Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1992 - 32

firsr effort, plans commenced for rhe Second Biennial Exposirion in Denver.
The 1982 Exposirion, which in conrenr rerained rhe rhree secrions of }lIried,
Invitation and Design Showcase, grew and
flourished. Ir was obvious ro Abborr rhar
Srephen, wirh his vision for funher
improvemenr, should conrinue ro head
rhe Juried secrion; and in so doing, rhis
"cenrerpiece" presenrarion of Srephen's
made for a very impressive Denver Exposmon.
When Abborr decided rhar he would
be unable ro head rhe Third Biennial, ir
seemed clear rhar Srephen would become
rhe new Exposirion coordinaror. Srephen
was now ro implemenr his ideas for rhe
conrinued growrh of rhis projecr.
The Third Biennial Exposirion premiered in April 1984 in conjuncrion wirh
rhe USITT Conference held in Orlando.
Glancing rhrough rhe caralog, one can
immediarely idenrify some changes. The
Invitational Exposition Section now
became a Heritage Section highlighring
rhearrical design from America's pasr. The
Design Showcase was rerained, as was rhe
}uried Section wirh rhe addirion of Iighring design ro rhe previously exisring
scenery and cosrume design adjudicared
caregones.
Srephen srared rhe following in rhe
inrroducrion ro rhe Third Exposirion caralog: "The members of various commirrees rhar worked ro bring rhis Exposirion
ro you are ro be applauded for conrriburing so much ro rhe growrh and expansion
of rhe conrinuing process of recognizing
and recording excellence in performing
arrs design in America." The exhibir was
garhering suppon from many people,
USITT members and non-members
alike.
As Abborr again recalls, "The projecr
was always meanr ro em phasize 'srudio
processes.' Srephen made rhar happen in
an excellenr fashion. The projecr was
always meanr ro be 'classy.' Srephen made
rhar happen [as well]."
The Third Biennial Exposirion
heighrened rhe exposure of rhearrical
design rhrough rhe process of rhe narional
rour, which I shall discuss larer.
As menrioned earlier, my involvemenr
as liaison ro Unired Scenic Anisrs began
in Fall 1985 in prepararion for rhe Fourrh
Biennial Exposirion which premiered in
Oakland, CA in March 1986. Ir seemed
ro me rhar rhe besr way ro advise Srephen
in marrers concerning rhe }lIried Ev:hibition was ro become a parricipanr and prepare an enrry, rhereby gaining firsr-hand
experience in regard ro rhe process.
In reviewing Srephen's wrirren "Inrroducrion" for rhe Fourrh Biennial Exposi30

1992 SPRING

TD&T

rion caralog, rhere is again an indicarion
of evolurion and developmenr-in addirion ro an ironic sraremenr which would
prove propheric in lighr of rhe evenrs rhar
would rake place almosr a year larer in
1987.
This Exhibir, in addirion ro rhe }uried
and Design Showcase secrions, had an
unusual Heritage componenr which
focused on rhe American Regional Thearre movemenr; a Lee Simonson Exhibir;
and an Adolph Appia Exhibir. The add irion of rhe Appia marerials and rhe inclusion of rhe Theodore Pisrek 1985 Academy Award-winning cosrume designs for
rhe movie Amade//5 expanded rhe focus
beyond rhar of American design for rhe
firsr rime.
Srephen wrore rhe following in regard
ro rhe scope of rhis evenr: "The need for
such an exhibir is clearly indicared by rhe
rapid growrh in rhe paniciparion of highly qualified professionals who are proud
of rheir field. The qualiry of designs available for inclusion indicares and iLlusrrares
rhar American design for rhe performing
arts is worrhy of inrernarional recogni(ion."

