Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1990 - 64

venture a guess abour me srare of me arr
of building and consul rants. We find a
very sorry rrail of problems and very few
srrucrures qualifY as ideal models. (These
remarks and cririques are limired ra
enrertainmenr faciliries in North
America.)
Whar is needed: licensing; certificarion; periodic evaluarions; reviews of
pasr projecrs; a jury of peers; and/or
boards of review. Experience, in combinarion wim omer facrars, can be a valid
acure learning process contriburing ro
excellent consulting.
Belonging ro a professional sociery
or associarion may be useful and helpful.
Successful reviews of codes, regularions,
srandards and resring crireria are part of
rhe learning process. Acrive parriciparion
in professional and personal growrh as
well as me fosrering of me growm of rhe
indusrry would be on my lisr of requiremenrs.
Ir is importanr wirh whom one
rrains. How much and me rypes of rraining classes or courses required are essenrial crireria. Are rhe training courses
sufficient, pracrical and viable? Do mey
give one rhe base of knowledge and
experience ro be designared a consulranr?
I believe many of rhese quesrions
have nor been incisively answered. For
roo long have we accepred me mythology mar quanriry nor qualiry means professional skill.
My profession raday is mar of a risk
assessor. I've become good ar ir. I pracrice as a consulranr in loss preventi<:Jn, a
licensed producr liabiliry analysr, an
environmenral risk analysr, an expert
wirness in safery and securiry and mrear
analysis, and an entertainment healrh
and safery experr. This personal reference may assisr in classifYing rhe issue:
nor whar or who is an enrertainmenr
consulrant, bur whar qualificarions are
uuly needed for mar person ro pracrice
mar uade. Is entertainment consul ring
indeed a professional pursuir?
Does working wirh professional
engineers qualifY you ro be an engineer?
Obviously nor. Bur one can learn, and
your work wirh rhem can assisr you inyour consulring. Working wirh archirecrs
probably can give you a specific amount
of experience. Working ar your special
calling in entertainment can give you
some qualificarions ra be a consultanr,
depending on whar you acrually do. As
ra entertainment industry consulrants,
rheir essence is consulring abour specific
areas of entertainment. On rhe surface, I
have no quarrel wirh rhar.

1990 FAll

TD&T

The crireria I use in my profession
are:
1. How effecrive am I ar applying my
skills on a specific projecr?
2. Does rhe projecr crireria correspond
ro me projecr goals?
3. Are cosrs controlled?
4. Are losses reduced?
5. Is awareness raised?
6. Are mere less accidents and injuries?
7. Is properry prorecred?
8. Is producriviry increased?
9. Are mere less hazardous exposures?
10. Has rhe healrh of rhe workers
improved?
11. Are rhe fire hazards mirigared?
12. Are people correcdy rrained?
All rhese cri reria can be and are
measured.
If I, personally, have ro measure rhe
qualiry of a faciliry and irs readiness or
efficiency ro be used for me performing
arrs so rhar me audience and users of me
faciliry are safe and healmful, I'd have no
qualms in saying, as of now, in rhis
country, on mis continent, I've nor seen
bur a few which can fulfill rhese crireria.
This is nor roo harsh a criricism of
enterrainment consulrants, ar leasr in my
opInIOn.

THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
CONSULTANT
I cannor agree wirh me mythology rampanr roday rhar entertainment consulring is a full qualiry profession. One only
has ro uavel from ciry ro ciry, srare ro
srare, province ro province ro see rhe
faciliries and speak ro rhe operarors of
rhese faciliries ro quesrion rhe qualiry
and expertise of some consultanrs.
One develops a crireria in whar he
or she does. Does rhe faciliry funcrion as
ir should for employees and public, and
how does rhe faciliry funcrion in rhar
regard?
You wanr ro selecr a entertainment
consulrant? Ir is a very long, long process, a redious, harrowing process. Take
me easy way: Walk mrough a mine field!
I ask you ro visir many sires. (Before
you do, rake my "Risk Assessment of an
Entertainment Faciliry Crireria" lisr ro
review wherher me faciliry is funcrioning
safely and healthfully for all who are
entertained and who work rhere.)
Carefully evaluare rhe consrrucrion
phase, which may prove enlighrening as
ro rhe efficiency in design and consulring. I clearly comprehend rhe vagaries of
rhe clients needs, wants, dreams and rhe

money available, as well as, me interference wim projecr designs. Bur me crireria for rhe consul rant is ro make rhe
process work successfully for rhe archirect.
Maybe rhe consulranr is roo
obsessed wirh grandiose ideas ro accepr
usable, pracrical, safe and healmful crireria. Certainly more edifices are monumenrs ro consulring rhan efficienr
performing spaces which are viable for
entertaining me public.
As wirh many groups trying ro
become esrablished, mere are hard rimes
which musr be endured. Srandards are of
grear necessiry! They are of me essence,
as in any career or profession.

RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE
and REQUIRED COURSES
1. Engineering experience of all rypes.
2. Engineering courses, including srrucrural, mechanical, elecuical, resring
and measuring, acousrics, marerial
handling and safery.
3. Archirecrure courses.
4. Consuuction and contracting courses.
5. Continuing hands-on experience in
me field, including sire visirs.
6. Experience wirh and use of CAD
sysrems.
7. A constant reading of engineering
research, including elecrrical fire,
mechanical, safery, healrh and building codes.
8. Many rours of entertainment srrucrures.
9. Simulared exercises of applying ser
knowledge ro archirecrural applicarions.
10. Conferences wim engineers, archirects,
entertainment indusrry personnel.
11. Experience in a planning office.

ON-GOING PROFESSIONAL
ACTIVITIES
1. Professional sociery acriviry.
2. Review of misrakes and failures.
3. Visirs ro complered projecrs after one
year ro view operarion.
4. Requesr rhar former clients evaluare
complered projecrs.
In orher words, a qualified entertainment indusrry consul rant needs a basic
rhearre/entertainment educarion and a
strong course and hands on archirecrural/engineering mix, as well as a conrinuous review of qualiry of work.

Randall w: A. Davidson is an industry
health and safety consultant and an associate editor ojTD&T.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1990