Ayad Akhtar, Adrian Hall and More Speaks at TCG's 2013 National Conference in Dallas, Beg. Today

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, announces its finalized speaker line-up for the 23rd annual TCG National Conference in Dallas from tonight, June 6 to 8, 2013. The line-up includes Ayad Akhtar, winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and National Theatre legend Adrian Hall. This convening will bring hundreds of theater practitioners together from around the world for plenary speakers, breakout sessions, workshops and performances; as well as a chance to explore the Dallas-Fort Worth theatre community.

"When Margo Jones founded Theatre '47 in Dallas in 1947, she had a vision of 30 professional, not-for-profit theatre companies in residence in communities across America," said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. "Her vision succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. Today TCG serves over 500 Member theatres across nearly all 50 states, and we are thrilled to celebrate this legacy by convening close to 700 theatre-makers to connect with each other."

This year's 2013 Plenary Speakers and Sessions include:

• "Innovation in Action" - Performances will be given by Will Power, award-winning playwright and performer; and Natasha Tsakos, conceptual director and performer. The assembly will be moderated by director Desdemona Chiang. The Winspear Opera House will host the assembly. Sponsored by: Schuler Shook Theatre Planners.

• "Defining a Movement: Exploring Movements of the Past, Present and Future" - Speakers will include Adrian Hall, National Theatre legend; Laurie McCants, co-founder of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble; and Kinan Valdez, producing artistic director of El Teatro Campesino. The session will take place at the Dallas City Performance Hall.

• "A Conversation with: Ayad Akhtar and Gabriel Greene" - Ayad Akhtar, 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner, will discuss his work with Gabriel Greene, director of new play development at La Jolla Playhouse. The session will take place at the Dallas City Performance Hall.

• "Engagement Models from the Museum World" - Presentations will be given by Maxwell Anderson, Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art; and Nina Simon, executive director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. The session will take place at the Dallas City Performance Hall. Sponsored by: The Wallace Foundation.

In addition to these speakers, TCG is proud to announce the four co-curators who partnered with TCG to program the content of the four programmatic arcs of the Conference; and the online curators who contributed to the TCG Circle blog salon conversations relating to the themes of the arcs:

• Audience Engagement - Co-Curator: Lisa Mount, director, Artistic Logistics; Online Curator: David J. Loehr, editor and artistic director, 2amt.
• Diversity and Inclusion - Co-Curator: Carmen Morgan, program director, Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations (LDIR);Online Curator: Jacqueline E. Lawton, playwright, TCG Young Leader of Color Alum.
• Artistic Innovation - Co-Curator: Howard Shalwitz, co-founder and artistic director, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Online Curator: Caridad Svich, playwright and editor.
• Financial Adaptation - Co-Curator: Tim Shields, managing director, McCarter Theatre Center; Online Curator: Adam Thurman, director of marketing, Court Theatre, TCG Young Leader of Color Alum.

The blog salons on each of the four programmatic arcs can be found on the TCG Circle: tcgcircle.org. For further information on the Conference speakers and curators, visit: tcg.org/events/conference/2013/speakers.cfm. For details on breakout sessions and attendees, visit TCG's year-round online conference community, Conference 2.0: tcg.pathable.com.

The Dallas host committee is led by co-chairs Kevin Moriarty, artistic director, Dallas Theatre Center and David Denson, senior rental sales manager, AT&T Performing Arts Center, and includes: Kathleen Culebro, artistic director, Amphibian Productions; Robyn Flatt, artistic & executive director, Dallas Children's Theatre; Maxine Frampton, foundations/government relations, Dallas Theatre Center; Tre Garrett, artistic director, Jubilee Theatre; Elizabeth Kegley, executive director, Kitchen Dog Theatre; Dylan Key, artistic director, Undermain Theatre; Mel Lopez, executive assistant, Dallas Theatre Center; David Lozano, artistic director, Cara Mía Theatre Company; Terry Martin, artistic director, WaterTower Theatre; Katherine Owens, artistic director, Undermain Theatre; Tina Parker, artistic director, Kitchen Dog Theatre; Raphael Parry, executive & artistic Director, Shakespeare Dallas; and Jenni Pittman, development & program director, Shakespeare Dallas.

For more information and registration for this year's conference, visit www.tcg.org/conference.

For over 50 years, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, has existed to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. TCG's constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to nearly 700 member theatres and affiliate organizations and more than 12,000 individuals nationwide. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through conferences, events, research and communications; awards grants, approximately $2 million per year, to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and serves as the U.S. Center of the InterNational Theatre Institute, connecting its constituents to the global theatre community. TCG is North America's largest independent publisher of dramatic literature, with 12 Pulitzer Prizes for Best Play 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. For more information, visit www.tcg.org.

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