USITT 2017 Brings Technical Theatre Production Industry to St. Louis

USITT's 2017 Annual Conference & Stage Expo is coming to St. Louis March 8-11, and with it, over 5,500 members of the technical production industry, lights, cameras, and tons of action to the America's Center.

USITT 2017 will be our biggest event of the year and our biggest year yet. It will showcase the world of live entertainment design and technology with exhibitors of the latest technology for creating live shows, plus over 250 presentations, demonstrations, and celebrations of work by top artists in the field.

This unique event offers many opportunities for great media coverage.

Some highlights:

Keynote presenter Ken Page is a celebrated St. Louis native best known for his voice work in Tim Burton's cult classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas as "Oogie Boogie," and for his roles on stage and film in the original Broadway stage production of Cats, the Musical, Ain't Misbehavin', Guys and Dolls, and The Wiz.

In his keynote address on March 8 at 9:30 a.m., Ken will share his experience as a performer working with the design and technical teams and the inspiration he draws from them. His talk, entitled "Shoeboxes and Christmas Lights" is a reference to a play stage Ken had as a child - a time when he first discovered the technical side of the theatre and performing arts.

USITT Stage Expo opens with fanfare at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 9. Thousands of people gather to swarm the Expo as soon as the doors open to a huge display of theatre technology.

Stage Expo runs 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 9-10, and 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., March 19.

Backstage Stars: A Friday morning panel entitled Distinguished Award Winners in Conversation gathers together Rocky Paulson, Fred Foster, Liz Covey, Rick Thomas, Santo Loquasto, Joseph Drummond, and John Conklin for a lively exchange about their lives and career experiences.

Diversity in the Arts: USITT's Gateway program is bringing 12 students from underrepresented populations in entertainment production to the conference and pairing them with mentors to enhance their experience and boost their careers.

USITT also offers several sessions on diversity and accessibility in the arts, as well as sessions tailored to production technology for worship services, and "green" production, among other trending issues.

Local angles:

St. Louis Native and Founding Dean of Webster University's Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts and its Lighting Design and Stage Management Programs, Peter Sargent, will receive USITT's 2017 Thomas DeGaetani Award for his contributions to the local arts community.

USITT's VP-Conferences Jack Feivou will be making his way around the America's Center during the conference. Jack is the president and chief executive officer of Fox Associates. He oversees the operation of the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis and other Fox business interests.

USITT's 2017 keynote speaker Ken Page is a St. Louis resident lending his voice work to the film The Nightmare Before Christmas and his stage talents to the role of Old Deuteronomy in the Broadway musical, Cats.

USITT will highlight its host city by bringing theatre architects and designers on a tour of local St. Louis Performing Arts and Entertainment Venues on Tuesday, March 7 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

USITT will also hold its closing event on Saturday at the City Museum.

USITT's Give Back High School Outreach Program is in its 2nd year after successfully debuting in Salt Lake City in 2016 at Granger High School. This year in St. Louis we're lined up for an onsite visit to Ritenour High School.

USITT's goal is to leave a lasting impact on our host city for our Annual Conference & Stage Expo

USITT would be happy to provide more info or answer media questions about any of these events in advance.

Public Access: A one-day pass to Stage Expo is $50, but we can offer free Expo passes to interested groups. We may be able to supply a promo code for free Stage Expo access that you can broadcast in your coverage. More details will be available as we get closer to the date. Media access can be arranged by contacting Lynne or Jenn (see below).

For more info on USITT, visit www.usitt.org. For more on the Annual Conference & Stage Expo, visit www.usittshow.org.

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