BWW Blog: Attending the USITT 2019 Conference in Louisville, Kentucky

This past week, my school's theatre department attended the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) 2019 Conference & Stage Expo in Louisville, Kentucky. At the yearly conference, theatre professionals and students spend several days attending panels, presentations, and workshops on all aspects of technical theatre. This was my first year attending the conference, and I left with new ideas about what can be done in the world of theatre production.

We arrived in Louisville on Tuesday and spent the evening exploring downtown. The city was easy to get around and not very busy. On Wednesday morning, we walked to the convention center to pick up our passes and attend the conference.

I mainly attended events from the Costume Design and Technology track. Some of the panels and presentations that I attended were; "Cultural Appropriation: Character & Disability in Costume Design", "Theatre and Climate Change", "History of Broadway: 250+ years in 60+ minutes", "Confessions of a Dumpster Diver", "The Lost Paintings of MGM", "The Art of Bringing History to Life", and "Finding Authentic Voices: Representing Cultures Other Than Our Own".

In addition to these presentations, there was a Stage Expo where a variety of lighting, sound, and costume companies showcased their wares. Throughout the conference the Stage Expo hosted product demonstrations, costume parades, and panel discussions. In addition, there were many graduate schools and companies advertising education, internship, and career opportunities to attendees.

One of my favorite parts of the conference was the display of student work. It was very interesting to see what other college students are doing at their schools.

Friday was our last day at USITT. That night, we went to the Tech Olympics, where teams of students compete in lighting, sound, and costuming competitions. Although my school did not participate this year, it was interesting to watch the events.

Spending three days surrounded by so many creative people was definitely inspiring. I was able to learn more about theatre history and the experiences of those who work in technical theatre. Overall, I found the conference worthwhile and hope to attend it again in the future!