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Teacher Conference - 2023
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Colorado Thespians Teacher Conference

Friday, September 22nd

Sheraton Hotel Downtown Denver

Download our Guidebook


 

Check In: 8:30 am

Breakfast 8:30-9:30 am

Chapter Director Welcome & Updates 9:30-10am

Session 1: 10:15-11:15

Devised Theater

Introducing Devised Theatre to Young Artists, Samwell Rose, Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities

Tower Court A

Tech / Performance

Props to Engage Scene Work, Nick Taylor, Community College of Denver

Tower Court B

Directing

Putting the Fun in Fundamentals of Directing, High School focus, Sam Wood & Patrick Elkins Zelgarski, Denver Center Education Team

Tower Court C

Special Interest/ Mental Health

No One Hears You Unless You Scream, Colorado Arts & Artists Associates/ Pignanelli Partners Roxy Pignanelli & Kennedy Pugh

Tower Court D

Tech

DMX made Easy. How it works ( and doesn’t work) , Carmel Alston, Oasis Stage Werks

Gold Room

Networking

Middle School Educator Resource Share and Conference Updates, Colorado Thespians

Spruce Room


Session 2: 11:30-12:30

Devised Theater

Introducing Devised Theatre to Young Artists, Samwell Rose, Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities

Tower Court A

Tech / Performance

Props to Engage Scene Work, Nick Taylor, Community College of Denver

Tower Court B

Directing

Putting the Fun in Fundamentals of Directing, High School focus, Sam Wood & Patrick Elkins Zelgarski, Denver Center Education Team

Tower Court C

Special Interest/ Mental Health

No One Hears You Unless You Scream, Colorado Arts & Artists Associates/ Pignanelli Partners Roxy Pignanelli & Kennedy Pugh

Tower Court D

Tech

DMX made Easy. How it works ( and doesn’t work) , Carmel Alston, Oasis Stage Werks

Gold Room

Networking

Middle School Educator Resource Share and Conference Updates, Colorado Thespians

Spruce Room

Lunch & Awards 12:30-2:00

Session 3: 2:15-3:15

Acting

Improv Circus, David Saphier, Denver Center Education Team

Tower Court A

Acting

Saving Shakespeare, Jennifer McCray Rincón, Visionbox Studio

Tower Court B

Playwriting

Launching Playwriting, Jason Lemire, TIFE Theater

Tower Court C

CTE

CTE Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology Pathway,

Shelley Goerdt, Jefferson County Public Schools; CarrieAnn Mathis, CO Community College System

Tower D

Tech

How Your Sound System Works, and How to Replace It! Ben Bridgewater, DL Adams and Associates

Gold Room

Special Interest

Business and Marketing Your Shows and Programs, Tyler Dickerson, On the Stage

Spruce Room


Session 4: 3:30-4:30

Acting

Improv Circus, David Saphier, Denver Center Education Team

Tower Court A

Acting

Saving Shakespeare, Jennifer McCray Rincón, Visionbox Studio

Tower Court B

Playwriting

Launching Playwriting, Jason Lemire, TIFE Theater

Tower Court C

CTE

CTE Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology Pathway,

Shelley Goerdt, Jefferson County Public Schools; CarrieAnn Mathis, CO Community College System

Tower D

Tech

How Your Sound System Works, and How to Replace It! Ben Bridgewater, DL Adams and Associates

Gold Room

Special Interest

Business and Marketing Your Shows and Programs, Tyler Dickerson, On the Stage

Spruce Room

Social Hour w/ Music 4:30-5:30

Colleague Networking

Registration includes ticket for one free beverage

2023 Colorado Thespians Educator Awards

2023 Hall of Fame

John Kron, retired educator

High School Educator of the Year

Tim Brown, Smoky Hill High School

Middle School Educator of the Year

Emily Hoch-Windus, Doral Academy Colorado

Administrator of the Year

Krista Keogh, Cherry Creek High School

Community Contributor of the Year

Christy O’Connell-Black, Greeley Central High School /

University of Northern Colorado


Colorado Thespians 2023 Teacher Conference

Workshop Title

Presenter

Brief Description

Improv Circus

David Saphier - Denver Center Theatre Education

Games, Tips and treats to engage middle/high school students of all levels and abilities.

