Theatre Communications Group Selects San Diego for 2014 National Conference

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, proudly announces that the 24th annual TCG National Conference will take place in San Diego from June 19 to 21, 2014. The TCG National Conference provides the largest forum for The National Theatre community to assemble for artistic and intellectual exchange. The multi-day event draws more than 1,000 theatre professionals from around the world for meetings, speeches and performances, as well as a chance to explore the local theatre community.

"We were impressed by the San Diego theatre community's enthusiasm and collaborative spirit," said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. "The natural beauty, abundant resources and thriving cultural ecology of San Diego make it an ideal location to host a transformative experience for our attendees."

The San Diego-area TCG Member Theatres contributing to the planning for the Conference will include: Cygnet Theatre Company, Diversionary Theatre, Ion Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, Lamb's Players, MOXIE Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, The Old Globe, San Diego Junior Theatre and San Diego Repertory Theatre.

"We are delighted to welcome our colleagues from across the country to San Diego for the TCG's 2014 National Conference," said Michael S. Rosenberg, managing director of La Jolla Playhouse and TCG Board Member. "It offers a tremendous opportunity to showcase our flourishing, highly-innovative theatre community while hosting this prestigious annual event that serves as the premiere forum for best practices and idea generation in the industry."

"We are thrilled to welcome the American theatre community to San Diego to personally experience our city's vibrant arts scene," said Michael Murphy, managing director of The Old Globe. "San Diego is a truly diverse and eclectic community that is passionate about the arts, and the region's many voices and cultures continually inspire us and our work. We can't wait for our colleagues to join us here and see for themselves all that this extraordinary city has to offer."

Through its convenings, TCG continues to serve as a connector for theatres to share best practices and new business and artistic models with one another. TCG presents plenary speakers, breakout sessions, workshops and performances throughout the National Conference. Past keynote speakers have included leading artists and thinkers, such as Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy, author Seth Godin, playwright August Wilson and theatre director Julie Taymor.

TCG's 2013 National Conference in Dallas from June 6-8 is called Learn Do Teach. Inspired by the famous phrase from medical training, "see one, do one, teach one", this gathering will bring together around 1,000 theatre practitioners for deep learning through model sharing and peer connection. To further focus the convening, four programmatic arcs-Diversity and Inclusion, Audience Engagement, Financial Adaptation and Artistic Innovation-will offer a deep dive into a "conference within the Conference" that captures the intimacy of our smaller convenings. These arcs will be led by theatre leaders and cultural workers like Carmen Morgan, Lisa Mount, Howard Shalwitz and Timothy J. Shields. For more information and registration for this year's conference, visit 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.