Australian Aboriginal Theatre Initiative: NYC '07

Martin E. Segal Theatre Center/CUNY, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in collaboration with AATI present Indigenous theatre artists from Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Canada and the United States. All performances will take place at the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 365 5th Avenue, NYC, between November 29 and December 1. Read details at AboriginalTheatre.com.

London's International Theatre Kitchen

International Event at Theatre Kitchen, London
November 5-8, 2007

The Kitchen is open to performers from different parts of the world who have chosen the way of creation as life-work-–the way of constant motion, change, continuous exploration of own potentialities and self-perfection in profession. Performers and artists from a wide variety of genres, styles and techniques are welcome to join the Kitchen. This is an opportunity to widen the circle of contacts, to meet other performers and practitioners in London, to exchange creative ideas and develop new collaboration projects.

To register, please send your detailed CV and a brief letter of motivation to info@iugte.com

If you'd like to know a little more, visit International University Global Theatre Experience.

Greenlandic Theatre

I just went to Greenland for five days, which was a phenomenal experience. It's not the first place you think of for theatre, but there is a gorgeous new cultural center in Nuuk, the country's capital. (In the smaller port town of Sisimuit, an arts center is currently under construction, as the people are demanding it!) While I wasn't able to catch any shows on my brief visit, that shouldn't stop you!

The UAJII Theatre will perform on Aug 31 & Sept 9 at Nuuk's Katuaq Cultural Centre. Hey, it's only a 4 1/2-hour trip from Baltimore! The Katuaq Cultural Centre website explains: "Greenland is known as the biggest island in the world. For some, its a shock that people live in this big ice cap! It may look like an ice cap on an atlas but the breathing life of its culture is a different story. The story can be told through the art vessel of Greenland: Katuaq Cultural Centre. Situated in Nuuk, Greenland, the culture house was born from the many ideas and suggestions from artists, city councils, musicians, and actors. The people wanted and needed a house to display and preserve Greenlandic art through music, theatre and sculptures. Hence, a resolution was created between the Greenland Home Rule Government, Nuup Kommunea and the Nordic Ministerial Council; to construct such an institution to strengthen cultural life in Greenland."

--Kerri Allen

Baltic House Festival in Russia

We are all invited to attend the XVII Baltic House International Theatre Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia from Wed., Oct 24 to Mon., Oct 29. (More info here. The Russian is current, but the English pages are from 2006. It will still give a general idea.)

Larry is going to the IATC ExCom meeting on Oct 27-28, but we are all welcome to attend the festival. Should you choose to go, theater tickets will be provided free-of-charge by the Festival organizers. You may also receive a hotel discount (exact price TBD).

One of the many highlights will be three productions from the celebrated Lithuanian director Eimuntas Nekrosius: "Macbeth," Oct. 24; "Othello, Oct. 26; and, "Faustus," Oct. 28.

If you are interested in attending the Festival, contact Larry

Photo: AP

Steve Capra's Report from Portugal

International Seminar of Established Critics
Almada International Theater Festival, Portugal
July 2007

The Almada International Theater Festival took place in Almada (a small city next to Lisbon), Portugal, on July fourth through 18th. An International Seminar of Established Critics took place as part of the Festival, on July fifth, sixth and seventh. Its topic was Dramaturgical and Scenographic Fictions: Convergences/Confrontations. This subject was open to interpretation.

The venue was an turn-of-the-century villa in Almada, the Casa de Cerca.

On July 5, the seminar opened with addresses from: Joaquim Benite (Director of the International Theatre Festival of Almada and The Almada Municipal Theatre), the Mayor of Almada, and Maria Helena Serodia (President of the Portuguese Association of Theatre Critics).

The critics then presented their papers.

Ian Herbert (UK, president of the IATC) spoke on Design as Performance. He reported on the Prague Quadrennial (the international competitive exhibition of scenography and theatre architecture), which he attended earlier this year. He noted that the US designers excelled. Speaking more generally, he differentiated between designer-artists (“design is the intent and content of their work”) and designer-craftsmen (who subordinate themselves the production). He advocates a team working together, not a theatre led by designers.

Jean-Pierre Han (France) spoke on Une “friction” entre la dramaturgie at le scenographie, in French.

Don Rubin (Canada) spoke on Critical Confrontations with Imagery. He talked about theatre in the dithyrambic tradition, which comes to us as text, as opposed to theatre as spectacle. Even Aeschylus, he pointed out, made use of spectacle He suggested that spectacle is more important to audiences than we judge it to be..

