Past Conferences

Locations, Themes, and Programs (where available)

2024 meeting in Madison, WI –

2023 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – IMPOSSIBLE THEATRE

2022 meeting in Cleveland, OH – REVOLUTION

2021 Virtual Special Meeting held instead of Conference due to COVID-19 pandemic

2020 meeting in Chicago, IL – CHARACTER

2019 meeting in Cleveland, OH – INVENTION

2018 meeting in Milwaukee, WI – SPIN

2017 meeting in Houston, TX – “HOUSTON…WE HAVE A PROBLEM”

2016 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – VARIETY

2015 meeting in Kansas City, MO – INSPIRATION

2014 meeting in Cleveland, OH – REVISION

2013 meeting in St. Louis, MO – MYTH

2012 meeting in Chicago, IL – WORK

  • Program
  • MATC becomes a national organization

2011 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – COMPANY

2010 meeting in Cleveland, OH – GOING PUBLIC

2009 meeting in Chicago, IL – POOR THEATRE?

2008 meeting in Kansas City, MO – XTREME THEATER: BOUNDARY BUSTING, BORDER CROSSING, ENVELOPE PUSHING, AND OTHER REFLECTIONS ON TAKING THTR 2 DA MAX

  • Program
  • AS FER AS WE KIN GO focus for Theatre History Symposium

2007 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – CHANGING THEATRICAL LANDSCAPES: MAPPING NEW DIRECTIONS IN HISTORY, PEDAGOGY, AND PRACTICE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

  • Program
  • TRUE NORTH focus for Theatre History Symposium

2006 meeting in Chicago, IL – no conference theme

  • Program
  • (Noted as the 27th Annual meeting, skipping the 26th and correcting the misnumbering started with the 1998 meeting)

2005 meeting in Kansas City, MO – no conference theme

2004 meeting in Chicago, IL – no conference theme

2003 meeting in Indianapolis, IN – no conference theme

  • Program
  • THEATRE OUTSIDE THE BOX focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • EXPLORING THE ACTOR-DIRECTOR DYNAMIC focus for Directing Symposium
  • NEW PLAYSCRIPT DEVELOPMENT: THE PROCESS OF MOVING FROM PAGE TO STAGE focus for Playwriting Symposium
  • EXAMINING EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY focus for Education Symposium

2002 meeting in St. Louis, MO – no conference theme

  • Program
  • THEATRE OF CHANGE/CHANGING THEATRE focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • CLASSIC PLAYS IN A CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT focus for Directing Symposium
  • THEATRE OF FACT focus for Playwriting Symposium
  • THE PLACE OF THEATRE EDUCATION IN THE UNIVERSITY THEATRE DEPARTMENT focus for Education Symposium (inaugural – precursor to Pedagogy Symposium)

2001 meeting in Chicago, IL – no conference theme

  • Program still needed. If you have it and are willing to share, please email webmaster@matc.us
  • FRAMING DEVICES/DEVISED FRAMES focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • COLLABORATION/COMMUNICATION focus for Directing Symposium
  • THE PLAYWRIGHT AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY focus for Playwriting Symposium

2000 meeting in St. Louis, MO – no conference theme

  • Program
  • THEATRE AND THE COMMUNITY OF STRANGERS focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • SCULPTING SOULS IN SPACE & TIME focus for Directing Symposium
  • TEACHING PLAYWRITING focus for Playwriting Symposium

1999 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – no conference theme

  • Program
  • MATC CELEBRATES THE FIN-DE-SIECLE focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • WORKING RELATIONS IN THE THEATRE focus for Directing Symposium
  • THE PLAYWRIGHT AND THE DRAMATURG focus for Playwriting Symposium

1998 meeting in Omaha, NE – no conference theme

  • Program
  • (Presented as the 18th Annual for the second year in a row)
  • THE AMERICAN THEATRE: 300 YEARS OF ACCOMPLISHMENT focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • Theatre for Youth Symposium ends
  • Playwriting Symposium begins

1997 meeting in Chicago, IL – no conference theme

  • Program
  • THEATRE AND ITS AUDIENCE: WHAT MAKES THEATRE POPULAR? focus for Theatre History Symposium

1996 meeting in Arlington Park, IL – no conference theme

  • Program
  • VERISIMILITUDE focus for Theatre History Symposium

1995 meeting in Kansas City, MO – no conference theme

1994 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – no conference theme

1993 meeting in Kansas City, MO – no conference theme

  • Program
  • THEATRICAL BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • THE DIRECTOR AND THE ACTOR focus for Directing Symposium
  • WORKING AT PLAY focus for Theatre for Youth Symposium

1992 meeting in Chicago, IL – no conference theme

  • Program
  • Special MATC publication – Opera Houses of the Midwest

1991 meeting in Kansas City, MO – no conference theme

  • Program
  • ISSUES OF POWER focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • PSYCHOLOGY OF DIRECTING focus for Directing Symposium
  • WINDOW TO THE WORLD focus for Theatre for Youth Symposium

1990 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – no conference theme

  • Program
  • DE-CENTERING THE EROTIC focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • MATC expands to include Illinois and Wisconsin

1989 meeting in Omaha, NE – no conference theme

1988 meeting in Kansas City, MO – no conference theme

  • Program
  • THE THEATRE AND ITS DOUBLE focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • OPENING UP THE TEXT focus for Directing Symposium
  • AUDIENCES focus for Child’s Drama Symposium (inaugural session)

1987 meeting in Lincoln, NE – THE ACTOR AND THE ORGANIZATION

1986 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – DIRECTING AND PRODUCTION STYLES

  • Program
  • HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • MATC officially incorporated at business meeting

1985 meeting in St. Louis, MO – THEATRE IN TIMES OF REVOLUTIONARY CRISIS

1984 meeting in Omaha, NE – no conference theme

1983 meeting in Iowa City, IA – BUILDING ON STRENGTH

1982 meeting in Kansas City, MO – STRUCTURES OF EXCELLENCE

  • MAKERS OF MODERN THEATRE focus for Theatre History Symposium
  • Program

1981 meeting in Minneapolis, MN – FOR THEATRE’S SAKE

  • Program
  • NINETEENTH CENTURY focus for Theatre History Symposium

1980 meeting in Omaha, NE – EXCELLENCE IN THE EIGHTIES

Very special thanks to Robert Schanke, Cassidy C. Browning, John Fletcher, and the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives at Illinois State University.