More on Chicago (June 13-17); still time to register

“NATO has left the building and Chicago is still intact.” So says Jonathan Abarbanel, chair of ATCA’s Chicago conference, June 13-17. Recent schedule additions include a Soul Food dinner courtesy of brand-new $19 million Black Ensemble Cultural Center, followed by the Ensemble’s latest musical biography, “The Marvin Gaye Story.” Cultural Commissioner Michelle T. Boone hosts an opening reception in the roof garden of the Harris Theater at Millennium Park, catered by Phil Stefani & Associates, one of Chicago’s celebrated restaurateurs. And at the Water Tower Pumping Station, we’ll see Lookingglass Theatre Company in the premiere of “Eastland,” about the worst maritime disaster in Great Lakes history.

For those not yet registered, there’s still time: info here. Registered or not, read on …

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Foundation ATCA president and ' Best Plays' editor Jenkins takes on chair at U. of Illinois

Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, editor of Best Plays, Jeffrey Eric Jenkinsformer ATCA chair, president of Foundation ATCA and chair of our international committee, is the new Head of the Department of Theatre at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

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ATCA responds to S.F. Bay Area critics' concerns

Jay Handelman, excom chair, has written member John McMullen about the recent request from eight S.F. Bay Area theaters for page view stats for online reviewers (scroll down two items for the original letter). Handelman points out that no theater owes any critic a free ticket, but that all theaters, like ATCA, share the mission “to ensure that the debate and conversation about theater continues to grow through as many critical voices as possible to stimulate readers, theaters and audiences.” For the full letter:

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Meanwhile, debate elsewhere about theater reviews

We’ll have ATCA’s response to the SF Bay Area critics’ concern shortly, but in the meantime, if you need something to distract you from your daily rounds, there are these two discussions going on “Howl Round: A Journal of the Theater Commons”: “What do we actually want from a theater review” and “The Gamble of Being Reviewed.”

S.F. Bay-area theaters target online critics

Press representatives for nine prominent San Francisco Bay-area theaters have just asked what they call “citizen journalists” (online theater critics and/or bloggers) to supply statistics on web traffic, “to demonstrate to our employers that the press passes we issue deliver a meaningful return on investment” – i.e., to help decide who should receive free reviewers’ tickets. The communication urges: “Please don’t fret about this! The report you send will not automatically qualify or disqualify you for attendance at any theater. Each of our companies retains the right to set its own policies with regard to press passes … .”

The San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle is studying a possible response. The ATCA executive committee will have its own response very shortly. Note ATCA’s own criteria for membership, which are relevant to this debate. The letter from the press reps follows …

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Chicago Conference adds another star, Simon Callow

Distinguished actor Simon Callow, CBE, will meet with ATCA members and guests and answer Simon Callow questions in “A Conversation with Simon Callow” on Saturday, June 16. Callow is best-known to American audiences for his film work (Amadeus, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love) and his occasional TV appearances on Doctor Who. But in England he’s known as a stage actor, director and sometimes singer who has a one-man show, Being Shakespeare, and who’s directed opera and written extensively on theatre and literary history. He will be in Chicago to perform as Beethoven in two concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (Scroll down for Conference details.)

Chicago Conference hotel blocs closing; late-night choices added

Our room blocs at Club Quarters and Red Roof Inn officially closed May 15, but the hotels agreed to hold a few rooms each for late-arriving registrations. If you plan to attend the Chicago Conference, it is ESSENTIAL that you notify Jonathan Abarbanel of your hotel choice ASAP, even if you have not yet mailed your registration form and check. Note that we now are in the late registration period, with ATCA members at $145 and non-members at $165.
For night-owls, we will offer a limited number of tickets to Friday and Saturday late-night attractions, among them magician Dennis Watkins’s intimate show at The Palmer House and The Second City’s 100th revue. Most tickets will be offered first-come, first-served at the opening General Membership meeting. Conference info here (includes registration form link).

Caridad Svich (Primus Prize) and Darren Canady (Osborn Award) to attend ATCA/Chicago

Caridad Svich Svich and Canady, winners of the 2011 Primus Darren Canadyand 2012 Osborn, respectively, have already received their checks. But they will join us Friday, June 15, for us to applaud their achievements — and they will be with us for much of the Chicago conference, for us to enjoy their company.

Svich has been especially busy lately, so …

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ATCA meets 'Iceman' in Chicago

“No matter how far you have to go to get there, the place to be right now is Chicago, where Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy are starring in Robert Falls’ Goodman Theatre revival of The Iceman Cometh.”
— Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal. Teachout is the Perspectives in Criticism speaker at ATCA’s Chicago conference, June 13-17 — where we’ll also see this Iceman Cometh. Conference info here.

ATCA Chicago 2012: full schedule available; hotel and early registration deadlines loom

The reduced early registration rate for the Chicago Annual Conference, June 13-17, ends this Friday (May 11 post-marked). After Friday, registration will be $145 for ATCA members and $165 for guests.

Rooms are still available at the Red Roof Inn and Club Quarters, which offer special ATCA rates June 12-18 (Tuesday through Sunday nights). BUT: cut-off for rooms is May 15 (next Tuesday). Unbooked rooms will be released and we will not be able to offer the Conference rate.

Please SEND YOUR CONFERENCE REGISTRATION ASAP (Download PDF Registration packet. Mail form with check). You book the Red Roof Inn yourself by calling the hotel in Chicago. For Club Quarters you must send your room request to Jonathan Abarbanel (Conference chair) who will submit it to CQ as part of a members-only group booking.

Full schedule follows.

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Regional Theater Tony® Award goes to Shakespeare Theatre Company

Based on ATCA’s recommendation as determined by a balloting procedure guided by Chris Jones, the Shakespeare Theatre Company of Washington, D.C. will receive the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award^®, which honors a non-profit, professional regional theatre that has displayed a continuous level of artistic achievement contributing to the growth of theatre nationally. Artistic director Michael Kahn will accept the award during the Tony Awards ceremony on June 10. For that company, read more here. And read here for an honor roll of previous winners plus a snapshot history of the regional theater award, which began in 1976 with an ATCA initiative.

Outer Critics Circle announces nominations

Nice Work If You Can Get It leads with 9 nominations. See the full list here. Winners in 23 categories will be announced May 14, with the awards given May 24.