The July sixth session opened with a detailed address on the architecture of the Almada Municipal Theatre. Then the critics’ presentations continued.

Juan Antonio Hormigon (Spain) spoke on Una clave en la concepcion el espacio escenico del siglo XX, in French. It concerned the history of design and the effects of technology.

Yun-Cheol Kim (South Korea) spoke on Two Approaches to History in Contemporary Korean Theatre. He discussed directors Oh Tae-Suk and Lee Yun-taek, whose work contemporizes Korean history. Time and place are determined by dramatic need rather than situation.

Herve Gauy: (Canada) spoke on L’esprit des lieux: A propos d’un des effets des fictions scenographiques, in French. His presentation concerned French Canadian designer-directors who base their conception of the production on design. Herve pointed out, in discussion, that younger directors are more partial to this approach.

Steve Capra (USA), your humble scribe, spoke on Scenic Design and Theatrical Weight. My talk was concerned with the various degrees of importance that design has in productions, with several photographs. I cited sets from The Metropolitan Opera, Robert Wilson, Richard Foreman, and other designers. My presentation ended with a video of a performance by The Living Theatre in Times Square, reminding the panel that no design -– in fact, no theatre building -- is necessary in the theatre.

On the third day, Aleks Sierz (UK) spoke on New Writing in Britain: How do we Define the Contemporary?. He sees new writing as a British phenomenon, characterized by its
history, its writers, and its institutions. It exhibits contemporary allusions, contemporary issues, contemporary provocations, and contemporary forms

The public attended the seminar on this day (it was well attended, filling the medium-sized room). A panel of speakers summarized the content of the critics’ talks in Portuguese, French and English. Then they took questions from the public, in Portuguese.

Each session was followed by luncheon on the terrace under the umbrella pines.

In short the experience was almost totally satisfying for the critic. Our hosts were enormously hospitable. The only concern was the inevitable language problem. Talks given in French were summarized in English (and vice-versa), but the summaries were never satisfying. Ian Herbert pointed out that French summaries said different things from English summaries of the same talks.

In the evenings, of course, we attended the theatre. The productions I saw were meticulously, flawlessly presented:

Nada, ou o silencio de Beckett
from the Teatro de Marionetas do Porto, Portugal
by Joao Paulo Seara Cardoso
Nothing, or The Silence of Beckett
In the Palco Grande of the Escola D. Antonio da Costa (a grammar school), an outdoor theatre.
This was a marvelous puppet theatre with nearly no dialogue. It was based on the plays of Beckett. The visual images were striking: puppets carrying trunks, puppets in straight jackets, puppets trembling, with references to Waiting for Godot, Happy Days, and the other plays.

Concerto de Rabih Abou-Khalil
Concert with Abou-Khalil, a Lebanese musician, his band, and two fado singers (Ricardo Ribeiro and Tania Oleiro)
From the Teatro Nacional de S. Joao, Portugal
Lyrics by Jacinto Lucas Pires
in the Sala Principal of Sao Luiz – Teatro Municipal (Lisbon)
This superb group included a lute, drums, guitar, accordion and other instruments, along with the fado singers.

Sizwe Banzi est Mort
Size Banzi is Dead
By Athol Fugard
Directed by Peter Brook
From Centre International de Creations Theatrales
Theatre des Bouffes du Nord, France
in the Sala Principal of the Teatro Municipal de Almada
This was Peter Brook’s famous production, in French with Portuguese surtitles.

Recital of Cancoes Heroicas (Heroic Songs)
By Fernando Lopes Graca
Company: Criacao Colectiva
In the Forum Romeu Correia (Almada)
This was a fascinating production, recited and sung in Portuguese, from poems by
14 Portuguese poets and other traditional poems. The piece debuted last October. It’s comprised of great, complex music, mixing key-based and atonal styles. Pieces might begin as spoken words and then become songs. The pieces were banned under Salazar (the Portuguese dictator), although the texts were available. All the poems address social or political concerns. They presentation was very traditional, with actors in a formal row on a bare stage.


Photos:

One of The Met’s sets for Turandot. The people in the foreground are the chorus, not the audience. The sets cost $1.5 mm in 1987. Courtesy of the Met.

The Living Theatre in Times Square. Courtesy of The Living Theatre.

