Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2006 - 14

All of this technical revolution spoke to the young "Rebel Without a Clue" in me and set me on a career path. But we were in
a small college in western Kentucky, and outside of Theatre Crafts magazine, we only had our textbooks and each other as resources. The Institute was still two jobs and almost a decade away for me. It wasn't until January 1980 that I was to first hear of the
Institute. Jerry Abbitt, an old Murray school chum, was finishing his MFA at Purdue and was on the job hunt. He called me up at the
small regional theatre in Tulsa where I was working at the time to see if I was going to go to the USITT conference in Kansas City
that spring. "What is USITT?" I asked innocently. Life had just come at me very fast and from a very unexpected direction.
Everything about that four days in Kansas City was a revelation. First, there was an actual technical theatre trade
show of all technical stuff-not a book publisher in the bunch! There was a design exhibit that blew my socks off.
No one had
There were great program sessions about all sorts of topics. But I think it was the opportunity to interact with all of
these people that excited me the most. All of these kindred spirits, together at the same time, able to talk and interasked me for
act-it was electric! I will always be indebted to long-time member Joe Bonano. Now, this was in the days before Joe
a résumé or
had discovered Western Chic as a fashion statement. In those days Joe still dressed in the pinstriped suits of his famous namesake and looked every inch like a button man for the mob. But it was quickly apparent that he was a
vita. No one
sweetheart of a guy, and he was most kind and generous in the way that he took me under his wing and introduced me
checked my
around. It was through Joe that I first met Joel Rubin, Harold Burris-Meyer, Oren Parker, Patricia Zipprodt, Geoffery
Holder, and a hundred others. For a green kid out of Murray, KY, and Tulsa, OK, this was heady stuff. It was also Joe
references or
who first told me the story of the famous "Meeting in the Snow" at the Institute's first conference, explained to me why
Harold Burris-Meyer had the nickname "Professor Snodgrass," and why he always moved to adjourn the conferqualifications
ences. And it was Joe who gave me my first inkling that this organization had a rich and colorful heritage and history.
to see if I
But without a doubt, the thing that "hooked" me into the Institute happened on the last day of the Kansas City
conference. The new Graphic Standards Committee-chaired by the great Oren W. Parker himself, no less-was predeserved to
senting its work to the membership for comment. Overhead projectors were used to display the many proposed drafting symbols, each neatly labeled, which had been developed to represent all types of stage hardware. While eagerly
participate.
copying them all down, I suddenly became puzzled. In the lower corner of one of the sheets were two symbols: one
representing a rigid foot iron, the other representing a hinged foot iron. To me, try as I might, they both looked the
same. Without thinking, I raised my hand. "Yes?" the great man rumbled, looking down his nose from high upon the
dais. Too late I realized that I was going to have to speak up in front of everyone. "Please, sir, could you explain the difference in
the symbols between rigid and hinged foot irons?" He turned to look at the screens and after a moment of consideration his amplified voice rumbled down his answer. "The note," he replied. Well, this got a big laugh, and I was mortified.
Now, I understand that many of you who know me now in my maturity will find this hard to believe, but there was a time, in
my youth, when I could be just a little bit stubborn. No, no, really: it's true. OK, OK, I didn't really think that you would buy that.
The truth is that I was then, am now, and probably always will be, stubborn.
Anyway, despite my embarrassment, I found that I just couldn't let it go. Again, my hand went up-and this time the room got
very quiet.
"A follow-up question?" the great man intoned. I don't know if it was wishful thinking on my part, but I imagined I saw the
beginnings of a sympathetic smile around the corners of his mouth. "Yes, sir, if you don't mind," I said, trying not to let my voice
quaver. "If the only difference is the note, then why have a symbol at all? Why not just use the note?"
It was like the room held its collective breath while the great man considered this. Suddenly his smile broke like sun through
the clouds. "That is a very interesting observation, young man," he said, and then looked down the table at the rest of the panel. "I
THEATRE
SUMMER

2006

DESIGN

TECHNOLOGY

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2006