Sheridan Hosts SONG, STAGE AND SCREEN IX CONFERENCE this Week

Sheridan is hosting the "Song, Stage and Screen IX Conference" this week, June 24-26 at its Oakville campus - the first time this event has been held in Canada. The conference, coordinated by the academic journal, Studies in Musical Theatre, brings together educators in the field from around the world to discuss music theatre practices. This year's theme is "The Art of Collaboration in Musical Theatre".

The conference gets underway on Tuesday morning with a keynote address by Bob Martin, the Tony Award-winning co-creator of "The Drowsy Chaperone". He also co-created "Slings and Arrows", a critically acclaimed dramatic television series about life at a large not-for-profit theatre company. Conference speakers include faculty from universities around the world, notably the University of Portsmouth, Rutgers University, University of London, Bowling Green State University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of New York, University of Sheffield, Kent State University and Regis College. Five of Sheridan's own faculty - Greg Andrews, Suzanne Bennett, Robert Gontier, Marc Richard and Jason Saunders - are also featured among the speakers.

A highlight for conference attendees will be a special performance on Tuesday evening of "The Theory of Relativity" by composer/lyricist Neil Bartram and book writer Brian Hill. The show is a production of the Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP). Launched by Sheridan in 2011, the CMTP is Canada's first incubator for the development of new musicals by Canadian and international composers, lyricists and book-writers. "The Theory of Relativity" made its debut at Sheridan and Toronto's Panasonic Theatre in April, 2013.

"Sheridan is proud to host this prestigious international conference, and to showcase a homegrown production to our colleagues from around the world," said Michael Rubinoff, Associate Dean and Canadian Music Theatre Project producer.

Described by Broadway World as "a joyous, youthful musical exploration of the surprising interconnectedness of our own personal orbits as we stand 'motionless' on this little rock hurtling through space," the cast features Sheridan students and alumni, as well as graduates of music theatre programs at the University of Michigan, Boston Conservatory, and University of Hartford.