Theatre Design & Technology - Oct 1973 - 30

must put into "hammer and nail" set building and other
backstage worries. Should the program develop. I would be
interested in employing such a person.
For the past several months we have been trying to hire a
Stage Technician, but with little luck. (We have an auditorium that is booked by the city-symphony-graduationsetc.) and we desperately need someone to take over this
work. No luck, so far, except for the local untrained Rednecks.
We, the drama faculty, have (considered the use of such
technicians), but the administration has not. Our auditorium is rented to the public and could use a non-faculty
executive stage manager.
We have not considered non-faculty personnel in the past,
I think such a program might be the solution to many technical problems in college theatres. We would be interested
in your results and proposals.
I think you'll find there is a need and a market for the
vocationally trained theatre technician, to judge from our
experience. And it may be a most feasible job opportu nity
for minority group members with the requ isite talents. I'll
be most happy to hear more.

Of the 388 positions, 30% are part-time, 70% are fulltime. Of the total number of positions, 72.6% are filled by
people with some college background, but only 32.5% by
people with a Bachelor's Degree. Although 21.5% of nonteaching staff technicians have some graduate work, 15.5%
have no college training at all. In addition, 60% of the
respondents have indicated that no college background is
requ ired for their positions.
Although in many institutions one person had responsibility for several of the jobs listed in the questionnaire,
it was found that all of the jobs fell into six basic areas. 2They have been tabulated in this way, rather than by the
specific jobs listed on the questionnaire.
Of the positions, the majority are in the areas of wardrobe and shop {carpentry, paint, etc.)-29.0% and 28.7%
respectively. 15.7% are "general technicians," involved
with running shows, sometimes in addition to shop duties.
The department with "one technician who does everything" are included in this category. 13.4% are involved
with theatre administration (box office, business office,
etc.) and 9.2% oversee the use and maintenance of electric
and electronics equ ipment.
The predominant salary range was in the area of
$7,000-$10,000 {39.7%l. 21.8% were paid $5,000$7,000 and 34.6%, primarily the part-time positions, were
paid less than $5,000. 14 of the positions were in a salary
range over $10,000.

to expand; that needs are greatest in the areas of wardrobe
and general shop personnel, and that technical theatre
seems to be a field open to women as well as to men.

COLLEGES NOW TRAINING THEATRE TECHNICIANS
There are several 2-year colleges now training technicians. Los Angeles City College states:
This department has had a vocational 2412 terminal theatre
stage management and theatre craft curriculum since 1929.
Approximately 75-85% of graduates have been placed in the
trades. (Mr. S. Barry McGee says in reply to the question,
"Can it be justified as vocational training?" "Yes, yes,
more and more.")

Pasadena City College has a similar training program.
Robert Carroll, who answered the questionnaire, said,
"You'd better believe it can be justified as vocational
training." He sent a list of students working in the field
who had kept in touch with him since 1969. 44 had
regular jobs as technicians and 28 are on call at Local 33
of IATSE (Southern California) working at TV studios
and in the theatres.
At Cabrillo College, Aptos, California, a program
started by Dolores Abrams is now in its third year. Here
most of the pupils go on to get the four-year degree. Miss
Abrams told us that she is called constantly for technicians.
This seems to be the case also at Alan Hancock
College, at Santa Maria, California, which has a theatre
technology program.
C.U.N.Y., Brooklyn, is training students for the professional theatre. Here Eldon Elder and Kath Ryan are in
the third year of a program aimed at the disadvantaged.
In an interview, Miss Ryan told us that so far 12 students
have completed the two year course and each one could
have had at least two jobs. In the second quarter of the
second year the students are sent to work for three months
at the theatres associated with the League of Resident
Theatres. Miss Ryan believes that this is extremely
valuable, as the students come back to the campus with
much more drive and dedication. A further indication of
the availability of positions in the field is found in Miss
Ryan's statement that in the professional repertory
theatres, now 40 in number across the country, approximately 600 technicians are employed.

Only 25 of the positions required union (IATSE) personnel. 96 of the theatres employed women, some as
stage managers, electricians, or shop staff, as well as in
wardrobe.

The experience of the leaders in this field, the junior
colleges in California which have had such programs in
existence for some time, seems to prove that technical
training can and does direct the student on to a four-year
academic degree or to employment at the end of his two
year training.

From these preliminary results, we find that college
and university theatre departments do provide an employment market, at a reasonable wage, for trained technicians;
that, the economy willing, this job market can be expected

To underscore the additional attraction the proposed
program might have for students, that of finding financial
assistance in order to finish the requirements for the
Bachelor's Degree, I quote the following:

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

OCTOBER. 1973

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