URTA Announces Election of New Board Members

The University/Resident Theatre Association (URTA) announces the result of the elections recently conducted for the association's board of directors, the governing body of URTA. Brant Pope, accomplished director and chair of the department of theatre and dance at the University of Texas, Austin was elected as president of URTA. Holly Poe Durbin, an award winning entertainment costume designer and head of the costume design program at the University of California, Irvine, won election as vice president. Both officers will serve two-year terms starting in July 2014. In addition, Michael Fry, director, artistic director, and deputy director of the East 15 Acting School, London, UK, and Claudia Stephens, busy costume designer in theatre, opera, and dance, and associate professor at the Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, were elected as new directors on URTA's board. Directors serve three-year terms.

The URTA board of directors consists of six directors and four officers elected from member schools. The board is responsible for the governance of the association, and as a collection of experts in areas of theatre and theatre training, is involved in guiding URTA's ongoing services and new programs. At the same time, the board regularly seeks input from member schools' executives and faculty, and from leadership at partnered theatres, at two annual membership meetings and through correspondence throughout the year.

"URTA's board reflects the experienced and highly accomplished level of professional artists and educators found at its member institutions, and mirrors new developments in the field," said Scott Steele, executive director of URTA. "Brant Pope comes to the presidency after considerable time spent as a director, artistic director, teacher, and executive at several great member schools. Brant's got URTA in his bones. Michael Fry, on the other hand, joins the board from URTA's first-ever international member school and one of the first overseas programs to award MFA degrees in theatre. Michael is part of very significant and exciting changes in URTA's link to international training." Steele also noted the URTA's profound appreciation of the schools that support service on the board by providing directors and officers the assistance necessary to attend meetings and conduct business. "These schools are very generous, and the board could not function without their help," Steele said.

Returning board members include: Alexander Gelman, director, school of theatre and dance, Northern Illinois University, and producing artistic director, Organic Theater Company; Greg Leaming, director, Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, Sarasota, Florida; Cal MacLean, head of theatre, University of Tennessee, and producing artistic director, Clarence Brown Theatre, Knoxville, Tennessee; Robert Ramirez, actor, and associate professor - voice, speech, dialects, text work, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Karen Ryker, actor, professor of voice and acting, University of Connecticut; Daniel MacLean Wagner, lighting designer, professor of theatre, University of Maryland.

URTA is the nation's oldest and largest consortium of professional, graduate (MFA) theatre training programs and partnered professional theatre companies. URTA advances theatre by connecting educational theatre programs with professional theatre and performing arts industries, promoting professional practices and artistic excellence in higher education, and assisting students with their transition into the profession. URTA provides a variety of services and informational programs to its members, and to non-member students, theatre professionals, and producing companies. URTA services include the National Unified Auditions/Interviews, better known as "the URTAs" and the most effective annual process contributing to the building of graduate classes in theatre disciplines at member schools. The URTA Contract Management Program (CMP) is the largest not-for-profit contract management service of its kind in the country, which makes it possible for many different kinds of organizations to employ professional actors, stage managers, designers, and directors. In addition, URTA maintains agreements with many theatrical unions that provide contracts for use by colleges, universities, and other institutions.