Welcome to the DTSA

This is the DTSA (Doctoral Theatre Student Association) blog/website, a communication tool and resource for all DTSA members. You will find here:

• DTSA updated News, and Calendar of Events
• Agenda for upcoming DTSA meeting
  
• FAQ for students in the program
• Resources for Professional Development (Grants, CFPs, job postings, etc.)
• Networking, building your future in scholarship (PhD students’ bios, scholarship areas, working groups, and more)
• Theatre in NYC (performance reviews, recommendations, theatre outings, ticket offers, comps or last-minute give-aways)
• The Green Room – Student Newsletter

An overview of what the DTSA is and how you can be involved

What is the DTSA?

The Doctoral Theatre Students Association (DTSA) comprises all of the students enrolled in the Ph.D. Program in Theatre at the Graduate Center. The DTSA is committed to fostering a sense of community within the Theatre Program and providing programming to promote academic excellence and professional development. The DTSA officers, who are elected each spring, schedule and organize activities throughout the year and also advocate on behalf of students with the program’s leadership and the GC administration. For additional information about the role of the DTSA within the Theatre Program, visit http://web.gc.cuny.edu/theatre/dtsa

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What does the DTSA do?

The DTSA organizes events and activities for students of the Theatre Program with a view to making the Ph.D. experience as rewarding, productive, and enjoyable as possible. This is achieved through a number of activities, including:

Professionalization activities

The DTSA has a board member in the Professionalization Committee of the Theatre Ph.D. program. The Professionalization Committee organizes a number of activities throughout the year that cover topics of special interest to doctoral students accompanied by tea and cookies. These tend to be 6 to 8 activities each semester, on Thursdays 4:15-6:15 pm, when there are no Theatre or Film classes scheduled. We encourage you to attend as many as you can, because they will not only help you learn about important academic and professionalization matters (conferences, examinations, finding and applying for fellowships, stress management, teaching, job interviews), but also give you the opportunity to make connections with students and faculty outside of the classroom.

Visiting Speakers

Closely linked to the professionalization activities are the visiting speakers. As often as possible (realistically, once or twice a semester) we have a speaker from outside the program who will come to share their work. These speakers may be academics and/or alumni of the program.

Booth Award

The Edwin Booth Award was established in 1983 by the DTSA to honor a person, organization, or company in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the New York City/American theatre and performance community. This award is run entirely by the DTSA, and a call for nominations for this award should be out early in the semester—please nominate! Past honorees include: Charles Mee (’10), Judith Malina (’09), Karen Finley (’08), Mabou Mines (’07), HERE Art Center (’06), Paula Vogel (’05), and Tony Kushner (’02).

Dissertation Colloquia

These sessions provide a forum for doctoral students who are working on their dissertation to discuss their work with the GC population. It is an excellent way to learn about the projects of various Level III students as well as learning more about the process of identifying a topic and the writing process.

Theatre Outings

Two or three times each semester, the DTSA organizes theatre outings within New York. The production is chosen from those requested by students and this year is being arranged by Dan Venning (dvenning@gc.cuny.edu). As there are normally a good number of students going, we often secure discounts for booking as a group. This is an excellent opportunity to see theatre and meet with other students in the program whom you might not otherwise meet.

Happy Hours

Need I say more? Several times a semester every member of the DTSA is invited to go for a drink in a nearby bar. The venue is usually nearby and cheap, and it is announced in advance by email to the DTSA list.

Beginning and End of Semester Parties

Last and by no means least, there is a party organized at each end of the semester for everyone on the program. Famed for its “shrimp platter,” it is always well-attended and makes an excellent start or end to each semester.

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DTSA Listserv

dtsa-l@listserv.gc.cuny.edu
The DTSA Listserv is the easiest way to send announcements to the entire DTSA community. While the list is open for any and all doctoral student business, remember that current students, core faculty, and affiliated faculty from other CUNY colleges receive messages sent to the list. If your email address changes, contact Lynette Gibson, APO for Theatre, at lgibson@gc.cuny.edu immediately so she can update the listserv.

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THEATRE Listserv

theatre-l@listserv.gc.cuny.edu
The Theatre Listserv is the official list for the department, including alumni, community members, and other recipients not directly involved in the day to day life of a doctoral student. This is the list mainly used for official departmental announcements, conference calls for papers, and job postings. As with the DTSA Listserv, if your email address changes, contact Lynette Gibson, APO for Theatre, at lgibson@gc.cuny.edu immediately so she can update the listserv.

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The Green Room

http://opencuny.org/dtsa/news/the-green-room/

This resource will help you get acquainted with the students and faculty of the Theatre Program. The Green Room is a semi-annual newsletter compiled and edited by the First Vice-president of the DTSA. It includes a schedule of upcoming DTSA events, news submitted by professors and students (such as publications, conference activity, creative endeavors, teaching, and research interests), and other items of note. It is published in November and May. Past issues are archived online at the URL above.

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Getting involved in the DTSA

Being part of the DTSA allows you to be part of the community here in a really integral way. In addition, this service looks excellent on your resume! During your first year of the program, there are many ways to become involved with the DTSA, besides just attending events. Here are a few:

Booth Award

The Booth Award is a large event open to the New York community and requires a good deal of planning. Emily Clark is in charge of the award this year, and she will be looking for many willing volunteers in the Spring semester.

Fundraising

None of the events listed here can take place without some serious fundraising on our part. Aside from asking students and faculty for donations, we often run a booksale (from book donations by students and faculty). Last year, this was run in collaboration with a student conference, and it is an excellent way for a first-year student to get fully involved with the DTSA activities. We will also be writing to alumni asking for donations and you may wish to be involved with this. If you would like to assist or have any other fundraising suggestions, please just let Christopher know.

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DTSA Website: http//opencuny.org/dtsa