Directors Seeking Direction
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To earn a shot at the big time, a director has to get the right people to see his work, so a little over a year ago Lucas and Acerra launched the Chicago Directors’ Fo-rum, an artistic and networking organization that provides local directors with a newsletter, workshops, and social events. According to Lucas, membership has ballooned to nearly 120, and last month the group held its first formal conference, Directions 1998. A dialogue on job opportunities, it brought more than 60 members together with artistic directors from some of the city’s established theaters; among those on hand were Richard Shavzin of Strawdog Theatre Company, Warner Crocker of New Tuners Theatre, and Brian Russell of American Theater Company.
The CDF conference was sponsored in part by the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, a national union that represents more than 1,200 theater professionals. But the vast majority of the union’s membership works in and around New York City; here in town it has no more than 30 members. Chicago has lost several midsize nonprofit companies in recent years, and several of its commercial venues are owned and operated by out-of-towners. According to Lucas, few CDF members think the new Palace Theatre or Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental
Livent Lays Off
