Locations, Themes, and Programs (where available)
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
- Schedule and description of events
- Held through Zoom and Mighty Networks
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.