National Audio Theatre Festivals (NATF)

2005 Workshop Details

AUDIO THEATRE WORKSHOP OFFERS UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO AUDIO ARTISTS

Learn from national leaders in the growing field of audio theater at the annual NATF Audio Theatre Workshop in West Plains, Missouri from Monday June 20th - Sunday, June 26th. Beginners to experts of all ages are welcome.

WORK WITH THE BEST.....

The 2005 Audio Theatre Workshop will include Foundation Classes in all aspects of audio theater production including writing, performance, recording, mixing, sound design, directing and much more. Guest directors will produce new plays from the NATF Script Competition. Participants end the week with a live performance on Saturday, June 25th.

Special guest director Simon Jones will be directing a new audio comedy by emerging artist Witney Seibold called "Extra-Ordinary." When plain old Henry Krause finds a human brain on an L.A. beach, its prompts he and his uppity talking cat Walter to reunite with some of his old superpowered buddies, including a bitter ex-wife, a telepathic greasy-spoon owner, a pair of dumbfounded twentysomethings, and a friend living on Hollywood Blvd., to investigate its origin.

Sound has recently been Simon's principal medium. Aside from some fifty books currently available, he narrates the best-selling “Douglas Adams at the BBC,” and plays “Arthur Dent” in “The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.” This ground-breaking series originally started in 1977, when the author, Douglas Adams asked him to play the lead role of the wandering Englishman. Already available are "The Primary Phase," and “The Secondary Phase” (recorded in the late seventies), and also “The Tertiary Phase” recorded in 2003. In January 2005, the set was completed with “The Quandary Phase” and “The Quintessential Phase.” “Arthur” was recently described, in a BBC Documentary, as “a key comic icon of his time.”

For his work in recorded books, Simon Jones was named "Narrator of the Year" by Publishers Weekly (PW) in January 2005. Simon is also one of AudioFile Magazine's (AF) “Golden Voices.” His recording of “Millions” by Frank Cotterill Boyce for Harper Audio received PW’s “Listen Up” award, and AF’s “Golden Earphones.”

In New York he has has recorded several dramatizations for the Sci-Fi network’s Seeing Ear Theatre. He also hosted a weekly radio talk show for the BBC called “Talk of New York,” and is featured on the Crosby, Stills and Nash album, “ Live It Up.” For a while he was the voice of the unfrosted side of a Kellogg's Frosted Miniwheat.

When not in the studio Simon has been serving as the co-artistic director of the New York-based TACT, The Actors Company Theatre for the past seven years. He has directed a number of productions for them including Shaw’s “Widowers Houses” and Rattigan’s “Flare Path,” and produced and starred in the world premier of Noel Coward’s “Long Island Sound” For the York Theatre he also directed The American premier of Coward’s “Pacific 1860” as well as Wodehouse and Kern’s “Oh, Boy!” He also directed “Lettuce and Lovage” at The Cleveland Playhouse, as well as two sold-out Noel Coward entertainments for the Chicago Humanities Festival.

In addition to Simon Jones, the Audio Theatre Workshop, will feature three-time Peabody award winner Marjorie Van Halteren directing the NATF award winning script "Homefront" by Patrick Bradley. A father is visited by an enigmatic stranger who seems eerily familiar and uncannily knowledgeable about his life.

Marjorie was a founding member of AIR and the original producer of "Selected Shorts" for WNYC and Symphony Space-after working on The Bob and Ray Public Radio Show, Kids America, and then WNYC's "The Radio Stage," and "Roadtrip" for WDR, Cologne.

Currently living in the north of France, not far from the Belgium border, Marjorie teaches Media Studies, Sound, and English to University and Engineering students in Lille when she's not in the studio creating new audio productions. Finally bi-lingual and fascinated with languages-Marjorie enjoys experimenting with new audio programs for the PC and making sound installations for various local galleries and events.

Since leaving the States in 1992 Marjorie has produced a number of works including: "Present Progressive" for BBC Radio Four, "A Britain of the Mind" for BBC Radio Three's Between the Ears, "You're the Fool" by Roy Nathanson for "The Next Big Thing," and appearances on "Studio 360" - and in the last year, " Yesterday and Forever" and "Unquiet Graves" with Helen Engelhardt, "Jan On Jack" for Hearing Voices and "Parrot Fever" for BBC Radio 3 (forthcoming - December 2005)."

