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John Waters will give the keynote address at the 2009 Theatre Communications Group Conference, to be held in Baltimore, June 4-6.

The conference's theme will be "Roots. Renaissance. Revolution." and will investigate how generational perspectives affect the entire field, including the choice of plays produced, the atmosphere created in workplaces, the appeal of various leadership styles, and the processes used to identify, attract, and retain audiences. Additional guest speakers will include journalist Nadira A. Hira and futurist Andrew Zolli. Waters' presentation is entitled "This Filthy World," and will recount the bizarre journey of random discovery that accompanied each of his films and his life alongside them.

Waters' film Hairspray was turned into a Tony Award-winning musical, which just closed on Broadway and a musical version of his film Cry-Baby played the Great White Way earlier this year. His many other films include Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Desperate Living, Polyester, Serial Mom, Cecil B. Demented, and A Dirty Shame.

For more information, visit www.tcg.org/conference.