Tech theatre majors rise to top at the USITT national conference

Place-winning SUNY Fredonia theatre students discuss the Tech Olympics at the 2012 USITT conference. Fredonia placed second overall in the competition. From left to right are Taylor Morse, Chris Swinn, Rachel Fisher, Justin Petito, Jacob Brinkman and Nick Menge.

A total of 13 students from SUNY Fredonia attended the United States Institute for Theatre Technology's (USITT) national conference in Long Beach, California, recently, taking second place in the Tech Olympics, and placing two students into the highly selective national mentoring program. 

Theatre Professor Todd Proffitt accompanied the Fredonia group.

In the Tech Olympics, the Fredonia team was only two points shy of first place winner, North Carolina School of the Arts. Specifically, Nick Menge and Rachel Fisher placed third in the Costume Quick Change; Justin Petito placed second in the Props Set and Strike; and Nick Menge and Taylor Morse finished first in the Ground Plan Taping.  

In addition, two Fredonia tech theatre students were accepted into the Stage Management Mentoring Program at the conference. This is a highly selective, competitive program, in which hundreds apply and less than 15 are accepted. The two students accepted are Elizabeth Ellis, a junior in the Bachelor of Arts program, and recent BFA Theatrical Production and Design graduate Jessica Bertollo, who is now a MFA candidate at Carnegie Mellon University.

All students from Fredonia attended workshops at the conference, taking part in hands-on demonstrations of new equipment. All the students who attended were members of the Fredonia State Student Chapter of United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). The chapter on campus is advised by Professor Todd Proffitt and Dixon Reynolds.

USITT provides benefits, learning opportunities, and networking in the technical theatre industry for over 3,700 professional and pre-professional members worldwide.