SCVST has been an important part of the Theatre Program of at UWRF for over 40 years. Each year students from the program are involved with the program for an intensive summer of learning and experiencing theatre. Students are hired as actors and technicians and can also receive academic and internship credit. The audition and hiring process usually takes place in January or February. Please see notices on the callboards and plan to spend at least one summer in the program to enhance your educational experiences at UWRF.
SCVST History, Mission and Goals: The St. Croix Valley Summer Theatre is a summer stock theatre founded in 1966 and housed on the campus of the University of Wisconsin - River Falls. That first season was performed in North Hall Auditorium with Sanford Syse and managing director. At least five shows were staged each summer for many years with a record eight productions in 1973 under managing director Ron Perrier. A complete season by season history can be found in an appendix to this handbook.
Today, a “typical” SCVST season runs from the second week of June until the second week of August with a company of professional actors, college theatre students, community actors and high school interns. Three productions are staged beginning in late June. The performances take place in the Blanche Davis Theatre. SCVST is under the leadership of a Managing Director/Artistic Director. The managing director has overall administrative and artistic managerial responsibility including show selection, hiring, personnel management and financial supervision.
In addition, the company employs the following individuals: directors for each show (2-4), scenic designer(s), lighting designer(s), costume designer(s)/coordinators, technical crews, a management crew and a core company from 6-8 performers. Other company members are hired on an “as needed” basis and may consist of stage manager(s), props manager(s), master electrician(s), board operator(s), and a scenic shop foreman. There is also a student internship program available for high school students to participate in while earning university college credit. The above positions are paid at varying levels. See the appendix for more detailed job descriptions.
The KCACTF is a year-round program in eight geographic regions in the United States. Regional activities are coordinated through eight KCACTF regional chairs and eight KCACTF playwriting awards chairs. With funding and administrative support from the Kennedy Center, the regional chair coordinates with the Co-Managers of KCACTF all aspects of the adjudication of productions on the local and regional level and supervises regional-level KCACTF award competitions. The playwriting chair works with schools that have entered new and student-written plays by providing expertise in the development of new scripts--assessment specifically designed for a developing play--and by providing information on the numerous playwriting awards offered. Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills and receive national recognition for excellence. More than 16 million theatergoers have attended approximately 10,000 festival productions nationwide.
Through state, regional, and national festivals, KCACTF participants celebrate the creative process, see one another's work, and share experiences and insights within the community of theater artists. The KCACTF honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing, and design. Each year University Theatre participates in many programs that are offered through ACTF.
For over 30 years, theatre producers have participated in the opportunity to interview potential technical, design and management staff as well as audition actors, singers and dancers. The program always yields strong employment statistics for actors and technicians who participate. In addition, we offer a series of theatre workshops taught by producers and theatre educators. Many instructors of these workshops are the same individuals who will be attending the auditions the following day. Wisconsin Theatre Workshops and Auditions will be held at the Memorial Union on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. This is usually the in February
This organization is for educators in Wisconsin who find themselves with the difficult and often lonely task of producing theatre in Wisconsin’s high schools and universities. The membership believes that the study of theatre should be central to the education of all students in Wisconsin, and access to the theatrical arts should be a part of every Wisconsin citizen’s life. This organization holds and annual convention in September in Wisconsin, which is open to students and teachers of all levels.
Every year, usually in February, the Midwest Theatre Audition/Interviews are held at Webster University in St. Louis. Representatives from summer stock companies, graduate programs, and year-round theatres attend. There are acting, dance, and tech/design opportunities.
This is the national organization for Theatre educators. ATHE holds a national conference annually (usually in early August) comprised of workshops, performances, and scholarly paper presentations. There are numerous Focus Groups within the organization that provide programs for special interests such as acting, directing, playwriting, theatre history, etc. ATHE also includes an employment service that brings employers and prospective employees together at the national conference. Members receive a subscription to Theatre Journal.
These are regional organizations for theatre professionals. They hold annual conventions comprised of workshops, performances, and panels, and sponsors auditions and technical interviews every spring that you are encouraged to attend. Professional and summer stock companies attend these audition/interviews.
This is a national organization made up of Universities and Regional Theatres around the country. They hold annual audition/interviews for admission into 32 Master of Fine Arts degree programs and producing companies in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
This is a national organization for technical theatre and design artists. USITT holds yearly meetings and includes an employment service. Members receive a subscription to Theatre Technology. Each spring a national convention is held in various locations throughout the US. May students have attended the convention and if you are interesting in Design or Technology this is an event to attend.