ATCA is in N.C. at last!

ATCA is in N.C. at last!

Those ATCA members lucky enough to have signed up (lucky, since hardly any of us had been here before) are now in Winston-Salem, N.C. being swept up in the engaging hurlyburly of the National Black Theatre Festival, an every-other-year production of the North Carolina Black Repertory Company. The Festival started Monday; our conference started Wednesday, although some came early, including conference chair, Jay Handelman; no matter who came when, we have all been scattering hither and yon to see our individual selections of 25 full productions, 4 fringe shows and innumerable readings and late-night events in the halls and byways of the headquarters hotel.

The ATCA contingent is small for an annual conference: a follow-up survey will attempt to figure out why, and then we’ll debate to what extent probable attendance should determine the selection of future conference sites. But for now, those attending are ebullient with their sense of discovery. And ss one member said, “if there’s a national black theater festival, and there is, then of course ATCA should be at it!”