Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1976 - 5

EDITORIAL & N E W S - - - - - EDITORIAL---One of our resolutions for 1977 is to bring you, our
reader, a brief overview of what is being published in
similar journals in other parts of the world. We now
receive BUHNENTECHNISCHE
RUNDSCHAU, SIGHT/
/
LINE, SZINHAZTECHNIKAI (the Hungarian Journal).
and TABS. Beginning with our next issue, Spring, 1977,
we shall include a short synopsis of articles in each of
them. Complete coverage of all foreign journals will be
our goal but we respectfully reserve the right to abstain,
in part, if correct translation of titles and a brief abstract
is not readily available. We must also avoid accidents to
copies; the latest issue of TABS was literally devoured
by a new puppy. No anglophobe he, just frustrated at
being left alone in the office past his lunchtime.
In the meantime, we should like to recommend several articles published recently in magazines not aimed
specifically at the Scenographer, Technician and Architect.
The October, 1976 issue of HIGH FIDELITY AND
MUSICAL AMERICA contained an artide, "Back to
Square One for Fisher Hall" by Hans Fantel. This work,
as one might suspect, dealt with the latest attempt to
rectify the acoustic problems of Avery Fisher (nee Philharmonic) Hall at Lincoln Center. Another article, on the
same topic, turned up in the November 8, 1976 issue of
THE NEW YORKER. It was one of an irregular series,
"Annals of Architecture", written by Bruce Bliven, Jr.
Both pieces are fascinating reading and though we have
not yet had an opportunity to hear Avery Fisher Hall's
new acoustic ambience in person, the inference is that
Professor Cyril Harris' new spatial and acoustic treatment for the hall works.
Lastly, in THE NEW YORKER once again - December 6, 1976 - a "Talk of the Town" correspondent
watched, "the Metropolitan Opera House catch up with
the twentieth century." This coverage looked at the one
day set-up, performance, and strike of Robert Wilson's
Einstein on the Beach. Prominent in this account of a
well-planned and organized day is fellow USITT member Gil Hemsley. We recommend this article, and the
others, to your attention.
The Fall issue contained several errors we should like
to correct here. Captions for two of the color photos
were reversed. The photo at the bottom right, page 26,
is a model of the setting for The Bassarids by Britain's
Tazeena Firth and Timothy O'Brien. The photo at bottn.m right on page 35 is V. Levental's design for The
Cherry Orchard. This Russian design is also seen in black
and white on page 41.
On page 49, the address for Thermoplastic Process Inc.,
should read, Valley Rd., Stirling, New Jersey 07980.

USITT

NEW5-----INTERNATIONAL
ARCHITECTURE

COMPETITION

THEATRE

This international competition of theatre architecture
is intended for students of architecture colleges from the
member countries and candidates for the O.I.S.T.T. (1)
This competition must allow the participants to freely
and spontaneously express their view on the contemporary theatre destined for new generations. The programme
will be very open.
The restrictions will only apply to the surfaces, volumes, number of spectators, integration to the city,
economy in the adaptation and technological real ism
in the field of theatre techniques.
In addition to the actual programme, the participants
will be advised to form working teams, each to a maximum of 8 people, including besides students in architecture, young producers, scenographers, stage managers,
technicians, actors, sociologists, etc.... in order to produce projects directly related to the needs of the users.
The numerous prizes will be allocated to the winners
by the member countries of the O.I.S.T.T. These prizes
will be given to whole teams, in the form of scholarships
for studying or travelling for periods extending from one
week to two months in the donating countries.
The works will be shown in an equal manner. Each
contestant will dispose of the same surface of presentation
and the possibility of putting forward to the appreciation
of the jury, a model built according to the set rules.
The jury will consist of Educational, Theatrical and
Architectural personalities, chosen amongst the best in
the member countries of the O.I.S.T.T., in order to
reflect the theatre activities in general.
The complete and detailed programme as well as the
competition rules wi II be pub Iished in a further ed itio n.
(1) International Organization of Scenographers and Theatre
Technicians. At present there are 20 member countries: Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Israel,
Japan, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Arab Republic of Egypt,
Democratic Republic of Germany, Roumania, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Mexico and U.S.A.
The candidate countries are as follows: Argentina, Australia,
Italy, Lebanon, Switzerland and USSR.
Information concerning new applications can be obtained from
the Head of the Organization
Secretary's Office OISTT
11001 Prague 1
Celetna 17
Czechoslovakia
The competition is organized by the Commission of Architecture
and the Belgian section of the O.I.S.T .T.
Chairmanship of the Commission of Architecture, 5 Avenue
Hoover - 1320 Genval BELGIUM

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THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

WINTER,1976

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