Argentina Update

New details about the seminar for young critics in Argentina are now posted on the web site www.aict-iatc.org. Please look at the "News" section on the right of the page.

Briefly, the seminar for the 35-and-under set will be Oct. 1-7 in Cordoba, Argentina, a dulcet metropolis of 1.3 million set in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas mountains on the Suquia River, about 400 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, itself a city made famous by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The host country will accept 10 international critics to work alongside an unspecified number of Argentinian writers. The languages will be Spanish and English. The mentors will be Sweden's Margareta Soerenson and an experienced local critic. The deadline for application, to me and not to Ms. Soerenson, is Aug. 21, repeat, Aug. 21.

PLEASE, if you know a younger ATCA member who might be interested in this, get on the phone or the e-mail and let him or her know.

Seminars in Argentina & Spain

This fall's Young Critics Seminars are sponsored by the International Association of Theatre Critics with the participation of our group, ATCA. The term "young critics" means 35 years of age or younger, and requires about three years' experience in professional criticism. ATCA members who already have attended one of these young critics seminars may apply again, but preference is given to first-timers who apply. More information also is available on the IATC website.

For the younger critics among us, here is notice of two seminars of great interest, one in Cordoba, Argentina, (photo, above) and one in the city made famous both by St. James and by Luis Buñuel, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Oct. 1-7, Cordoba, Argentina: Planning for this seminar is "still in progress," according to Margareta Sorenson, the Swedish critic who is director of the young critics seminars.

Oct. 23-27, Santiago de Compostela, Spain: arriving Oct. 22, departing Oct. 28. This seminar will be hosted by the Feira de Teatro de Galicia, in the historic city of pilgrims in northwestern Spain. (Compostela, from the Latin campus stellae, or "field of stars" -- hence, Buñuel's extraordnary 1969 film, "The Milky Way.") This means your seminar is part of the festival and you will be able to attend its productions and special events, time permitting. This is the 15th year of the festival, which is dedicated to presenting a wide variety of works developed by Galician and other Spanish companies. Interestingly, the hosts say the works will be performed in "a wide diversity of spaces, from conventional theater buildings to bars and local tabernas."

Sixteen spots available, with hotel, meals and theater tickets provided. You may have to share a room. They provide airport pick-up and departure. Working languages will be English, Portuguese and Galician (!). Working hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The seminar will be directed by Paulo Eduardo Carvalho, of the Portuguese Association of Theatre Critics, who currently is an assistant director of this project of the International Association of Theatre Critics.

For further information, contact Lawrence DeVine, chair of ATCA's international committee, at ldevine@windstream.net

Message from Yun-Cheol Kim

Mr. Yun-Cheol Kim, vice president of IATC, and the South Korean delegate sent this to us today, in the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech:

Dear friends,

I am totally heartbroken by the VT massacre. I can't even turn away from the CNN coverage of the horrible violence beyond description. I can imagine how sorry, angry, and shocked you are by this massacre, and I share the pain with you.

I give many many condolences to you and the American people from the bottom of my heart.

I hope you are, and will be, doing very well, despite this incomprehensible disaster.


All the best,

Yun-Cheol Kim
Vice-President/IATC

Use the IATC card!

Fellow committee member Marie Kilker wants to remind us that she has received free or discounted admission to various sites in France, Russia and the UK by presenting her IATC card. (I personally got into the Chiado Museum in Lisbon, Portugal for free.) Marie shares her detailed travel successes below.

Do you have a success story? Please share it with the committee!

Marie Kilker writes:

One of our duties as a committee member is to inform all ICTA/ATCA members of advantages of "carrying the card." I have always stressed to the International Committee and general members how valuable it is for gaining entry to art exhibits, historic sites, and museum shows, especially at any venue connected with UNESCO. I have forgotten to add many libraries and exhibitions or collections in libraries.

I visit Paris at least yearly, and often the admissions the card covers free add up to more than the price of a year's ITCA/ATCA membership. In January '07, for instance, I visited at no charge several Louvre special shows, an exhibit of publicity art (including for theatres) at the Musee de la Publicite, a Japanese art show at the Marmotan, a huge exhibit of the art and other treasures rescued from the sea at Alexandria, Egypt, and shown at the Grand Palais, and the newly reopened Orangerie with its many Impressionistic paintings and a special showing of late Realistic,
pre-Impressionistic paintings that duplicated much of a famous showing of 1934.

