Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2006 - 77

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e d i t o r

William J. Byrnes

Celebrating Fifty Years of USITT in 2010
By Lawrence

Hill and Bobbi Owen

After three meetings, an ad hoc committee continues to examine the exciting question: "How do we celebrate fifty years of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology?" Headed by Bobbi Owen (VP Communications), the committee of Tim Kelly (Grants & Fellowships), John Uthoff (President), Sylvia Pannell
(President Elect), Sherry Wagner-Henry (Member at Large), Joe Aldridge (VP Conference), Brian Reed (Director at Large), Larry Hill (Treasurer) and Carol Carrigan (Office Coordinator) is charged to serve as a coordinating bridge. They will bring to the Board of Directors ideas and themes for possible implementation
during the centerpiece of the fiftieth anniversary celebration, the annual conference in 2010. These ideas
will encompass the interests of the commissions, the regional sections and the Institute as a whole.

Creative Ideas and Humor
The exciting ideas gathered to date demonstrates the creativity as well as the sense of humor of the members
of the Institute. The Board of Directors held a "Celebration Retreat" at the Orlando meeting in November
2005, focusing on the theme, "USITT @ 50, Honoring Our Past-Securing Our Future." It is clear that these
two core ideas-Honor and Secure-are equally important. The Board explored two questions: How can
we honor and celebrate the individuals and events that have created this long-lasting dynamic group of volunteers in support of the arts and crafts of the entertainment professions?; and How can we secure and build
a future that those who will lead the Institute in the years ahead can celebrate?
In addition to the exchange of ideas with the Board, our Past Presidents have been invited to contribute
their thoughts for this event. During the Louisville conference, the Fellows provided valuable guidance too.
The Executive Committee, and its various constituents, have actively been considering the opportunities the
fiftieth anniversary provides. Among others, the Finance Committee, the Publications Committee, the Commissioners, and Sections have been encouraged to consider how they can make this event a success.
Five Decades of Achievement and More
There are major questions yet to be answered, including the location of the Annual Conference & Stage Expo
in 2010. However, the Board has provided guidance on the nature of the event to the VP for Conferences who
will provide a recommendation for site selection. A book about the history of USITT is in the initial research
stages (Richard Stephens is the author) and the Publications Committee has instigated preparations for five
issues of TD&T in the year leading up to the fiftieth anniversary celebration. Each issue will focus on a decade of the Institute's history and provide ample illustrations of "firsts" in USITT's history. The Publications
Committee has also decided that the monograph that year will focus on several major American designers
who were active between 1960 and 2010 but have since died. Among those to be included are Randy
Barcelo, Peggy Clark Kelly, Jean Rosenthal, Irene Sharaff, Oliver Smith, Freddy Wittop, Patricia Zipprodt, and
many more. The Finance Committee has begun work to secure the funding for this big celebration which is
still four years away.
The dozens of ideas that have been generated will become more focused for implementation as time
passes. Do we really wish to have our favorite USITT member "bobble head" dolls as a fund raiser or a snow
globe reminding us of the blizzard that took place when USITT was founded? How many visual images, dis-

THEATRE

DESIGN

TECHNOLOGY
SPRING

2006

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