His presentation is called "This Filthy World" and will focus on the bizarre journey of random discovery that accompanies his films and his life. Waters is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, visual artist and art collector who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, often set and filmed in Baltimore.

The TCG National Conference is the largest nationwide gathering of the not-for-profit professional theatre community. TCG, the not-for-profit trade group with a mission that includes publishing American Theatre magazine as well as plays by American playwrights and theatre people, is dedicated to the promotion of non-profit professional theatre in America. For over 30 years, the TCG National Conference has been a forum in which the American theatre community comes together to exchange intellectual and artistic ideas.

The theme of the 2009 conference is "defining the new landscape."

Teresa Eyring, TCG's executive director stated, "This year's theme has the potential to be instructive as well as provocative as we specifically connect the founders of the regional theatre movement with its future leaders."

The TCG National Conference is focused on strategizing for a "much needed Renaissance." Peers from theatres with similar sized budgets will address their shared concerns and strategies in workshops and meetings. Award winning playwright Jo Carson will lead a hands-on storytelling workshop encouraging the mentorship of both the younger and older generations. Carson has written over 20 performance projects with communities all over America, based on their own life stories including Cross Tides and Swamp Gravy . She is a regular on NPR's "All Things Considered" and founder of the founder of Alternate ROOTS, a group of Tennessee performing artists devoted to community-based work.

Guest speakers will include Nadira A. Hira, Andrew Zolli, Bill T. Jones and Anne Bogart.

Award-winning journalist Nadira A. Hira is a general assignment writer at Fortune, where she has focused increasingly on stories for and about Generation Y, the fastest growing segment of the American workforce. Her insights will illuminate new ways to communicate and collaborate across generational barriers.

Andrew Zolli's presentation will outline the trends that will shape the not-for-profit theatre industry's future and help industry leaders respond to the emerging complex changes that will matter most to them.

Anne Bogart is the artistic director the SITI Company, which she founded with Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki in 1992. She is a the head of the graduate directing program at Columbia University and the recipient of two Obie Awards, a Bessie Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Bill T. Jones, a multi-talented artist, choreographer, dancer, director and writer, has received such major awards ranging from a 1994 MacArthur "Genius" Award to a 2007 Tony Award (Spring Awakening).

Celebrated author Jeanette Winterson will speak at the 2009 TCG Pre-Conference, "ACTivate Change," in Washington, DC, on June 3. The author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Winterson is the recipient of numerous literary awards as well as the BAFTA Award for Best Drama. She frequently writes and speaks about the importance and power of the arts in society, most notably in her book of essays, "Art Objects."

This year's main conference will be held at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre, part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. The TCG National Conference is an invitation-only event. Any staff or board member of a TCG member theatre, university affiliate or other affiliate organization is welcome to attend the conference.

Individual artists are also eligible to attend if nominated by TCG or one of its member theatres.

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