Thar is indeed propheric, for in June
1987, rhe Unired Srares was inrernarionally recognized by winning rhe Golden
Triga, rhe highesr exhibirion honor, over
37 orher counrries ar rhe Prague Quadrennial '87. Srephen and USITT could
be especially proud, since incorporared
wirhin rhis specracular assemblage of
American design were selecrions from
borh rhe Third and Fourrh Biennial
Exposi rions.
Exposure for American design and
designers was "on a roll!" From 3 Seprember ro 1 November 1987, rhe Milwaukee
Arr Museum organized and mounred
"Conremporary American Srage Design,"
and, in a rare move for an An Museum,
celebrared nor only American Design, bur
rhe work of livingarrisrs in rhis field l
The Fourrh Biennial Exposirion was
ro be rhe lasr for which Srephen would
serve as Exposirion coordinaror, bur he
did parricipare in rhe rransirion of leadership in regard ro rhis projecr.
In Augusr 1986, a group garhered
during a US ITT rerrear in Denver ro discuss rhe changes rhar would be implemenred for rhe Fifrh Biennial Exposirion
slared for Anaheim in 1988. As menrio ned, I had submirred an enrry ro rhe
}lIried Section. My cosrume designs for rhe
Wesr Coasr premiere of Chrisropher
Durang's Baby wit/; the Bathwater ar rhe
Los Angeles Public Thearre had been chosen ro be parr of rhe Fourrh Exposirion.
This gave me an opporruniry ro commenr
on rhe process. I was in grear company ar

rhis meering; wirh Srephen, Willard BeIlman, Lance Brockman, Richard Devin,
Dick Dursr, Randy Earl, Eric Fielding
and John Williams, among orhers. Also
presenr was Carolyn Lancer, who was ro
become rhe Exposirion coordinaror for
Design Expo '88.
One of rhe major changes iniriared by
rhis group was rhe decision ro judge
design submissions rhrough slide enrries
rarher rhan finished panels of original arr
work. Ir was reasoned rhar professionals as
well as srudenrs should nor be expecred ro
send mounred originals on specularion
rhar rhey mighr be selecred. The emphasis
in judging was rherefore placed on rhe
rhearrical design irself, and nor rhe "marred presenrarion."
Today, rhree Exposirions larer, such a
decision seems obvious. Bur, as Srephen
and rhe orhers who have gone on ro chair
rhis projecr-Carolyn Lancer in 1988,
Jeff Quinn in 1990, and Bruce Brockman
for rhis currenr 1992 exhibir-have
found: We learn from experience!
Wirh rhis in mind, Lancer recenrly
recalled rhar rhe road was nor always easy
for Srephen. Perfecrionisr rhar he was, ir
was impossible for him ro pursue his
desired goals for rhe Exposirion wirhour
addirional funding from ourside rhe Insrirure. He assumed his fundraising responsibiliries wirh rhe same passion as his
desire for perfecrion wirhin rhe crearive
conrenr of rhe exhibirion. Yes, rhere were
somerimes disagreemenrs which led ro
bad feelings, bur ulrimarely he was driven
ro be a "producer" and as such gave us an
incredible "show!" All who I have spoken
ro in regard ro rhis USITT projecr are in
empharic agreemenr abour rhe facr rhar
rhe Design Expo would nor be whar ir is
roday wirhour Srephen's invincible perseverance!
Touring of rhe Exposirion has always
been a inregral part of rhe projecr-bur
unforrunarely ir is not happening rhis
year. I know rhar I can speak for Srephen
and hopefully all who have been involved
wirh rhe growrh of rhis Exposirion over
rhe years when I say rhar rhis is a loss! As
menrioned, rhe rhearrical design marerials
from rhese exhibirs have appeared in
museums rhroughour our narion; in
venues of narional and inrernarional
prominence such as rhe Lincoln Cenrer
Library of rhe Performing Arrs and various locals rhroughour Europe and Ausrralia.
\'lIe who arrend such evenrs as rhis
convenrion are, for rhe mosr parr,
involved in some aspecr of rhe enrerrainmenr indusrry. We are knowledgeable in
regard ro nor only rhe "conrenr" bur also
rhe "inrenr" of rhis displayed arr of rhe

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1992