Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1993 - 26

mal. There is no concerred efforr [Q compurerize and no overall aurhoriry ro
direcr an organizarion-wide implemenrarion. Use of compurers and software in
rhe rhearre rends ro be user morivared,
nor parr of an overall organizarional comml(me n r.
Very few universiries or colleges
presenrly offer special classes dealing wirh
rhearre-specific compurer use. Srudenrs
receive informal "hands-on" rraining,
limired rraining included wirh orher class
marerial, or go ourside of rhe deparrmenr
for more general com purer courses.
!\any rhearre pracririoners have raughr
rhemselves. The high level of individual
effon in learning various sofrware packages and applicarions give rhe users in
rhearre a grearer sense of accomplishmenr, as well as frusrrarion wirh having
ro learn on rheir own wirh no formal
asslsrance.
Funher, compurers are fairly new in
rhe rhearre because of rhe lack of appropriare sofrware. In addirion ro nor having
rhe equipmenr, sofrware oFren needs ro
be developed or modified specifically for
rhe insrirurion. A relared problem is rhar
rhe needs of various rhearre professionals
can nor be mer by anv one sofrware package. For example, rhe producrion and
adminisrrarion aspecrs require differenr
sofrware funcrions rhan designers
require.
Crearive endeavors may require specialized programs and mosr sofrware is
manufacrured for generic use. There are
very Few ready-ro-run programs specifically designed for rhearre excepr box
office packages and some lighring paperwork packages. Alrhough generic word
processing programs can be adopred
wirhour difFiculry for adminisrrari"e
funcrions, specialized programs for crearive needs are limired. Many programs
are "borrowed" from orher areas (such as
CAD from archirecrure) and musr be
modified ro fir rhe specific needs of rhe
rhearre. Many rhearrc proFessionals may
have rhe perceprion rhar exisring programs are hard ro learn, rhar programs
musr be modified for rhearre use, and
rhar rhe programs de"eloped for rhearre
are roo expensive.
Funhermore, since rhere are no large
organizarional commirmenrs, rhearre
makes up a very small soFrware marker.
Because rhearre is such a small parr of
an" reasonablv sized marker, ir is nor
pr~firable for a' company ro manufacrure
rhe specific sofrware. Therefore. rhe
developmenr or modificarion of so Frwa re
packages depends on a few small companies or rhe individual wirhin rhe organizarion who sees a need for rhe program.
24

1993 FAll

TD&T

Thearre specific equipmenr and sofrware
are expensive because rhe marker is limired.
Unlike orher indusrries, mosr rhearres
do nor have Funds [Q invesr in equipmenr
or research and developmenr. Funds for
new rechnology musr be appropriared
from elsewhere in rhe organizarion. and
rhe majoriry of rhearres cannor decrease
rheir producrion budger. ~Iosr rhearres
can nor afford rhe newesr developmems
in rechnology unriJ rhe cosr decreases,
which ofren means rhar rheir rechnology
is several years behind whar i acruall"
available on rhe marker.

SUMMARY
The individual crearive narure of many
aspecrs of rhearre precludes a blanker
acceprance of any rechnology. In rhearre,
no one is required ro use a compurer if
s/he does nor wanr ro do so. Indeed, people in a few areas of rhearre such as acring, direcring and some design, do nor
feel rhe need ro use compurers in any
capaclry.
Despire rhe obsracles, however, most
rhearre profe sionals are eager [Q acquire
compurers, and most organizarions have
a few difFerenr rypes available (mainly
IB II and Apple). The majoriry of professionals realize rhar many of rhe ob racles
ro compurer use can be alleviared wirh
adequare funding and appropriare rrain-

mg.
Wirh rhe growing availabiliry of hardware and sofrware, as well as rhe rraining
srudems in rechnical rhearre programs
are now receiving, com purer usage will
increase. 1\!lany rhearre pracririoners are
excired abour rhe unrapped porenrial rhe
com purer offers. These enrhusiasrs will
rake advanrage of rhe crearive possibiliries
and advance rhe an of rhearre.
ffi
Virginia L. Salmon ij' a graduate of

Virgillia Tech's STS program alld tl;e
Ulliveni~)1 of Kentuclqs MSLS program.
She is CIIr1'mtly all imtruetor at Jl1cCollllefl
Libral)\ RadjJld Ulli/lfrsit)' ill Virgillia.

Endnores
\1. B.urcu Ckvc:lJno. ··col1lpll{l,.'r~"· 7iJt'lltrt'
I;·,hl/olog\ (Spring I qHSl 1-.

{)tilgU (,,:..

P.urick t;ill. "PasollJ.1 Computer L'st' in the
PaforrnEng :\rt'l.~ Th(.lfr( J)t'$l~r.1l (.... hd'llolog'y (FJII
1')')0 J_~.
J

\IJrk Rl'J.ney. ~~t=\" lechniqucs in
Presem.Hiun." Th~drrt' j)(j/gll G~ Jt.,"hno!og..i

1%9123.

Dnign
~llmJ11l'r

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