The past two days have much to report. Meetings have provided me with ideas and inspiration on ways to get more students involved and in attendance to the 2011 PQ. After attending the Upstate NY Regional Section Meeting, The USITT Regional Section Communicators Meeting, And The State of The KCACTF Meeting, facilitating communication between KCACTF and USITT is in the works.
Moving beyond meetings at the conference has also been beneficial. I was an active part of going live via webcam to UB’s THE106 class from the stage expo floor. We introduced the class to new stage technology, new acquaintances, and old ones too, as we have caught up many UB alum (both expected and unexpected). I was able to literally “emerge from the midst” of a new fog machine and give the students a live update on my conference findings.
A session on Deborah Landis’s new costume design book was fantastic. She was really able to shed light on the significance the costume designer has on the performer and how important that relationship is. She was also able to exploit how important choice making in while selecting what garments to put on someone else and ourselves as costume designers. As the soon to be new costume design chair at UCLA, Deborah’s session only added to my difficult graduate school decision process.
On the graduate school front, this week has also brought new knowledge. The possibility of attending Northwestern with a primary focus in scenic design with a secondary in costume design could perhaps happen in the fall of 2009. There have been further developments with the University at Maryland, details to be forthcoming, and I have been accepted to UCLA, awaiting details regarding a financial package.
After attending the KCACTF Summer Intensives, working at PCPA, and going through the U/RTA process, attending the conference has been a new experience for me, now knowing many more members of USITT. It’s made me realize how the industry is seemingly huge, yet at the same time even smaller than I have previously thought. Also, each and everyone I’ve had a chance to catch-up with has his or her own personal thoughts regarding my educational future. Of course, the choice is ultimately up to me, but these thoughts have made a tremendous impact, and my survey of them will be considered in my upcoming decision process.
Another great session was one which honored the distinguished achievement in Scenic Design of Franco Colavecchia: internationally known designer for work with the New York City Opera, Chicago Lyric, The Roundabout Theatre and Center Stage. Franco Colavecchia has displayed his work throughout the country and his designs have been included in the Prague Quadrennial multiple times.