The Fellows Gazette Volume 72 Published by the College of Fellows of the American Theatre Fall 2016
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The Fellows Gazette Volume 72 Published by the College of Fellows of the American Theatre Fall 2016 The New Fellows of 2017 ! John Frick Kim Peter Kovak Tony Mata Jim O’Connor Laurence Senelick For their brief biographies see page 3. for the Arts and the John F. Kennedy Center for the APRIL 2017 COLLEGE OF Performing Arts. FELLOWS MEETING IN We look forward to seeing everyone in April! WASHINGTON, DC FULFILLING THE MISSION OF By Dean Karen Berman THE COLLEGE OF FELLOWS We hope you will join us for an exciting weekend in By Dean Karen Berman Washington, D.C. for the reception for new Fellows on Saturday, April 22, 2017 and the investiture luncheon The Board has agreed that we will soon do a of our new Fellows and the Roger L. Stevens address membership survey to collect your views on on Sunday, April 23, 2017. We are so excited that the preferences for the future activities of the College of College of Fellows will be returning to the historic Fellows. Cosmos Club for our Saturday, April 22, 2017, reception to meet our new Fellows. Thank you to I would like to thank Gail Humphries Mardirosian for Fellow Bonnie Nelson Schwartz for arranging for this her work as chair of the Advocacy, Profile and reception at the beautiful Cosmos Club. We are also Marketing Committee. Jeff Koep became a Fellow in glad to be able to return to the River Inn this year 2008 and was the longtime Dean of the College of Fine which is offering a reduced rate for the Fellows. 0. Arts at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Jeff did an amazing job fundraising for our 50th anniversary gala I am pleased to announce that the Seventeenth Roger in 2015 and I am happy to announce that Jeff will L. Stevens address will be presented by Fellow continue his work for the Fellows. I thank Jeff for all Thomas Schumacher. Thomas is President of the his past work and I am looking forward to his future Disney Theatrical Group that produces all Disney work on behalf of the Fellows. musicals around the world, including The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aida, Tarzan and Mary Poppins. Jeff’s fundraising will support the “Dean’s Plan” for He became a Fellow in 2014. The Seventeenth Roger the College of Fellows of the American theatre and the L. Stevens address will take place on Sunday, April work of the Advocacy, Profile and Marketing 23, 2017 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Committee. Future funding will be utilized to carry out Performing Arts. This important annual address is in some of the action steps listed in the “Dean’s Plan” honor of Roger L. Stevens, the great theatrical for the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. producer and arts administrator who was the founding Chairman of both the National Endowment Mission continued on page 2 The Fellows Gazette 1 Mission continued from page 1 Goals based on the Dean's Plan: Dean's Plan for the College of Fellows of the American 1) Support, promote and encourage the highest Theatre standards of research, writing, and creativity in Developed by Dean Karen Berman in educational and professional theatre through consultation with the Board honoring distinguished service and notable accomplishment. Our College of Fellows printed Mission reads: Action Steps: Nominate and induct individuals of The College of Fellows of the American Theatre recognized national stature; garner funds to support originated in 1965 within the American Educational the individuals when they come to conferences by Theatre Association. From its beginnings, investiture underwriting some of the costs of the induction in the College was one of the highest honors weekend of new inductees and current Fellows; bestowed on educators and professionals of garner funds to reduce the suggested cost of America’s educational and theatre community. Today, voluntary membership dues; raise funds to bring in the College is an autonomous, nonprofit organization nationally known speakers who are not yet Fellows in of 132 members that holds its annual meeting and order to support the Fellows April conferences; poll investiture of new members each April under the the membership on their preferences for the future of auspices of the Education Department of the John F. the organization. