July 17-21, 2013: Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, W.V.

Check out the new conference brochure (download pdf).

Five plays, panels, speakers, dinners, a host of historical sites and more, plus transport, etc.

THE AMERICAN THEATRE CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE,July 17-21 at the CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL IN HISTORIC SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.V.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

 The venue: The theaters of Shepherd University.

 The dates: Wednesday, July 17 to Saturday, July 21, 2013.

 Five plays:    

1. Heartless, by Sam Shepard (no relation)
2. H₂O, by “Jane Martin.”
3. A Discourse on the Wonders of the Invisible World, by Liz Duffy Adams (a sequel to The Crucible)
4. Modern Terrorism, by Jon Kern
5. Scott and Hem in the Garden of Allah, by Mark St. Germain. 

Where we lay our heads at night: The Bavarian Inn. (Room price $100 per night.) Be sure to make your hotel reservations early. Call 304-876-2551 or go toThe Bavarian Inn Accommodations page and click on Reservations in the right column. 

Is that all there is?
Heck, no. Also covered by your price of admission is –

• Perspectives in Criticism
• Two panels
• Dinner at the Yellow Brick Bank
• Dinner at Erma Ora Byrd Hall
• Three General Membership Meetings with full breakfasts at the Bavarian Inn Potomac Room.
• An afternoon to explore the dozens of historic and otherwise fascinating sites nearby, including Harper’s Ferry, Antietam, Charles Town Races and Casino, andthe Berkeley Hot Springs.

How do we get around? 
Your transportation from and to Dulles or Thurgood Marshall (a.k.a.. BWI) airports are covered by your price of admission, as is your transportation from the Bavarian to the CATF and back, and to the various dinner venues and back. Some transportation to area attractions will also be available, depending on demand. 

How much will all this cost?
If you buy by June 1, the price is $180 for members and $200 for guests. After June 1, it’s $200 for members and $225 for guests. 

Click here to register online (pay by VISA/MC/PayPal)
or mail a check ($180 members, $200 guests) made out to “ATCA” with attendee names to:

ATCA Administrator, Barry Gaines
12809 Northern Sky NE
Albuquerque NM 87111-8089

Pay by mail questions for Barry?   bjgaines@unm.edu

Online registration questions for Leslie? atcawebsite@gmail.com

Conference questions for Tim?treanorwriting@earthlink.net

Make hotel reservations? 304-876-2551or  The Bavarian Inn Accommodations page 

See you in beautiful Shepherdstown!  

Jay Handelman, ATCA Chair (criticjay@gmail.com) 
Tim Treanor, ATCA Summer Conference Chair (treanorwriting@earthlink.net)

ATCA to hold 2012 annual conference in Chicago

Download PDF Registration Packet

The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) selected Chicago as the site of its 39th annual conference, June 13-17, 2012.

It was the fourth time Chicago hosted an ATCA conference, more than any other American city, and the first time since 2002. The conference host was Jonathan Abarbanel at jabar525@sprintmail.com

After Chicago, some members joined host Anne Siegel (asiegelz@wi.rr.com) for a follow-up trip to Milwaukee, a relatively short drive from Chicago, for activities June 17-20. 

The Milwaukee trip included a visit to Ten Chimneys, the historic summer residence of theater legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, and other noted theaters and sites.

ATCA in Ashland

The 2011 ATCA ANNUAL CONFERENCE was be at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, July 6-10: there  were eight plays to see (4 Shakespeare, 4 not), lively ATCA panels, companionship, a lovely small town full of good restaurants and the top-notch Ashland Springs Hotel, just a few minutes walk from the theaters.

ATCA conferences past

The 2011 ATCA Weekend Meeting (aka “Mini-Meeting”) was in New York City, Feb. 4-6. Here’s the registration form.

2010 Annual Conference, July 14-18, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Conn.

ATCA went back to its 1974 birthplace, “America’s premiere theater laboratory.” The O’Neill is a template for developmental programs for new plays, musicals and critics, with a rich roster of playwrights of national significance.

The conference included a side bus trip up the Connecticut River valley to the delicious Goodspeed Opera House (worth an article) for a revival of “Carnival!”

Our mornings were at the Radisson, starting with breakfast buffets and including ATCA meetings, panels, discussions and a Perspectives in Criticism. A panel on the new media was be at Monte Cristo, the O’Neill family cottage, famous from his plays (also worth an article). At the O’Neill, there was a panel of theater pros telling us what they think of theater criticism… 

SPRING, 2010: Humana Festival of New American Plays, Special Visitors (formerly Critics) Weekend

Actors Theatre of Louisville, March 25-28

Not an ATCA event, but many critics attend and ATCA annually annouces the Steinberg/ATCA and Osborn new play award winners. Click here to read some blog entries on the weekend just completed.

WINTER, 2010: Denver Mini-Meeting

Feb. 11-13, 2010

Colorado New Play Summit, Denver Center Theatre Company, Denver, Colorado

Some ATCA members at the Denver conference: (left to right, in rear) Jim Steinberg, Chris Jones, Christine Dolen, Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, Bill Hirschman, Chris Rawson, Jonathan Abarbanel, Lynn Rosen, Barry Gaines, Rick Pender and Brad Hathaway; (left to right, in front) Juliet Wittman, Glenn Loney, Barbara Bannon, Judith Reynolds and Sylvie Drake.

ATCA blog about Denver>>

Details about the content of the CNPS>>

History of ATCA conferences

Each year ATCA holds both a weekend mini-meeting and a five or six day annual conference, with the ATCA members in the relevant city playing lead roles in planning and organization. In addition, there’s a tradition of occasional Critics’ Seminars.

 For many years the mini-meetings were regularly in New York in February, when many papers traditionally sent their critics to report on new Broadway openings — how the world has changed. Recently the mini-meetings have branched out, going to New York every other year, sometimes based on a festival of new plays, and going in alternate years to theater festivals elsewhere, such as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Harriet Lake Festival of New Plays (at the Orlando Shakespeare Festival) or Humana Festival.

The main annual conference (aka convention) continues to be held in a national theater center other than New York, allowing ATCA members over time to develop an acquaintance with American theater geography. Many of these conferences have also had add-ons at near-by cities or festivals.

1978 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

1979 - Chicago

1980 - San Francisco

1981 - Nashville

1982 - Washington, DC

1983 - San Diego

1984 - Providence, R.I. (including New Haven and Cambridge, Mass.)

1985 - Oregon Shakespeare Festival

1986 - Los Angeles

1987 - Stratford/Shaw Festivals, Canada

1988 - Houston

1989 - Atlanta

1990 - The Berkshires, Mass.

1991 - Chicago

1992 - Cleveland

1993 - Seattle

1994 - Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Conn.

1995 - Miami

1996 - Dallas/Ft. Worth

1997 - Salt Lake City/Utah Shakespeare Festival

1998 - Denver

1999 - Philadelphia

2000 - Actors Theatre of Louisville/Humana Festival

2001 - Oregon Shakespeare Festival

2002 - Chicago

2003 - St. Paul/Minneapolis

2004 - San Francisco

2005 - Los Angeles/National Critics Conference

2006 - Stratford/Shaw Festivals, Canada

2007 - Las Vegas

2008 - Washington, D.C./Arlington, Va.

2009 - Sarasota, Fla.

2010 - Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Conn.

2011 - Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, Oregon
2012 - Chicago