But the show I expected least from but found absolutely thrilling was at the Bibliotheque Nationale's site Mitterrand: an exhibition on Antonin Artaud. In addition to materials related to his Theatre of Cruelty promulgations, there were many photographs of him and samples of his poetry, diaries, journals, drawings and paintings. (I never knew there were so many!) A whole section was devoted to his appearances in film, with continual showing of clips of scenes in which he played. Of course, I inspected minutely the section devoted to Artaud and theatre, including interviews about him and it by people like Anais Nin and the director Roger Blin. I remember getting that thrill of recognition when I saw photos of his famous production of his version of THE CENCI and realized the scenery was by Balthus. I had just seen paintings by Balthus the previous day at the Orangerie. So I really had the sense of visiting the era.

I am reminded that the first time I visited the Bibliotheque Nationale Mitterand was for an exhibit on Gerard Philippe, and that was predominantly on his theatre, so it also prominently featured Louis Jouvet. I also fondly recall an exhibit on Sarah Bernhardt at the Bibliotheque Nationale's old central site, which has not been by any means abandoned. The one on Bernhardt had a number of recordings of parts of her performances, which could be listened to on little phones while seeing related pictures. A more static exhibit was of pictures of Moliere productions through the ages. The annuals of the Comedie Francaise and much of the Renaud-Barrault Company's documents are among the treasured documents of France's national library.

You will also find documents at the Public Records Office in London of interest. It has a few things the British Library lacks, especially about authors (yes, Shakespeare too). Oh, and the Theatre Museum behind the Gorky Theatre in St. Petersburg has terrific collections, though you have to persuade the guardian that you are a scholar (well, at least a student of theatre who publishes about it) to see much of anything.

So add free admission to government-owned libraries abroad and their special showings to the advantages of IATC membership! That card--don't leave home without it!

International Press

As a matter of sharing the benefits of our association with IATC, recently I have been published in Portugal and Sweden. I met both of these editors at IATC events, and each reached out to me with the offer to contribute. They translated my stories from English.

Check them out:
Revista Obscena (Portugal)
Nummer (Sweden)

Have you been published outside of the U.S. recently? Tell us!

~Kerri

Today is World Theatre Day

WORLD THEATRE DAY was created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI). It is celebrated annually on March 27 by ITI Centres and the international theatre community. Various theatre events are organized to mark this occasion. One of the most important of these is the circulation of the World Theatre Day International Message through which, at the invitation of ITI, a figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace.

This year's International Message comes from H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Sharjah. You can read that, as well as his biography HERE.

Worldwide Theatre--Now Streaming

Fabrice Raina, President of Auteurs de l'Ombre, announced the following:

"The Cultural Center of La Castellane and Les Auteurs de L'Ombre are happy to announce the 2007 edition of the World Wide Week of Writing for the Performing Arts!

Program Live Stream March 22-27: WATCH IT HERE. Like past years, you'll be able to follow our online videoconferences, lectures, debates and theatre plays through our
website.

40,000 internet connections were accounted for last year, and 40 countries relaying this event... Thank you all for forwarding this information to your address book.

We hope you will be amongst our guests wether it be on the web or in the house audience. So, may living playwrights' works be encountered everywhere by the living audience!"

Chris Rawson in London

Our fellow committee member and ExCom liaison Chris Rawson recently saw the best of Londontown. Check out his journal from the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette's website

Photo: Chris and one of his heroes in Leicester Square.

Apply NOW for a Serbian Seminar!

The first YCS of 2007 will take place in Novi Sad, Serbia from May 28 to June 2. (Arrive May 27. Depart June 3). All ATCA members ages 35 and younger are encouraged to apply.

The Sterijino Pozorje Festival in Novi Sad has developed as a meeting point for contemporary theatre. The Festival organizers have invited IATC to host a seminar with 15 participants: 10 international critics and five Serbs.

The seminar is titled “IN/OUT” and focuses on questions regarding the work of theatre critics in international festivals and in new places. Important theatre names travel around the theatre world and critics as well as audiences visit more and more often international productions. How is the local context to be evaluated? How does one embrace and experience a production coming from different societies? How can you share these aspects with the readers of the reviews?

The seminar will be directed by Jean-Pierre Han, a French critic, who will monitor the French-speaking participants, together with Andrea Tompa, a Hungarian critic, monitoring the English-speaking ones. The seminar’s host, the Pozorje Festival, offers hotel, meals and theatre tickets to the participants. Travels to Belgrade are to be covered by the participants themselves, but the festival provides a shuttle service from the airport to Novi Sad.