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D. C. Among the events of the yearly Action Step # 1: 60 attendees at April events at meeting is the Roger L. Stevens Annual Lecture, $175.00 ($100 Cosmos Club Reception/$75 Kennedy named for the visionary producer who served as Center Investiture Lunch) plus College of Fellows founding chairman of the Kennedy Center and the subsidizes at $1500 for each = total cost of is National Endowment for the Arts. The primary $13,500.00. Could we raise $20,000.00 to cover this for purpose of the College of Fellows of the American about two years? Theatre is to promote and encourage the highest standards of research, writing, and creativity in Action Step # 2: Voluntary Membership Dues are educational and professional theatre through $75.00 and we have 133 members - approx. $10,000 honoring distinguished service and notable though we usually get $4000 per year. Could we raise accomplishment by individuals of recognized national $10,000 to offset Membership Dues for four years, stature. The membership includes actors, critics, thus only asking for 1/2 of $75.00 for members? designers, directors, playwrights, producers, program administrators, distinguished teachers and scholars Action Step # 3: Nationally known speaker would be associated with the commercial and educational $5000 honorarium plus hotel, airfare or $6000. Could wings of the American theatre. The Fellows Gazette is we do this for three years and raise $18,000.00? the official publication of the College and reports to the membership on current and future 2) Leave a legacy from the distinguished Fellows to activities. Although the major event of the annual the upcoming generation of artists. meeting each spring is the investiture ceremony of Action Steps: Continue to provide an on-going new members, the meeting also features the Roger L. College of Fellows Jane Alexander Award to an Stevens address, videotaping of interviews with Emerging Artist yearly at the Kennedy Center members for the preservation of the history of American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) national American theatre, and sessions during which select ceremony; provide additional emerging artist awards members reflect upon their ongoing contributions to at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre theatre in America. Individual contributions support national ceremony; support Fellows leaving legacy the programs of the College and members are funds in donations/wills for supporting the College authorized to add the designation ATF following their and awards to emerging artists. names. The College Archives are located at the University of Texas, Austin. Action Step # 1: Fellow Thomas Schumacher has given us $25,000.00 for 10 years of which we give Our Vision: (as taken from our Mission Statement) $2500.00 annually to an emerging artist for the The primary purpose of the College of Fellows of the Kennedy Center in the College of Fellows Jane American Theatre is to promote and encourage the Alexander Award. Could we raise an additional highest standards of research, writing, and creativity $25,000.00 for another emerging artist for 10 years? in educational and professional theatre through honoring distinguished service and notable 3) Advocate for the Arts, Theatre and Arts in accomplishment by individuals of recognized national Education to the extent allowed by law of C-3 stature. organizations. Mission continued on page 3 The Fellows Gazette 2 Mission continued from page 2 Kim Peter Kovak: Action Steps: Send Advocacy, Profile and Marketing (nominated by Nat Eek with supporting letters from Committee Chair/Members to Arts Advocacy Day Susan Zeder and Robyn Baker Flatt) through garnering funds to pay their way to D.C.; write to Congress on behalf of the arts; maintain Kim currently serves as Producing Director of the membership in Americans for the Arts; meet with like- Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences. He co- minded theatre organizations to establish and founded the Kennedy Center's Festival New strengthen ties to leaders in other organizations and Visions/New Voices program, which has assisted in develop white papers when necessary (i.e. Support for the development of 96 new plays, musicals, and Race and Gender Equity in the American Theatre and operas from 86 playwrights and 37 composers, Film) and raise funds to support meetings across the working with 57 U.S. and 10 international theater country for this. companies. He has taken the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour, playing to 2.4 million Action Step # 1: To meet in another city, say NY, for children over 19 years in all 50 states and Canada. In two members of Advocacy, it would be airfare, hotel, 2011 he co-founded Write Local/Play Global, an cabfare at $1000 each or $2000 for two years would be international theater for young audiences which raising $4000.00. currently has a membership of over 550 members in 65 countries. In 2008 he received the Monte Meacham 4) Raise our Profile. Award for distinguished service to theatre for young audiences and in 2013 the Medallion Award from the Action Steps: Create Press Releases sent to theatre Children's Theatre Foundation of America. journals and magazines noting new inductees, awards to emerging artists, and promotion of the arts Tony Mata: activities; create panels and/or workshops at the (nominated by David Young with supporting letters Association for Theatre in Higher Education to from Judith Williams and Jorge Huerta) promote the College of Fellows; develop and fund workshops by Fellows at the KCACTF national and Tony has has worked with the renowned Circle regional festivals.