CFO / Treasurer
It is, indeed, your humble narrator and Convention Director,
with a brief summary of what’s in store for you at TheatreFest 2013
at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Houston, January 24-27, 2013
(we WILL be going to the Hyatt Regency in Dallas in 2014; I promise!).
We listened to your feedback from last year and have made a number of improvements which a majority of members requested.
Among these are:
- Registration WILL be open on Thursday evening for any of you who have pre-registered or want to register onsite. So come on down to the Registration area and see us Thursday evening, Friday, or until late afternoon on Saturday;
- There WILL be a full slate of diverse programming on Friday morning, January 25. In fact, one of our biggest events is being scheduled for Friday morning (details in the November issue of “Texas Theatre Notes”);
- We WILL continue to have our Annual Business Meeting and Keynote Speaker at 1pm on Friday, January 25, just as we have for 20 of the last 23 years. This year’s Keynote Speaker is the recently appointed Director of Academics for the University Interscholastic League, Dr. David Stevens. You will not want to miss Dr. Stevens’ words of inspiration and encouragement;
- For those of you who plan to attend TETA’s AWARD RECEPTION (and EVERYONE really should) on Friday, January 25, we have no All-Convention events scheduled on Friday nights, so you can speak, celebrate, and congratulate until Saturday morning’s Yoga Class if you choose to do so. No time limits, no pressure, no hassle. Join this world-class event honoring TETA’s finest!;
- This year’s SPECIAL GUEST is scheduled in the Imperial Ballroom West on SATURDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 26, at 7:30PM! Save this time slot. And do we have AMAZING NEWS for you about SATURDAY NIGHT’s SPECIAL GUEST? Well, actually, no, we don’t. We are still wooing a number of Broadway greats and will continue to look for just the right person for Saturday night’s spotlight. Stay tuned for more details soon.
More great news from me, then additional news from Jenny Nichols, whose article appears elsewhere in this newsletter. Two of TETA’s most popular guests will be returning, not only to perform, but also to conduct a Master Class in the Regency Ballroom.
Donna McKechnie, the original Cassie in “A Chorus Line” and a performer at last year’s TheatreFest, returns this year to teach an interactive Master Class on Friday during which she will select her own chorus line to assist her on Saturday night in a new “autobiographical show with music”. A great opportunity to learn from and interact with a Broadway Legend!
And Mary Ekler, TheatreFest’s Musical Director, teaches a Master Class in more effective auditioning: “It Ain’t Who You Know; It’s WHAT You Know!”. Join Mary as she accompanies herself on the piano and shares how to maximize the impact of your two minutes on stage (maybe Mary will share a few tips from her recent stints as MD on “American Idol”).
And over 200 additional programming choices for all ages and interests!
If you haven’t already done so, here are two things you should absolutely do as soon as possible:
First, submit your registration forms with payment and make sure that we receive all forms and payments postmarked no later than December 1, 2012 (it’s a Saturday this year, so be extra careful to hit the postmark deadline). You not only save almost 30% off the regular $175 registration fee, but you’ll save lots of time by not having to register onsite (cash/credit cards/school checks only after December 1). AND HERE’S OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU. If you pre-register by December 1, we will absolutely have a Convention bag, name tag, and program set aside for you, no matter when you actually pick-up your materials onsite;
Second, be sure you have a room reserved at the Hyatt Regency. This year’s convention rate – which is LESS than last year’s rate- again entitles up to four people to stay in a room for the same price as one. It’s a great deal, but we were only able to get a limited number of rooms at this rate. Once those are gone, the hotel MAY (or may not) release additional rooms. Take the stress out of guaranteeing you’ll have a room at the host hotel by reserving now.
Rain or shine, ice or blue skies, we look forward to hosting you at TheatreFest 2013. With so many extraordinary programming choices, ongoing performances, scholarship opportunities, diverse exhibits, and learning opportunities covering almost every facet of educational theatre, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
Welcome back to school, and be on the lookout on November 1 for the next issue of Texas Theatre Notes which will have ALL THE LATEST information on TheatreFest 2013!