 Hello hello thanks for being here at 9 a.m. those of you who are I'm Devon Berkshire I'm the director of conferences in field-wide learning here at TCG and on behalf of the whole conference team I want to thank you all for being here with us in DC this is a really special conference for me and not just because this is actually my hometown although I do love my hometown DC represent but it's also a special conference for me because it's my first in this new role as director addressing addressing all of you in this you know what used to be this patented Kevin E more wakes him up with jokes speaking slot very exciting but it's also a little bittersweet and that's because the person who used to have this role left in the midst of the planning process for this conference for an amazing new position in the foundation world I think many of you know what a big impact Daveena McMillan has had on TCG and the National Conference and our field and we know that impact continues at Bloomberg philanthropies but we still miss her terribly she also had a big impact on me personally and Daveena where'd you go hi it feels a little surreal to stand on the stage and see you out there in the house like some regular old attendee but she will always be more than that here the conference is different because of you and we're different because of you so we're modeling our movement and leading the charge and dancing our conference dances because of you so please stand so we can all thank Daveena together thank you so now there's a joke that I named my my son Diego because he was born the year of the conference in San Diego and I just want to make very clear that my daughter will not be named Washington or DC even though DC and Diego is kind of catchy but I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone but I'm glad to be here even though I can't chase after the conference crises at my usual speed I'm grateful because when I hear about all the brave and amazing things you all are creating and when I get to watch Anna Devere Smith do what she did last night it gives me hope you give me hope that Diego and his sister will grow up in a better world and that every kid even if they're not named after a conference city can grow up in a world that meets their love with love so to kick off our morning plenary and to help us celebrate the recipient of the Alan Schneider director award please join me in welcoming Charlie Newell another past recipient of the Schneider Award as well as the Zelda Fishhandler Award and another DC local and current artistic director of the court theater to this stage good morning the Alan Schneider director award was created in 1984 by TCG the acting company in SDC to celebrate Alan's unique contributions to the American theater a leading director of the works of Samuel Beckett and Edward Albee Alan directed the world American premieres of who's afraid of Virginia Woolf waiting for Godot and many others he was also a lifelong advocate for new work many of which plays we now consider classics of the American theater canon the Schneider award was also established in recognition of Alan's lifelong concern for the development of career opportunities for young artists most especially freelance directors as Devin said is one of the sweet 16 previously honored with this award in 1992 I was most grateful the TCG asked me to make this introduction doubly so for I was privileged to bask in the fiery cauldron of Alan's process while serving his assistant director on pieces of eight by the acting company produced by Margo Harley tragically this was one of Alan's final directing projects as he was killed by a motorcycle while looking the wrong way in a London crosswalk in 1984 no doubt he was probably speaking with passionate abandon about whatever play he was working on and it is this quality of the man that I hope I wish I want to share with you for the Alan Schneider award honors passion and intensity of its namesake which found expression to his teaching and most especially his advocacy of the art firm having served amongst many other things as president of this theater communications group finally the Alan Schneider I'm so excited to do this what a thrill then to introduce this year's recipient of the Alan Schneider director award Kimberly senior for I believe that she beautifully exemplifies the defining qualities of this award but rather than simply recite for you Kimberly's most impressive resume you can find it at Kimberly senior net that's the first time I've ever done that okay or through TCG I thought it best to highlight just a few personal traits of Kimberly this extraordinary artist in her new work here's a quote from the Pulitzer Prize winner playwright Ayat Akhtar Kimberly often speaks of the genius of quote being invisible as her great aspiration to serve the play I admire this greatly and feel she lives up to her aspiration unquote well this quote could be pulled directly from no author better served the correspondence of Samuel Beckett and Alan Schneider that singular chronicle of how a director might best serve the needs and intentions of a playwright in advocacy at a recent non-equity Jeff award ceremony in Chicago Kimberly received a special Jeff having been nominated by 73 Chicago theater artists unheard of and to quote from the award Kimberly's most important and lasting legacy in Chicago is the way she has tirelessly championed and fought for many careers other than her own she smashes glass ceilings bashes doors down and then makes damn sure that doors those doors remain open for others to follow finally intensity a quote from one of Chicago's leading actresses Kate Frye Kimberly achieves a rare balance she relentlessly explores some of the darkest qualities of human nature while at the same time engendering a great compassion for people well having known Kimberly for now 20 plus years I first encountered her aggressive empathy