Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2010 - 43

cOMPuterS & SOftwAre
frequency and complexity of articles involving
computing becomes overwhelming. fortunately,
even if you didn't personally save all the back
issues like Will bellman did, many have been
available since the TD&T website came online
in summer 2003. there you will find references
to computing across a wide variety of technical,
design and historical applications. the computer
is no longer fetishized as a cutting edge novelty,
but a powerful tool in the arsenal of theatre artists. the computer has restructured some of the
processes involved in the traditional ways of
conceiving images. it encourages direct interaction with visual sources. computer visualization makes it possible for scenographers to
make decisions earlier through visual thinking
and experimentation. it has become a dynamic
extension of hand and mind, an expressive resource that expands our vocabulary.
We live in a world with 300 million people
on facebook (more than half log in on any given day) and fourteen billion searches a month

on google, Yahoo and bing. today's technologies exploit blade servers and virtualization.
We are already accustomed to cloud computing because we send e-mails and write documents using Web-based software. the internet
is no longer something we connect to, but part
of our everyday life like bottled water and the
air we breathe. as we move between our office,
studios, shops and theatres and attend yearly
conferences carrying our Wifi connected notebook computers and smart phones, we might
pause to consider the immense technological
transformation on a conceptual level. the essence of theatre requires an actor, audience
and space, but culture, politics and technological innovation have influenced theatre practice
throughout history.
there was a time, not long ago, when
computers barely touched our art. now there
are jobs in today's theatre using technologies
that didn't exist five years ago. the other day i
observed final tech rehearsals for a new show

headed for broadway. there were forty-one lcd
screens displaying data from a variety of desktop and personal computers, multiple grandMa
and eos control consoles, graphic design workstations, digital video suites and full stage backdrops with layered led panels. What happens on
stages in the future will be determined by those
who master technology in the creation of theatrical art. that talented group will undoubtedly include many members of usitt, an organization
that thrives on the leading edge of theatre design
and technology. v
Dr. Patrick Finelli, Professor at the
University of South Florida in the School of
Theatre and Dance, has been a member of
USITT since 1981. He is the author of the
textbook Sound for the Stage, numerous
journal articles and software reviews. As
theatre consultant for architecture, lighting
and sound, he has completed major projects
for universities, schools, churches and
cultural centers

cOStuMe deSign & technOlOgy

By Peggy Rosefeldt

any attempt to distill five decades of history into a single article in the anniversary issue of a
journal is an exercise in futility, especially with a group as dynamic as the costume commission of usitt. rather than just chronicling endless lists of names and events, i will focus on
the many intriguing patterns and stories discovered in the archives of TD&T. sometimes these
smaller details can best reveal the larger picture.
Illustrations from Costume
Research Journal, originally titled
Cutter's Research Journal, a
quarterly publication devoted to costume
and textile history, as well as computer
patterning software.

fifty years proved enough time for some authors to span an entire professional lifetime. liz covey's and the late
rosemary ingham's Costumer's Handbook was reviewed in TD&T in 1981; four books and one video later, the third
edition of the book appeared in 2004. Janet arnold's first two volumes of Patterns of Fashion surfaced in 1976;
volume four was reviewed posthumously in 2009. along the way, reviews of works by irene corey, Julie taymor,
and deborah nadoolman landis filled the pages, as well as books by the late authors elizabeth Montgomery, better
known as Motley, and doug russell. other usitt members who were prolific in their own publications included
alexandra bonds, rebecca cunningham, deborah dryden, Joy emery, bobbi owen, and Kevin seligman. the death of
Jo Mielziner, who early in his career designed costumes as well as sets, was reported in 1976; his archives were discussed in 1979, and 2001 yielded both a feature article and a full-length biography by historian Mary Henderson.
When randall davidson wrote an impassioned article on the beverly Hills supper club fire in 1977, safety in
theatre was at best an afterthought. only a year later, a primer by deborah dryden on fibre-reactive dyes made no
mention of safety precautions in their use. by 1992, after TD&T published an article on the use of spray guns for
finishing costumes, bobby ann loper fired off a letter to the editor objecting to the absence of any protective gear
being shown while using that equipment. Monona rossol's book on theatre safety, Stage Fright, reviewed in 1994,
followed davidson's call, and by 2008 ads for sky decks and pit nets, and a story on mandatory safety training for
theatre students at a canadian university proved that people were indeed listening.
a mention of the usitt contribution to the national aids quilt in 1992 was followed within two years by ads
from three makeup companies, Mehron, Kryolan, and ben nye, for small individual single-show makeup kits, a nownecessary alternative to the communal makeup supply which was frequently used. a 2005 entry in the tech expo for
wings for Angels in America attested to the ongoing legacy of the aids epidemic on the theatrical community.
in addition to health and safety, oppressive working hours, burnout and stress were addressed in articles

W I N T E R

2010

theatre

design

teChnology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2010