FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2019 CONTACTS: Corinna Schulenburg | cschulenburg@tcg.org | 212-609-5941
New York, NY – Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, proudly announces that the 30th annual TCG National Conference will take place in Phoenix, AZ from June 4 to 6, 2020. The TCG National Conference draws between 700 to over 1,000 theatre professionals from around the world for meetings, speeches, performances, and opportunities to explore the local theatre community.
TCG will co-host a press launch event on September 25, from 4:00-4:45pm PT, with Black Theatre Troupe (BTT) in the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 East Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85034. The event will feature remarks from: Devon Berkshire, director of conferences & fieldwide learning, TCG; Emilya Cachapero, director of artistic & international programs, TCG; Elena Chang, director of equity, diversity & inclusion initiatives, TCG; Sean Daniels, artistic director, Arizona Theatre Company; Teresa Eyring, executive director, TCG; David J. Hemphill, executive director, BTT; Dr. Christina Marín, program director for theatre & film, Phoenix College; Steve Martin, managing director, Childsplay; and Mitch Menchaca, executive director, City of Phoenix Office of Arts + Culture. This free launch event is open to press and members of the Phoenix theatre community. Email cschulenburg@tcg.org to learn more and make a reservation.
“Phoenix is a city of many identities, indigenous and immigrant, all contributing to a cultural scene as abundant as its famed sunshine and natural beauty,” said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. “It’s no wonder that Phoenix is the fastest growing metropolis in the U.S., driven in part by a large student population. We’re excited to engage with the diverse perspectives of Phoenix’s theatre-makers and can think of no more fitting place to explore the current and future vitality of our art form.”
The growing list of Phoenix-area Host Committee organizations contributing to the planning for the National Conference currently includes: Arizona Theatre Company, Black Theatre Troupe, Childsplay, iTheatre Collaborative, Theatre and Film Phoenix College, The Phoenix Theatre Company, Southwest Shakespeare Company, and Valley Youth Theatre.
“We are excited to welcome our colleagues from across the country and international borders to engage with Phoenix’s multicultural, multilingual, and intergenerational theatre community,” said Christina Marín, program director for theatre & film, Phoenix College and host committee co-chair. “As a border state, Phoenix theatre-makers have much to share about the humanizing power of theatre, and we look forward to forging lasting relationships with our peer theatre-makers.”
“On behalf of the City of Phoenix, we are excited about the opportunity to engage with the national theatre community during TCG’s 30th annual National Conference,” said Mitch Menchaca, executive director, City of Phoenix Office of Arts + Culture. “This gathering will allow the region’s artists, administrators, and leaders to learn from their colleagues from around the country and the world while sharing the rich creativity that we have to offer. By hosting the conference in the Valley of the Sun, we will showcase to the theatre field that Phoenix is a great place to live, work, and visit!
Through its convenings, TCG continues to serve as a connector for theatres to share best practices and new business and artistic models with one another. TCG presents plenary speakers, breakout sessions, workshops, and performances throughout the National Conference. Past keynote speakers have included leading artists and thinkers, such as Edwidge Danticat, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jer Thorp, Stephanie Ybarra, Mona Eltahawy, Jeff Chang, John Maeda, Jane McGonigal, Naomi Shihab Nye, Anna Deavere Smith, and Baratunde Thurston.
Theatre Communications Group (TCG) exists to strengthen, nurture, and promote professional theatre in the U.S. and globally. Since its founding in 1961, TCG’s constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to over 700 Member Theatres and affiliate organizations and nearly 10,000 Individual Members. Through its Core Values of Activism, Artistry, Diversity, and Global Citizenship, TCG advances a better world for theatre and a better world because of theatre. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through research, communications, and events, including the annual TCG National Conference, one of the largest nationwide gatherings of theatre people; awards grants and scholarships, approximately $2 million per year, to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and through the Global Theater Initiative, TCG's partnership with the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute. TCG is North America’s largest independent trade publisher of dramatic literature, with 17 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning American Theatre magazine and ARTSEARCH®, the essential source for a career in the arts. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its Member Theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field, and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre.www.tcg.org.
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