Gertrude Mattka Lecture Series 1999

Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Avenue, Western Springs, IL
"Solo: The Ins and Outs of One-Person Shows" Monday, September 27,1999 at 7:30 Lauren Wilson Room A panel discussion and excerpts from two acclaimed solo shows. The panel included Bethany Alexander (creator of a one-woman show, Joseph Jefferson Citation-winning actress, and company member of Circle Theatre) and Marilyn Darnall (TWS Active member, and creator of Me, Eleanor, a popular one-woman show about Eleanor Roosevelt), and Dr. Eunice Eifert, Chair of the Communications and Theatre Department at Concordia University. Topics include historical research, script development, working with directors, marketing, travelling and more.	"Growing a Play: How to Nurture a Script" Monday, November 22,1999 at 7:30 Cattell Wing A look at the ways scripts are developed, from writing workshops through staged productions. Leading the discussion were two artists from Chicago Dramatists, home to many exciting playwrights. Russ Tutterow, their Artistic Director, has contributed to hundreds of new plays, including The Prophet of Bishop Hill, Harry's Way, and Bring on the Girls. Robin Stanton, Producing Director, is known for her work on The Angel of Lemnos, The Glory of Living, The Waiting Room, and And Neither Have I Wings to Fly. They discussed the unique pleasures and pitfalls of working with new scripts, from inspiration and staged readings through revision and collaboration. Staged readings of new scripts are performed there on Saturday afternoons at 2PM.	"Speaking of Dialects: Accents for Actors" Monday, January 24, 2000 at 7:30 Cattell Wing A demonstration of techniques for creating, controling, and using dialects to build characters. Belinda Bremner, faculty nember at Roosevelt University and the Actors' Center, lead the discussion. Ms. Bremner has applied her own techniques in films, television shows, and commercials. She is a Jeff Award-winning actor, having appeared at the Goodman, Court, and Northlight theatres. She has also performed on National Public Radio, and adapted for performance pieces that range from children's stories to the works of James Joyce. We explored the value vocal technique and dialect training bring to any performance. Always do your homework. Research the history of the area and the character, the peculiar meanings of words, and whatever you can discover. Whenever possible, seek out someone who has lived where the dialect or accent is native. Do your research first hand.	"Illuminating Inspiration: Conception of a Lighting Design" Monday, February 28, 2000 at 7:30 pm Cattell Wing, TWS A discussion of the creative process of designing lighting for a theatrical production. Leading the forum was Heather Gilbert, winner of the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communication Guild Career Development Award for Designers. Her Chicago-area work includes Wolf Lullaby and Pot Mom at Steppenwolf Theatre, Baron in the Trees for Lookingglass Theatre, Cloud 9 at About Face, and Steward of Christendom at Organic Theatre. This presentation addressed the lighting designer's sources of inspiration, from dramatic text to historical research, from the collaborative vision to personal responses to color and light itself. "The lighting designer has 6 responsibilities: visibility, focus, rhythm, establishing where and when, style, and establishing the mood.". "Lighting is evocotive and manipulative...Lighting design to me is sculpture."