Download an information sheet HERE. (You must have Adobe Reader installed on your computer). Applications are available for DOWNLOAD HERE and are due March 26 to Larry. If you are unable to access these PDF files, e-mail Kerri at allen.kerri@gmail.com or call 718-501-1567.

Get Published in Iran (Send by Apr. 13)

The Iranian section of IATC is preparing an anthology of critics' writing from around the world. Katayoun Salmasy, who some of us met in Seoul, is the editor.

The Iranian Theatre Critics Association is publishing a book of essays on theatre criticism, with the aim of informing Iranian critics about both past and present methods of criticism across the globe. ATCA members are invited to send one or more of essays about one of that topic or another topic that you deem more useful for Iranian critics, such as "the reality of the theatre criticism; history of theatre criticism; theatre criticism in America now vs. then; different kinds of criticism; different kind of ideas about criticism; etc."

Submissions may have been previously published or can be written specifically for this. Maximum length is 10 pages. Send by Friday, April 13, 2007. If you are interested in this project or have further questions, contact Katayoun at fishkat15@yahoo.com.

Mario's Anthology Unveils April 19

Our fellow committee member Mario Fratti will unveil the compilation of 28 of his plays, Unpredictable Plays by Mario Fratti, on April 19 at the Italian Cultural Institute of New York.

If you don't know already, Mario is the author of the Broadway musical Nine (inspired by Fellini's famous film, 8 1/2), which in its original 1982 production garnered five Tony Awards, the O'Neill Award, the Richard Rodgers Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, eight Drama Desk Awards, and in 2000 was a recipient of the Otto Award for Politcal Theater. In the 2003 Broadway revival with Antonio Banderas and Jane Krakowski, Nine won two more Tony Awards and three Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Included in the anthology is one of Mario's newest plays Blindness: A Tragedy in Iraq, a story about 29 American soldiers who committed suicide in Iraq. The world premiere took place in Tokyo in 2004. Mario's nearly seventy plays have received some six hundred productions in two dozen countries and have been translated into many languages.

Join this incredible ATCA member and international theatre artist on Thursday, April 19 at 6PM to celebrate the publication of this valuable anthology!

Italian Cultural Institute of New York
686 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10021
RSVP: 212-879-4242 x376

Photo: Mario Fratti and actress Jane Krakowski.

Speak in Bulgarian, uh, Bulgaria

IATC's XXIII World Congress will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria from April 13-17, 2008. The organizers are calling for papers on the congress’ topic "Theatre and Humanism in Today’s World of Violence." In the organizers' words:

"At a time when human life is becoming more and more devalued and human beings more and more disposable, the XXIII Congress of the International Association of Theatre Critics proposes to look at violence in the theatre, and the critic’s response to it.”

They are inviting papers dealing with these and similar questions, with examples from American theatre or what you have seen elsewhere in the world. ATCA members who would like to present a paper on the congress theme in Sofia are required to submit an abstract of 400 words or less by August 15, 2007 to Larry and the final paper (approx. 2,500 words) by November 15.

Papers will be selected by the organizers based on their relevance to the theme and geopolitical considerations. If the Bulgarian section of the IATC accepts your paper, you will be given 20 minutes for your presentation at the World Congress. All hotel accommodations, local transportation, meals, theatre tickets and airport transfers will be paid by the organizers. Speakers and other ATCA delegates are responsible for their own travel costs to and from Bulgaria. For more information on the XXIII World Congress and the theme, visit www.aict-iatc.org.

ATCA Members & Eric Bentley

At the farewell dinner at the Tower Hotel in Seoul, the five participating ATCA members gathered around IATC honoree Eric Bentley. Shown here (L to R): Kerri Allen, Carol Douglass, Glenn Loney, Eric Bentley, Randy Gener and Gwen Orel.

Young Critic's story on France

In September 2006, one of ATCA's newest members, Lauren Snyder, attended a Young Critics Seminar in Charleville-Mézières, France. She wrote about her trip for the New York-based website offoffonline in the October 12 issue.

Read it at www.offoffonline.com/punch.html

IATC Thalia Prize 2008

Start thinking about possible recipients for the 2nd Annual Thalia Prize, which will be presented at the IATC World Congress in Bulgaria next year. The first prize was presented to Eric Bentley last fall in Seoul.

