OREGON COMMUNITY THEATRE
CONFERENCE 2010
March 12, 13, 14, 2010
Hosted by the Astor Street Opry Company
ASTORIA, OREGON

Click to download a registration form for the conference

The Astor Street Opry Company is excited to announce that they will be hosting the 2010 Oregon Community Theatre Conference on the weekend of March 12th to 14th at the ASOC Playhouse, 129 West Bond Street, Uniontown, Astoria. This is the first time for the ASOC to host this annual event, now in its 7th year. The event is open to all theatres and community members in the Northwest region to come together to network, share and celebrate the craft of live stage theater. This year’s goal will be to complete the form and structure of this valuable regional organization.

Besides OCT organizational meetings the Conference schedule includes historic tours, social hours, theatre workshops in technical theatre, Shakespeare and recession-proof theatre, featuring: Jan Powell, Craig Shepard and Susi Brown. Entertainment and showcases from local theatres will include performances by the ASOC and Coaster Theatre.

Cost for the entire weekend including all activities is only $45.00 if you register before March 1. After March 1 the cost will be $55.00. Individual workshops and performances range from $5.00 to $15.00. For questions please call Del Corbett, Conference Coordinator, at 503-861-0702 or email at doccorb@gmail.com. Please pay by check only (for security concerns), payable to: Astor Street Opry Company and mail to: Conference 2010 Astor St. Opry Co./ PO Box 743/ Astoria, OR 97103.

Friday, March 12:

1:00 pm. Registration Opens. Holiday Inn.
1:30 pm. Liberty Theatre Tour. Playhouse Door.
2:00 pm. Astoria Waterfront Trolley Trips. Holiday Inn.
2:45 pm. “RECESSION-PROOF THEATRE.”
“The Old Lady Shows Her Medals.”
Readers Theatre Performance -- and Workshop. Playhouse Stage.

Recession-Proof Theatre Workshop- Susi Brown, Pier Pressure Productions

Though “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals” is a tale of WWI, the loneliness and longing of J. M. Barrie’s characters are timeless. Following a staged reading of this play, workshop participants will explore how the world of readers theatre has adjusted to accommodate our media-infused world. A stand, a stool, a script, and a reader can bring a good story to an audience in any economic climate.

As a founding member of Astoria’s Mossy Rock Players, Susi Brown discovered her passion for producing Community Theater. In addition to teaching high school theater classes in Clatsop County, she worked as an actor, costumer, choreographer, designer, and director at The River and The Coaster Theaters. She holds an MFA in directing from the University of Portland and lists over 130 plays to her credit, including Miss Peeps Insomnia, a play she wrote, directed, costumed, and acted in at the age of 11. Her company, Pier Pressure Productions, made its debut in March, 2009, with Edward Albee’s “The Zoo Story” here in Astoria.

4:00 pm. CONFERENCE OPENING SESSION: “CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY THEATRES.” Holiday Inn.
5:00-6:30 pm. Social Hour (w/treats). No host bar. Baked Alaska Lounge.
6:30 pm. Dinner hour. Open.
8:00 pm. Showcase Performance: ORIGINAL ONE-ACT PLAYS & MONOLOGUES (ASOC Contest Winners). Playhouse Stage.
9:30 pm. After Party. Playhouse Lounge.

Saturday, March 13:

8:00 am. Registration (Cont'd). Holiday Inn.
8:30 am. OCT Meeting II. Holiday Inn.
10:00-11:30 am. Workshop: “SHAKESPEARE FOR ACTORS” (1). Jan Powell. Playhouse Stage.
11:30 am -12:30 pm. Lunch Box Theatre: ORIGINAL ONE-ACT PLAYS & MONOLOGUES (ASOC Contest Winners). Playhouse Stage.
12:30-2:00pm. Workshop: “SCENIC SHORTCUTS” Craig Shepherd. Playhouse Stage.

