postmodernism, 1993) and on English modern literature Od slavíka k papouškovi (Nightingales and Parrots, 2003). He has also written more than 60 essays on British and American literature and more than 30 essays on Shakespeare. So far, Martin Hilský has translated Shakespeare’s complete dramatic works (38 plays) and The Sonnets. He is the editor of a widely acclaimed dual-language critical edition of Shakespeare’s plays and poems (6 volumes have been published so far). 36 plays by Shakespeare in his translation have been published by the European Literary Club (Evropský literární klub). His non-Shakespearean drama translations include Thornton Wilder’s Our Town (1978), Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus(1981), James Goldman’s Lion in Winter (1988), J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World (1996), Peter Barnes’s Red Noses (1991). He has translated books by R. Lardner, J. Steinbeck, J.G. Farrell, D.H. Lawrence, T.S. Eliot and others. He has been invited to give lectures at many universities and venues in the Czech Republic and abroad, e.g. University of Warwick (1991), University of East Anglia, Norwich (1991), University of London (1992), Birkbeck College, London (1992), PennState University, Pennsylvania (1994), Folger Library, Washington D.C. (1995), Synge Summer School, Rathdrum, Ireland (1997), Deutsche Shakespeare Gesellschaft, Weimar (1999), University of Murcia (1999), Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon- Avon (1994, 2000, 2002). He is a member of the Czech Modern Language Association (chairman 1993-1996), the European Society for the Study of English (ESSE) and the Czech branch of the PEN Club. He is well known as an author, translator and performer at the Czech Radio 3, Vltava, Czech Television and many theatres in and outside Prague.

TINA PACKER
Tina Packer is the founding artistic director of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts. She has directed most of Shakespeare’s plays (some of them several times), acted in seven of them (never when directing) and taught the whole canon one way or another at over thirty colleges in the U.S., including Harvard, M.I.T. and NYU. At Columbia, she taught in the M.B.A. program for four years, resulting in the publication of her piece, Power Plays: Shakespeare’s Lessons in Leadership and Management with Deming Professor John Whitney. For Scholastic, she wrote Tales from Shakespeare, a children’s book and recipient of the Parent’s Gold Medal Award. She began her career in England, having trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she won the Ronson Award for most Outstanding Actor. Following this, she became an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing at Stratford, in the West End, and on tour. She has worked at The Royal Court in London; Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leicester, Coventry and Hornchurch repertory companies. For BBC Television, she played Dora to Ian McKellen’s David Copperfield, was a love interest for Patrick Troughton’s Doctor Who (which she has never lived down), and also performed in several other TV plays and series. She came to the U.S. in 1974 when the Ford Foundation funded an eleven-month project for her to research the visceral roots of Elizabethan theater with five master teachers (Kristin Linklater, John Barton, B.H. Barry, John Broome, Trish Arnold), fifteen actors, and three managers. Out of these projects led by Tina throughout England and the US, her work has translated into the aesthetic and practical methods that Shakespeare and Company is based on, and still practices to this day. Tina then received two grants from the Ford Foundation to travel the world, looking at the relationship of mind, body, sacred texts, stand-up comedy, voice, and actor–audience relationship in her studies. The current company was founded in 1978 at Edith Wharton’s derelict mansion in Lenox, far from the cities of New York and London. Tina has returned to acting from time to time, most notably as Edith Wharton and a two-year stretch as Shirley Valentine, playing in Lenox, Boston and Louisville, and Lettice in Lettice and Lovage. For the Boston Shakespeare Company, she directed a season of twelve Irish plays, including the U.S. premiere of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching towards the Somme. She has received the state of Massachusetts’s highest honor, The Commonwealth Award, and has six honorary degrees (which gives her great pleasure as she never went to regular college). During the mid-90’s, Tina conceived the idea for Women of Will, and subsequently received grants from the Guggenheim and Bunting fellowships to fund the project. This collaboration resulted in its first incarnation, at that time. In 2009, desperate to get back to WoW, Tina gave up the artistic directorship—though Shakespeare & Company remains her creative home and passion. She began work, first with Nigel Gore and then joined by Eric Tucker, to bring Women of Will to its present form of one Overview and five separate performances. This is Tina’s seventh creative collaboration with Nigel (including playing George and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) and she would like to acknowledge the power of their work together over the past six years. The book of Women of Will will be published by Knopf next year. Women of Will marks her New York debut as an actor and a writer.

PATRICK PAGE
Patrick Page is currently appearing as Hades in Hadestown at the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, a role he will resume on Broadway when he returns to New York this Spring. Other Broadway credits include Valentina in Casa Valentina, The Inquisitor in Saint Joan, DeGuiche in Cyrano DeBergerac, Rufus Buckley in A Time to Kill, Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin in Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark, The Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Scar in The Lion King, Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and others. For the Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare he appeared as Cymbeline in Cymbeline and in Steven Berkoff’s Richard II. Patrick is an Associate Artist of the Old Globe in San Diego and The Shakespeare Theatre of Washington DC where his roles have included Cyrano De Bergerac, Malvolio, Macbeth, Iago, Coriolanus, Claudius, and Prospero. He recently created the roles of Dom Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at La Jolla Playhouse and Captain Dragutin Dimitrijevic in Rajiiv Joseph’s Archduke at The Mark Taper Forum. Other roles at major regional theatres include Hamlet, Richard III, Henry V, Benedick, Mercutio, Fagin, Marc Antony, Brutus, Sergius, Scrooge, Dracula, Oberon, Armado, Jaques, Richard II, etc. Television credits include NCIS New Orleans, The Blacklist, The Good Wife, Elementary, Flesh and Bone, Madame Secretary, Law and Order SVU, Chicago PD, etc. He is the founder of the Patrick Page Acting Studio in New York City. Patrick has been awarded the Princess Grace Statue Award, the Matador Award for Classical Acting, The William Shakespeare Award for Classical Acting. The Joseph Jefferson Award, The Helen Hayes Award, and the Utah Governors Award for the Arts.

The Mission of the Shakespeare Theatre Association is to provide a forum for the artistic, managerial, and educational leadership of theatres primarily involved in the production of the works of William Shakespeare; to discuss issues and methods of work, resources, and information; and to act as an advocate for Shakespearean productions and training.

The sessions and programs at the STA conference are designed for senior staff and leadership of our Member Organizations. Examples include, but are not limited to Artistic Directors, Managing Directors, Executive Directors, Education Directors, Board Members, Development Directors, PR/Marketing Directors, Associate Artistic Directors, etc. Each Member Organization of STA is unique, and it is up to each individual theatre to decide who will benefit most from the professional development opportunities offered at the conference and how many should represent their organization.