in court theaters artists in schools program her students were challenged beyond their self-imposed limitations and they absolutely loved her for it I am also astonished to Kimberly's ability to maintain so many long-standing relationships with so many different Chicago organizations she is more than just a hell of a freelancer her energy is boundless her creativity electric just sit with her for a moment and you'll feel what I mean so now it's my privilege my honor I think it's here to pull out this lovely award and by the way there's a cash no strings attached cash award that comes with this wonderful award please join me in celebrating this year's recipient of the Allen Schneider director award Kimberly senior thank you for waking up or trying to do that thank you Charlie for that like lovely introduction first and foremost I'd like to thank TCG for even supporting such an award setting out as a freelance director isn't a career path where award earning is something that you expect the fact that this award even exists is so meaningful to all of us and TCG has been such a big part of my path from searching for jobs in my like paper copy of art search to looking forward to my American Theater magazine to arrive what's the play going to be this month to the myriad of support and programs available connecting theater artists everywhere we look around this is amazing that we are even here it's been a kind of this is this is your life of life in the theater from sure for so many of us and it's just exciting to see us all connected here I want to thank the Allen Schneider award panel Kirk Columbus Robert O'Hara and Laura Penn who are a panel of my peers who are each just dynamic luminaries and tremendous sources of inspiration and my recommenders Michael Halberstam and a doctor who have been the best art partners a woman could ask for I also would like to thank the artistic leaders who have encouraged me to risk often and dream big in particular Robert Falls who nominated me for this award who inspires me with his effortless leadership and big-hearted passions and Martha Levy who is the first person to challenge me to be more to do more to say more and remains my tireless champion and I want to congratulate my fellow finalists I hope to stand here as a representative of a huge group of artists who are ready to explore who are trying to ask the right questions who are trying to become better listeners in the New York Times obituary of Allen Schneider it said Mr. Schneider defined his area of theatrical concern as unexplored territory I too have theatrical concern for unexplored territory that territory involves how are we American theater makers going to address the deeply fractured world that we live in not only in our work but in the conversation surrounding our work and working on disgraced a doctor's play all over this country I've got to seven productions and I was just saying this morning to somebody that how often do we get to live with a play for five years in our work and what a gift that has been for me this unexplored territory has become even more clear it has become a responsibility the Paris attacks happened on the day of our opening night in Berkeley at the pre-show dinner donors and trustees and staff approached me wondering how I would address the attacks they were looking to me to shed light to expose to provoke to comfort this tremendous privilege and responsibility suddenly clarified for me I addressed the attacks in my remarks about the continued terrifying relevance of the play about the moral imperative to remain vigilant to talk to each other after the final bow we brought up the house lights the actor silently joined hands and bowed their heads for a moment of silence and the audience followed suit in that moment I vowed to pursue this work Orlando Syria Madrid Charlie Hebdo Boston marathon Nigerian schoolgirls San Bernardino Sandy Hook elementary Michael Brown Trayvon Martin Eric Garner all of this has happened in the five years I've been making this play and this is by no means a complete list these signs begin to emerge from the map of unexplored territory we need to make work that demands conversation that expresses opposing points of view work that challenges the artist and the audience work that exposes these dichotomies within us for within that Fisher is where the story lies all of our stories discovering that space and beginning the conversation there from a place of not knowing rather than our expertise it is time for us to embrace our similarities and then dive into the vast abyss that divides us and see what seeds we can plant there I now know that mentorship and advocacy are as important as our work is it is our work we can and we must build a better world I would like to thank my children Noah and Delaney they inspire me to do better do more let's seize this moment now so that our children can be asking different questions being here in DC is of course reverberating throughout this conference the time is now this is our moment we must do our job all voices must be heard even if we have to sit in or stand up we are hungry we have open ears and open hearts and we are concerned about this unexplored territory thank you thank you Kimberly and Charlie it's now my pleasure to welcome our next plenary speaker to the stage John Mada is an American executive spearheading a new convergence across design and technology industries named as one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century by Esquire Mada draws on his diverse background as an MIT trained engineer award-winning designer an organization executive writing celebrated books such as the laws of simplicity creative code and redesigning leadership the latter of which he'll be signing in the bookstore on the break right after this his TED talks have received cumulative views of over 2 million to date so please join me in welcoming John Mada to the stage