The Thalia Prize is intended to honor a personality who has made a major contribution to theatre in the world, one such as to change the nature of critics' thinking about theatre. Mr Bentley's name was chosen after consultation among IATC's several thousand national and individual members in some fifty countries worldwide. He received the Thalia Prize 2006 as an award for the distinction of his writings in and about the theatre and their continuing relevance today.

Photo: Bentley accepts the 1st Thalia Prize in Seoul. ©Glenn Loney

International University “Global Theatre Experience”

International University “Global Theatre Experience” (IUGTE) is the non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 2000 by the group of experts in the field of social science, culture and art. ATCA has not worked with IUGTE, so we cannot comment on their professionalism or credibility. Shelia Gordon is their U.S. member and she teaches at the Southwest Missouri State University. She may be reached at 417-836-6611 or SheilaGordon@MissouriState.edu.

Here is IUGTE's latest message:

International Performing Arts Lab
July 25 - 30, 2007
http://www.iugte.com/projects/OstrenkoLab.php


THEATRE METHODS 07
July 30 - August 02, 2007
http://www.iugte.com/projects/TheatreMethods07.php

International meeting, creative process, accommodation, meals, mountains, waterfalls and more...

Bovec, Slovenia
See you in the green treasury of Europe!

New York, New York

Thanks to all of the committee members who came to New York and joined us for the Friday meeting. Thanks doubly to those who attended the business meeting on Sunday. We will be posting official meeting minutes soon, but don't forget that early-bird registration for the Annual Conference is March 1. We want to see all of you there and at a great rate!

Please think about applying for an IATC seminar, whether Young or Experienced. Definite info will be available soon, along with an official application to send to Larry.

International Pen

Jonathan Abarbanel shares that the British-based org International Pen is planning a meeting in Guanajuato, Mexico in 2008. This will take place in conjunction with the Festival Internacional Cervantino (International Cervantes Festival). Pen is "a place where writers from all cultures meet to discuss, debate and communicate."

If you'd like more information, e-mail Jonathan or visit www.internationalpen.org.uk

IATC Young Critics Message

This is a message from a Young Critic from Romania. ATCA members Gwen Orel and Randy Gener worked on this project as a result of their time in Seoul at the Young Critics Seminar.


Dear Senior Critics,

As you might know, in Seoul the young critics decided to take part in a practical work which is contributing to a monthly newsletter containing a 300-500 words article dedicated to a new performance happening in each other’s country. From the 17 young critics present in Seoul, 10 put the challenge to the test. The result of their work can be seen at:

www.extraordinary-young-critics.org

Please send it to other people if you find it interesting. And please get into contact with each of the authors if there is an issue you agree or disagree.

Wishing you all a blessed new year and a lot of inspiration,
Respectfully,
Ioana Moldovan (Bucharest / Romania)

Randy Gener's story on Seoul

Make sure you read pp. 66-72 of the January issue of American Theatre
magazine. ATCA member and YCS participant Randy Gener wrote about his
experience in Seoul. The article ends with the following:

Randy Gener's trip to Seoul was funded in part by a grant from the
Foundation of the American Theatre Critics Association.

Help create the International Survey

As you may know, some members of ATCA aren't sure why there is a need to have an International Committee and don't know or recognize the opportunities this section of the organization presents to them.

As such, I am proposing to conduct a full survey of our membership to find out what they think and how international theatre affects their work as professional critics.

I hope that our committee can devise 10-20 questions for the survey. Please send your question ideas back to the group by FRIDAY, JANUARY 19. We'll finalize them shortly thereafter, send the survey to the membership and present our findings during the NYC meeting next month. We'll be using surveymonkey.com to create the survey and compile the findings. You can see samples on that site to get an idea of what will be sent out. We can have Y/N questions, multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank, so be creative!

Here are some ideas I have to get you started. Please comment on these and/or add your own.

1. Do you review works by non-American playwrights? (Don't forget that includes Shakespeare, Beckett, Moliere, David Hare, Pinter, etc.)

2. Do you review works directed by foreign-born directors?

3. Have you ever applied to a Young Critics Seminar?

4. Have you ever applied to a Cultural Bridges Seminar?

5. How often do you travel outside of the U.S.?

6. How many languages do you speak?

You get the idea! Have fun and get your ideas in by January 19.

Thanks,
Kerri