Trying to figure out where to stay for the Chicago Conference? Look no further!

Where to Stay in Chicago

Conference Registration is now OPEN

For the 2016 VASTA Conference
To be held in Chicago, IL, at The Theatre School, DePaul University

 

Dynamic Dialogues and Connections

August 8-11, 2016

 
VASTA’s 30th anniversary returns to Chicago, where ATHE (the Association for Theatre in Higher Education) is also observing its 30th anniversary immediately following the VASTA Conference. The VASTA Conference will be located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, North of the Chicago “Loop” downtown area. Lincoln Park is full of tree-lined streets, as well as restaurants and other amenities. Lincoln Park is a “L” train-ride away from all that Chicago has to offer, including the venue for the ATHE Conference, the Palmer House Hilton.

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Dorothy Mennen Research/Professional Development Grant Recipients

The VASTA Awards and Grant Committee is pleased to announce that 2015-2016 Dorothy Mennen Research/Professional Development Grants have been awarded to Rockford Sansom and Adriano Cabral.   Each will receive a grant of $1000 to support their advanced professional development.  Rockford is based in New York City where he coaches in private practice, professional theatre and has been affiliated with academic and actor studio programs. Adriano is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of West Georgia Theatre Department.

-Barry M. Kur
Awards and Grants Committee Chair

 

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VASTA presented a lively, exciting conference in Montréal, Québec, Canada Aug 2-5, 2015. The theme was “Cirque des Voix/Circus of Voices” that reflected a wide variety of explorations and celebrations of the human voice. Keynote Speaker, François Grisé, opened our ceremonies with "To speak ma langue.” Inuit throat singers Heidi Langille and Lynda Brown performed and gave workshops; ‘Clowns of Horror’ Mump and Smoot performed their internationally acclaimed ‘Something’ with a follow-up panel on vocal use; and Master teacher Judith Koltai gave workshops on “The Pleasure of the Text.” Highlights also included many VASTA members who presented workshops, panels, and performances on voice and identity, dialects, speech, and text. It was a fantastic offering of expertise that promoted inspired learning. Watch the Montreal conference announcement video:

 

Member Initiatives

Statement of Teaching Philosophy Support Group

One of the great things our members do is try to support one another for self-improvement.  VASTA Member, Diane Robinson, saw a need to help people in developing their teaching philosophy statements. For anyone in Academia, this can be a serious undertaking because it is often a part of Tenure & Promotion Materials, so she asked members of our listserv, VASTAvox, if they would like to work with one another in helping one another develop a teaching philosophy.  This has grown into the Statement of Teaching Philosophy Support Group.

If you are interested in being a part of these discussions, please contact the Tech Director. You will be added,  begin receiving email messages, and have access to VASTA's Google Apps Group. 

 

VASTA is a Focus Group of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). For more information visit http://www.athe.org