Her work from 1982 - 1992 garnered her three Peabody Awards, and several Armstrongs, and NFCB Golden Reel Awards. Her work hovers somewhere between drama and documentary ("until recently, a peculiarly American form"), literature and sound composition. Marjorie Van Halteren last appeared at NATF directing "Love Hurts" by Terry Quinn.

The ATW's guest acting staff will include audiobook's "Golden Voice" William Dufris. William began his audio career in London (radio plays, audiobooks, film/animation dubbing, language tapes, etc.), where he resided for 13 years. While there, he had the honor of sharing the microphone in a number of BBC Radio plays with Kathleen Turner, Sharon Gless, Stockard Channing, and Helena Bonham-Carter. These experiences led him to co-found two audio production companies - The Story Circle, Ltd and Mind's Eye Productions. He has also acted on stage and television here, in the U.K., and in Germany. William is the original voice of BOB (and Farmer Pickles/Mr. Beasley/Mr. Sabatini) in the popular children's show, BOB The Builder (Series 1-9). He produces, directs, acts and engineers for his audio theatre company, Rocky Coast Radio Theatre. He has been nominated three times as an audiobook finalist for the APA's Audie Awards, and has garnered 12 Golden Earphones Awards through AudioFile Magazine.

Improv will also be part of this year's workshop and performance thanks to the team of Elaine Bankston-Speer and Jeffrey Hedquist - American's Newest Radio Couple.

Elaine's vocal characterizations, ranging from children to senior citizens, have been heard throughout the country, and she has been the recipient of many radio awards for her work. Ms. Speer also enjoys a career as actress and director. She originated her career at the acclaimed South Coast Repertory, in Southern California, where she also received a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of California at Irvine.

Elaine has spent years teaching acting to adults and children. She is currently involved in the creation of two theatrical productions, a musical produced by American Regional Theatre, and The Jeffrey and Elaine Show, produced by Hedquist Productions, both based in Fairfield, Iowa.

Jeffrey Hedquist is the President of Hedquist Productions, Inc. located in Fairfield, Iowa. He is a radio creator / director / talent / producer and songwriter. Jeffrey is also a national voice talent for clients like Goodyear, Ford, American Heart Association, Sunbeam, Konica, Time-Life, Dutch Boy Paint, York International, and NAPA.

In addition to guest directors the Audio Theatre Workshop will also be mentoring audio artist Janine Preston, of KNH Radio Theater, to direct two short works by audio playwright Diane Cook. "Life's Slices" depicts the oddities of life that can happen (when you least expect it).

Additional guest staff will include Tom Lopez, president of the ZBS Foundation and the award-winning writer/producer of the Ruby series teaching location recording and sound effects collecting.

Charles Potter, 3-time Grammy winner for Spoken Word will also spend the week teaching classes on audio theater and working on production elements for the performance.

A complete staff list can be found at www.natf.org starting April 1st.

REGISTRATION, HOUSING, AND MORE

Register now through June 1st for $425. Late registration from June 2-20, 2005, is $475.

Housing for the workshop varies from limited low-cost shared dorm rooms ($135 for the week) to affordable hotel rooms in West Plains. Participants can spend $240.00 for week in shared hotel room room with a shared bath at the West Plains Ramada Inn (rate of $40.00 per person/per night -- includes sales and hotel taxes) or $300.00 for the week in a private room/bath at the Inn (rate of $50.00 per person/per night -- includes sales and hotel taxes). All housing must be arranged through NATF.

Workshop participants and staff will fly into Memphis, Tenn. on Monday, June 20, 2005. The NATF shuttle will leave Memphis at 2:00pm and arrive at Southwest Missouri State University in West Plains by 4:30pm. The return bus leaves West Plains at 8:30am Sunday, June 26, 2005. All workshoppers are asked to please book return flights from Memphis departing after 2:00pm.

Shuttle service to and from the Memphis airport is $65 round trip.

SCHOLARSHIPS....

A limited number of scholarships are available to help off-set part of the registration fee. See www.natf.org for deadlines and details.

The Audio Theatre Workshop is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Heartland Arts Fund and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

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