PUTTING THE FUN IN DIRECTING FUNDAMENTALS

Sam Wood and Patrick Elkins-Zelgarski - Denver Center Theatre Education

Exploring directing concepts, activities and techniques with middle/high school students of all levels and abilities

No One Hears You Unless You Scream

Roxy Pignanelli & Kennedy Pugh,  Arts & Artists Associates/ Pignanelli Partners

Navigating the arts and mental health. This workshop will explore the suicide prevention arts project that is making a difference with our young people. This workshop explores the comprehensive structure that is needed from development, safe messaging, and working with mental health organizations.

Saving Shakespeare

Jennifer McCray Rincón

Visionbox Studio

Head of Acting, National Theatre Conservatory

Yale School of Drama

The Shakespeare

workshops will first go over rules of scansion and the meaning of “articulated thought” in acting

Shakespeare. After some interactive lecture, actors from the Visionbox Ensemble will perform a short scene and some monologues and Ms. Rincón will work with the actors giving adjustments and demonstrating the

principles outlined above.

Solo Shakespeare projects will also be part of the presentation.

Introducing Devised Theatre to Young Artists

Samwell Rose (they/them), Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities

Do you want to empower young people to develop new work and share their stories? Local theatre artist Samwell Rose will overview simple devising methodology (including Tectonic’s Moment Work) and tools you and your students can use to effectively incubate original work using all of the theatrical elements—and get a taste of creating small devised moments yourself.  

Props to Engage Scene Work

Nick Taylor, Community College of Denver

In this hands-on workshop we will apply props making on-the-fly to engage creative character development and creation choices, deepen script analysis and create engaging work.

Launching Playwriting

Jason Lemire - TIFE Theater

Award-winning educator and playwright Jason Lemire has designed a totally unique approach to teaching middle/high school students the art and craft of playwriting. Jason uses all sorts of unexpected hooks to help students feel confident about their ability as writers and storytellers. By the end of the session you will be inspired to run your own!

Business and Marketing, On the Stage

Tyler Dickerson, On the Stage

Description Coming Soon!

How your sound system works, and how to replace it !

Ben Bridgewater, DL Adams and Associates

This workshop will layout the basic equipment in a sound system and provide useful insights on how

to make it perform better. Ben will also cover how a Theatrical Consultant selects Sound equipment

for new and refurbed High School projects. How they determine what gear is best suited to High

School use. He has an MA in Architecture with an emphasis in Acoustics, and a BA in Acoustics.

There will be time for Q and A at the end.

DMX made Easy. How it works ( and doesn’t work )

Carmel Alston, Oasis Stage Werks

Learn the rules of successfully using this Universal standard for transmitting data around your

lighting system. Learn common terms and what they mean. Learn how to troubleshoot LED’s and

moving lights. Time for Q and A at the end.

CTE Technical Theatre

Theatre Design & Technology

CarrieAnn Mathis, Colorado Community College System

Shelley Goerdt, Jeffco Public Schools

Learn about the aspects of getting a CTE program approval for your CTE Technical Theatre/Theatre Design & Technology. Hear about the new updated documents and requirements in the Gateway. Need to get your local CTSO approved? Get examples of a CTSO Program of Work to submit for your program. Meet the CTE Program Director for Engineering, Technology, and Media Arts for Colorado.

Middle School Networking

Alexa Wynschenk-Ring, Campus Middle School, Colorado Thespians Board Member

Discuss the issues relevant to a middle school teacher’s day to day life with others in your field.


Potential input on middle school one acts at Jr Conference.

High School Networking

Ty Eatherton, Lakewood High School, Colorado Thespians Board Member

Dr. Mary Schuttler, Univ. of Northern Colorado, Colorado Thespians Board Member

Discuss the issues relevant to a high school teacher’s day to day life with others in your field.

Pose questions re: mainstage screening process