When theatre educators are EMPOWERED, theatre education THRIVES.

Presented in partnership with University of Maryland's School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies and The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

MTEA THRIVE Conference is a theatre educator empowerment conference with experiential workshops that are designed to give theatre educators the opportunity to explore their craft.

Attendees will experience the joy of reconnecting with their craft as theatremakers, tools and tips to apply to their own classes, and a unique opportunity to connect and network with theatre educators and organizations from across the state of Maryland. All attendees will select three workshops that they would like to attend during the online checkout process. Register now to guarantee your placement in each workshop. This event has limited spaces.

At a discounted rate, attendees may also opt in to attend UMD's School of Dance, Theatre, and Performance Studies' production of "The Amish Project."

The Workshops

Play Building and Building Community: Strategies for Devising with Students - In this workshop educators will experience a number of devising strategies that can be used to build community, spark dialogue and generate original dramatic material. We will debrief each activity, and discuss possible applications and adaptations.

The Art of Communication: Linklater Vocal Technique - This workshop will introduce essential skills and techniques to improve communication using vocal power, range, and clear articulation. Through focused exercises using the Linklater technique, Freeing the Natural Voice, participants will come away with a deeper connection to themselves and a greater understanding of their own vocal use.

In the Spotlight - This workshop will show what instructors can do for their students in order to feed the student's drive for lighting and technical theater.

Technical Theatre Lab - Get hands on in this workshop and discover ways to enhance your technical theatre program and make your lessons and productions stand out.

From the Classroom to the Stage: Cultivating Students' Broadway Dreams - This workshop will give teachers practical tips on how to support students who are interested in working professionally in the theatre industry not only after they graduate, but while they are still in school.

Community Engagement: Using Art for Impact - Experience a unique opportunity to explore how school productions and theatre programs can be used as agents of change in their local communities.

The Amish Project Show Description

Shots are fired in a school house, and the world seems to stop. A stunned community — teachers, parents, friends, families of the victims and the perpetrators — must find a way to keep living their lives. This lyrical and potent drama explores the aftermath of a school shooting in an Amish community, and the path of forgiveness and compassion forged in its wake. This play was inspired by the tragic 2006 shooting at an Amish school in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

“A remarkable piece of writing.” — The New York Times

Confirmed Workshop Leaders

Patrick Crowley - An award winning director, theatre educator and applied theatre facilitator. He has devised plays with a wide range of students, from 3rd graders in Queens, to college students in Rwanda. He is the Co-Director of International Theatre and Literacy Project, Rwanda. Recipient of 2007 DC Mayor's Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist.

Lisa Nathans - A certified Colaianni Speech Practitioner and a Designated Linklater Voice Instructor. Voice/Accent coaching experience includes: Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum (CA), The Hollywood Fringe Festival (CA), Village Theatre (WA), Port Gamble Theatre Company (WA), Island Shakespeare Festival (WA), and The Guthrie Theater (MN). Lisa is a current member of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA).

Dan Wagner - Eight-time winner of the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lighting Design, and he has designed more than 350 productions at regional theatres.

Connor Dreibelbis - A freelance technician and designer who was the in house scenographer for Theater Paderborn in Paderborn, Germany. After two seasons Connor began his MFA studies at UMD studying under Tony Award Winning lighting designer Brian MacDevitt.

Ken Skrzesz is the Coordinator of Fine Arts for the Maryland State Department of Education is an active master teacher of acting and dance throughout the United States. He has served as the Performing and Visual Arts Magnet Teacher Specialist for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, the Executive Director of the Clear Space Theatre Company and Kinetics Dance Theatre, and the Director of Student Life for the School of American Ballet.

Dana Peragallo is currently the Acting Director/Instructor for the Performing and Visual Arts Magnet Program of AACPS Office of Advanced Studies and Programs. She also works as a Master Teacher for MSDE. Dana's work has moved towards a focus of impactful art within the community as the global and local need for such interaction increased. She has worked on community projects for positive change both locally and abroad including P186X in the Bronx, Y No Habia Luz in Puerto Rico, The Alphabet School in Tuscany, Italy, and a collaborative program in North Yorkshire, England.

And More Workshop Leaders and Speakers to Come!