This workshop will introduce participants to money saving and efficient ways to create better looking sets on the tightest of budgets. I will show photos and talk about several sets that were created on a shoe string, and I will describe and demonstrate several scenic techniques (wood graining, faux brick, marble and other faux finishing techniques, texturing, glazing, basic layout, stamping and stenciling, etc.). I will also talk about the various tools and materials that make any scenic treatment faster, easier and more effective. I will offer valuable advice on how one can avoid high priced scenic materials by using alternative products that get the job done! Almost all of the techniques, tools and materials that I will talk about and demonstrate can be used in home decoration as well as in the theatre. I will also provide a hand-out that will review everything I talk about, so that no one has to feel the need to take notes allowing participants to just watch and listen. The hand out will also list all of the sources on the west coast where one can go to order any of the tools and materials that cannot be found locally. I will be available throughout the conference to answer any and all scenery related questions that come up, and to help solve any design/scenic issues that anyone wants to discuss..

Craig Shepherd has worked in the theatre and entertainment industry for over 30 years, in New York, Los Angeles and currently as Artistic Director of the Coaster Theatre in Cannon Beach, OR. His work as a designer, scenic artist and muralist has been seen on Broadway and Off Broadway, in numerous National Tours, at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Mark Taper Forum, the Geffen Playhouse, as well as in museum installations including Space Center Houston, the New Jersey State Aquarium, L.A. Museum of Natural History, the Cherokee Museum in North Carolina and The Lincoln Museum in Springfield, ILL. He worked on the films PACIFIC HEIGHTS, Wes Craven's NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: The Final Nightmare, ASPEN EXTREME and TITANIC to name a few, as well as on music videos for Tom Petty, Phil Collins and The Cars. He has designed and painted sets and murals for many theme park attractions for Disney, Universal, and Dream Makers, Tokyo. His work has taken him to Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Germany, Greece and England, as well as all over the United States. He studied art history, fresco painting and restoration in Siena, Italy as an undergraduate, and holds a Masters Degree in Painting from NYU's Graduate program in Venice, Italy.

2:00-3:30 pm. Workshop: “SHAKESPEARE FOR ACTORS” (2). Jan Powell. Playhouse Stage.

Shakespeare’s plays are treasure troves of theatrical genius—but how can an actor or director mine them for their deepest riches? We often hear that “Shakespeare has everything you need” for theatrical inspiration, but specific techniques for finding those inspiring elements are not often taught in academic, conservatory, or actor/director training programs. Jan Powell will lead a workshop demonstrating her techniques for exploring Shakespeare’s language to uncover staging and character ideas for your next Shakespeare show. This is a fun, personal, theatre-centric way to get access to what’s buried in the Bard, just for you! No previous experience with Shakespeare is necessary. Just bring your curiosity and a pencil.

Jan Powell is the former Artistic Director of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and founding Artistic Director of the Tygres Heart Shakespeare Company, resident in the Portland Center for the Performing Arts for over a decade. Jan has produced and directed a multiplicity of Shakespeare productions across the country, including the entire canon of history plays. She is past president of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America, and heads a studio in Portland, Oregon where she coaches actors, singers, and public speakers. She is currently writing her PhD dissertation on theatrical editing of Shakespearean text for mass publication.

3:30-5:00 pm. OCT Meeting III. Holiday Inn.
“Shanghaied” Historic Bus Tour with Yakko & Eino. Playhouse Door.
5:00 pm. Social Hour. No Host Bar. Playhouse Lounge.
6:00 pm. Dinner Hour. Open.
7:00 pm. Special Event Performances: “SPLASHING.” Playhouse Stage.
9:30 pm. After Party. Playhouse Lounge.

Sunday, March 14:

9:30 - 11:00 am. SUNDAY--BRUNCH--PERFORMANCE--PARTY--BASH (With complimentary Mimosa).

SPECIAL EXTRA EVENTS
ALL FREE WITH REGISTRATION
SHUTTLE TRANSPORTATION TO OFF-SITE EVENTS!
OREGON COMMUNITY THEATRE CLASSIFIEDS/CALL-BOARD.
Post notices for your needs and wants, advertise for positions, auditions, make a cartoon, leave a message for someone -- use it as a central message board. The board will be located in the Conference Registration area at the Holiday Inn.

