Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1975 - 31

its product in terms of inventory position, component,
hardware, parts lists, maintenance information, etc.?
What percentage of its earnings is going back into development of product that you will be able to use in the
years to come? After all, it is your industry and you will
be in it for awhile, I presume.
Where will we be ten years from now? Will we be looking at the same schedule of equipment that we could find
in a 1930's catalog? Or will we be looking at some new
innovations and some exciting new departures in lighting
instruments? Will we have the most sophisticated memory
systems exotically programmed to do incredible effects
while the lighting technician climbs the ladder, cuts his
hands on the shutter, pounds on the instrument to tilt
it, burns his fingers in the process and wastes many, many
hours that could better be spent creatively involved in
lighting? These questions can only be answered by the
theatre user. Your market decisions will determine the
innovation and service you get in the years to come.
Josiiph N. Tawil

USITT

WHO?

The Great American Market

MEETING THEATRE'S NEEDS AND
HOW TO INFLUENCE BUSINESS DECISIONS
The theatre and entertainment markets draw their
technical supplies from a variety of sources. They are
ingenious in using materials created for totally nonallied
purposes. Take, for example, the use of foam to produce props and scenic elements. There are companies
formed whose total objective is to meet specific technical needs of the theatre. Then, there are also companies
who commit a segment of their abilities to build products
for the theatre. In all cases, to be truthful, the objective is
to make a profit.
Let us pursue the situation where a multibillion dollar
corporation manufactures products specifically for the
theatre and entertainment market. Large corporations adhere to and demand professional management and planning at all levels. There is no move made without careful
study, analysis, and an almost iron-clad guarantee of a
profit. One should understand the concerns that the
theatre and large corporations have in attempting to do
business together.
Start with the planning function. Whether you intend
to build a single product, or answer the needs of a total
market segment, a basic written plan is necessary. The
elements of this plan are:
An analysis of the situation,
An objective,
Its strengths and weaknesses,
Set goals
Develop functional plans
Establish financial projections
At this point, the real thinking and fact finding begins.
With insufficient facts, the easiest and most prudent
management decision is not to enter a market or make a
product. Under each major heading of the plan, you must
ask yourself:
WHO?
WHAT?
WHEN?
WHY?
HOW MANY?
If these questions can't be answered, insufficient

thought or research time has been devoted - or the plan
may not be viable. It would not be in the best interest of
the company to carry it out. Answering these questions
can become extremely difficult, particularly when facts
are hazy.
To examine the planning process, use a simple example
of creating a new studio lamp. Assume that a new 500
watt lamp was to be designed to be used in an ellipsoidal
spotlight. Now, answer the questions:

WHAT?

WHEN?

WHY?

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Every stage within the geographical market
that is selected. Here is the first obstacle. In
1967, the AETA published a book showing
how many college theatres exist and some
information on the number of performances
they put on (not very current information is
it?). There's a publication on the auditoriums
in the United States with some information
about the stages they have. We have some
other sources to find how many Broadway,
Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway theatres
there are. Nowhere can one find exactly how
many stages there are in the U.S. and how
many productions they do. Within the charter
of the ATA, one would expect that this could
be consolidated and presented. It would
certainly be beneficial to theatre, in asking for
new technical products. It would .put manufactu rers in a better position to sell their
managements on the needs for a new product.
This is an almost unanswerable question
within the artistic community. No two people
want the same thing. Very few can define
what they want. The theatre is certainly
working with many totally inadequate technical materials, just because its needs were
never concisely and singularly communicated
to the manufacturer. Code and specification
committees should be established with the
charter of defining concisely what a product
should be. It is cautioned, however, that codes
and specifications should not be so rigidly
defined that they tend to impede creativity
or to lock one into products and procedures
soon to be obsolete.
Is it needed now? Will it soon be rendered
obsolete? Is the theatre ready for it? Will it
be used in every production or in a very few?
For example, an ellipsoidal spotlight is always
used in the theatre but hardly ever in TV or
film production. Timing is a very important
strategy. If one were to study bankruptcy,
'poor timing would be one key reason for
failu reo
Is the new product really needed. The theatre
seems to have many products that possess
change for the sake of change. If what is asked
for doesn't add real value over a present
method, wasted time, money, and talent is the
result. With the present economic conditions

WINTER,1975

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