News
University of Connecticut African American Puppetry Festival: Feb 7-10
ATDS members in or near Connecticut might be interested in checking this out:
Living Objects: African American Puppetry Festival and Symposium
The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will celebrate the rich world of African American puppetry in the United States with a four-day series of performances, presentations, discussions, film screenings, and workshops on Feb. 7 to 10, 2019 in Hartford and Storrs.
Laurence Senelick Wins Historic New England Prize
Congratulations to ATDS member Laurence Senelick for his recent 2018 Prize for Collecting Works on Paper from Historic New England. This was the 9th annual awarding of this prize \”to honor one or more collectors or dealers each year who have assembled or helped save significant collections related to New England or the nation as a whole.\”
Read more about the organization and prize here.

Congratulations to ATDS Member Eero Laine
Congratulations to ATDS member Eero Laine who has recently been named as editor of Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism.

Cheryl Black appointed Curators’ Distinguished Professor
Congratulations to ATDS Member, and former President, Cheryl Black for being appointed a Curators\’ Distinguished Professor at the University of Missouri in September 2018. As the University of Missouri points out, these are \”prestigious positions, and only outstanding scholars with established reputations will be considered for appointment.\” We can\’t think of anyone more suited for such an honor.
Theatre Annual CFP Deadline Extension
The deadline for submissions to the 2019 Theatre Annual has been extended to January 15, 2019. Please see the Theatre Annual website for the full call.
Call for Nominations to ATDS Frick Book Award
ATDS seeks book nominations for the ATDS John Frick Book Award.
The American Theatre and Drama Society’s John W. Frick Book Award honors the best monograph published each year on theatre and performance of/in the Americas, recognizing that notions of “America” and the United States encompass migrations of peoples and cultures that overlap and influence one another. The award recipient will receive a cash prize of $200 and be recognized at the annual ATDS membership meeting at the 2019 ATHE Conference.
Evaluation and eligibility: Books will be evaluated on the basis of originality, critical rigor, and contribution to the field of American theatre and drama. Books must exhibit a copyright date of 2018. Edited collections, anthologies, and plays are not eligible.
Nominations: The author, the publisher, or any member of ATDS may submit nominations.
Deadline: February 1, 2019.
Submissions: Please submit one copy of the book to each of the three committee members:
Bill Demastes (Chair)
Department of English
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Noreen C. Barnes
15 Whittier Drive
Acton, MA 01720
Vivian Appler
Dept. of Theatre and Dance
College of Charleston
66 George St.
Charleston, SC 29424
If you’ve read a particularly good book that qualifies for this award, please email Bill Demastes (wdemast@lsu.edu) with your nomination, and the committee will secure review copies for the selection process. Thank You!
ATDS Members and Theatre Library Association Awards
Also, congratulations to ATDS Members Odai Johnson and Heather Nathans for being 2017 Freedly Award Finalists for their books London in a Box: Englishness and Theatre in Revolutionary America (University of Iowa Press) and Hideous Characters and Beautiful Pagans: Performing Jewish Identity on the Antebellum American Stage (University of Michigan Press).
ATDS Member Mark Cosdon
Mark Cosdon has also been promoted to full professor at Allegheny College.