WORKSHOP-TOUR: ASTORIAS RESTORED 1925 LIBERTY THEATER.
Friday, 1:30 pm. Enjoy a personalized tour of this 1925 Italian Renaissance-style architectural gem. Larry Bryant, the theaters Technical Director, will lead you through a labyrinth of areas which have seen various uses over the decades (much of it insulting to the majesty of the building) and show how the former grandeur has been reborn. From floor to ceiling, seating to lighting, Larry lays out how THE LIBERTY was transformed from a derelict C-grade 3-screen movie joint (yes, where your feet stuck to the floor and you had to look for a seat that wasnt broken) to its present National Register majesty.

ASTORIAS RIVERFRONT TROLLEY, the refurbished 1913 Streetcar, now named Old 300, gives you an up-close look at some of Astorias canneries, sea lions and ship traffic on the Columbia River. Old 300 carries passengers from the Port of Astoria, passing along the entire waterfront all the way to the East End Mooring Basin. An all-volunteer group of motormen and conductors guide you along the four-mile ride, regaling you with tales of the area. Board at the Holiday Inn or any of the many other stops. Continuous runs throughout the Conference.

HISTORIC ASTORIA SHANGHAIED-STYLE TROLLEY-BUS TOUR.
Saturday, 3:30 pm. This is a look at the other Astoria of the past. Its a great change-of-pacer.Yakko and Eino. the ineptly efficient Scandanavian friends from the musical melodrama SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA will regale you with (true!?) stories from this very old little citys past while visiting significant sites such as the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Flavel House mansion, Pier 39 and Uppertown, locations of nefarious shanghaiing activities and more. -- all this aboard your time-travel Trolley.

LODGING

Conference Group Discount available!
Call Astoria Chamber of Commerce @ 800-875-6807
Ask for ‘Vacation Rentals'
Holiday Inn Express is our conference sponsor hotel. Ask for special rates for ASOC Conference:

Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites
204 West Marine Drive
Astoria, OR 97103 access
(888) 898-6222
Amenities: refrigerator; microwave; 27” TV/DVD player; coffeemaker; hair dryer; high speed internet
Amenities available at higher rate: gas fireplace; private Jacuzzi; wet bar
Price ranges from $130-$145 per night
.11 mile from ASOC Playhouse

Comfort Suites Columbia River
3420 Leif Erickson Drive
Astoria, OR 97103
(877) 424-6423
Amenities: in room movies; indoor pool; AM/FM alarm clock; sauna; continental breakfast; telephone; guest laundromat; cable TV; microwave; pool; exercise gym; refrigerator; safe deposit box; high speed internet.
This hotel is 100% smoke-free.
Price ranges from $89-$119 per night.
2.23 miles from ASOC Playhouse

Astoria Rivershore Motel
59 West Marine Drive
Astoria, OR 97103
(866) 322-8047
Amenities: free high speed wireless internet; free continental breakfast; smoking and non-smoking rooms; deluxe kitchen rooms.
Price ranges from $55-$75 per night.
.15 mile from ASOC Playhouse

Cannery Pier Hotel
10 Basin Street
Astoria, OR 97103
503-325-4996
Amenities: wine and lox from 5-6pm; Finnish sauna; day spa; hot tub; complimentary continental breakfast; complimentary exercise room; private decks; gas fireplace; wet bar; terry robes; refrigerator; microwave; coffee and tea in suite; expanded cable with HBO; high speed internet access.
Price ranges from $378-$1050 per night.
.35 mile from ASOC Playhouse

Best Western Lincoln Inn
555 Hamburg
Astoria, OR 97103
800-621-0641
Amenities: complimentary full breakfast; hot tub, steam room, room and sauna open 24 hours; indoor pool; exercise room; premium cable channels with HBO; wireless internet access; complimentary USA Today in lobby; microwave; refrigerator; pets allowed; coffee and tea in room; spa rooms available.
This hotel is 100% smoke-free.
Price ranges from $158-$320 per night.
.76 mile from ASOC Playhouse

Lamplighter Motel
131 W Marine Dr
Astoria, OR 97103
800-845-8847
Amenities: complimentary coffee and tea; next door to Pig and Pancake restaurant; wi-fi; refrigerator; complimentary continental breakfast; complimentary soup in the lobby every night; pet friendly.
This hotel is 100% smoke-free.
Price start at $44 per night.
Directly across the street from ASOC Playhouse