Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2017 - Public - 4

from the

e ditor

The pieces in this issue all address the role of theatre in society. One explores how we can investigate societal anxieties about artificial intelligence by employing transmedia
technologies in our performances. Two of the articles deal
directly with the cultural importance of theatre and the arts
for constructing national identities. Another asks us to think
about how we think and make decisions, and in particular
how we teach others to develop and use those skills; students
and employees trained in such processes have a much better chance of effectively proposing solutions to problems, be
they societal or theatrical. And our last piece celebrates how
theatre inspires our audiences, as it inspired our USITT 2017
keynote speaker, Ken Page.
This issue contains another installment in TD&T's multi-year research collaboration with Bühnentechnische Rundschau, the journal of the Deutsche Theatertechnische
Gesellschaft (Germany's Theatre Technical Society) and Sightline, the journal of the
Association of British Theatre technicians. Claudia Toni assesses the lengthy process of
designing and building a cultural centerpiece, Oscar Niemeyer's Auditório Ibirapuera,
in São Paulo. She analyzes the building, as well as its relationship to the park in which
it resides and Niemeyer's evolving ideas for the space as an emblem of São Paulo's
modernity.
As São Paulo used theatre to establish itself as a cultural center, so did King Gustaf
III of Sweden invest in theatre to build Sweden's reputation in the 18th century, along the
way altering the traditional methods of theatrical costuming. Maarit Kalmakurki's piece
investigates his arts advocacy and intensive involvement in theatrical costuming using substantial archival materials, including sketches and surviving period costumes.
In the first of two pieces which explore how we process the world, Eliot Gray
Fisher and Scott Vandenberg detail their transmedia performance Domain and its interrogation of our relationships with artificial intelligence. This broad-ranging piece
discusses the intersections of humanity and technology and the anxieties created by AI,
while using these technologies in multiple performance sites.
Next, Ted Kraus delves into decision-making and critical-thinking processes, offering us a guide to how we can help our students and new employees think through
problems more effectively. He details theoretically grounded practical techniques to
help us teach not just skills, but good decision-making processes as well.
From the March USITT Conference and Stage Expo, we have Ken Page's joyous
keynote. While celebrating the labor and magic of theatre artists, he also tells delightful stories about his childhood experiments with design and staging and the wondrous
shows that inspired his creations.

U S I T T M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T
United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT) connects performing arts design and technology communities
to ensure a vibrant dialogue among practitioners, educators, and students.
Statements and opinions expressed in articles or editorials in TD&T are the expressions of the individual contributors and do
not necessarily represent the policies or opinions of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. Advertisements
appearing in this publication are the sole responsibility of the advertiser.
TD&T (ISSN 1052-6765) is published five times a year-Winter, Spring, Summer, Special Issue, and Fall-by United States
Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc., 290 Elwood Davis Road, Suite 100, Liverpool, NY, 13088. Subscription to TD&T, also
known as Theatre Design & Technology, is a benefit of USITT membership. Fourteen dollars is deducted from membership
dues to cover cost of publication. Periodicals postage paid at Liverpool, NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to TD&T, c/o USITT, 290 Elwood Davis Road, Suite 100, Liverpool, NY 13088. COPYRIGHT © 2017 by
United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in
any form without permission.
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theatre design

& technology

2 0 1 7

t h e a t re
design

technology

T he peer-review jour nal
for design, production and
technolog y professionals
in the perfor ming arts and
entertainment industr y.

EDITORIAL
EILEEN CURLEY, MARIST COLLEGE
Editor

290 Elwood Davis Road, Suite 100, Liverpool, NY 13088
315.463.6463, fax 315.463.6525, tdteditor@usitt.org

ANGELA HICKMAN
Managing Editor

404.918.6775
angela@hickmanbrady.com

JANELLE WELCH
Art Director

GENERAL EDITORS
Arnold Aronson, Columbia University (2018)
William Browning, University of Delaware (2020)
Linda Essig, Arizona State University (2018)
Heidi Hoffer, Oklahoma State University (2019)
Margaret Mitchell, University of the Incarnate Word (2020)
Peggy Rosefeldt, Independent Scholar (2020)

BOOK REVIEW EDITOR
Erika Guay, SUNY - Plattsburgh (2019)

ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Architecture:
Ray Kent, Sustainable Technologies Group (2020)
Computers & Software:
Patrick Finelli, University of South Florida (2018)
Costume Design & Technology:
Jess Guthrie, Simpson College (2020)
Education:
Ashley Bellet, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2019)
Engineering:
Jerry Gorrell, Theatre Safety Programs (2018)
History:
Christin Essin, Vanderbilt University (2018)
International:
Sabrina Notarfrancisco, Connecticut College (2020)
Lighting Design & Technology:
Anne E. McMills, San Diego State University (2019)
Management:
Richard S. Peterson, CFE, Chesapeake College (2018)
Safety & Health:
Dave Glowacki, Kent State University-Tuscarawas (2020)
Scenic Design & Technology:
Anita J. Tripathi, Davidson College (2020)
Scenic Design & Technology:
Owen Collins, Washington & Lee University (2019)
Sound Design & Technology:
Vincent Olivieri, University of California-Irvine (2018)
Technical Production:
Shane Kelly, The Theatre School at DePaul University (2019)
Note: Dates in parentheses refer to term expiration.

ADVERTISING
JIM LUCAS

Member Support and Advertising Coordinator
290 Elwood Davis Road, Suite 100, Liverpool, NY 13088
800.938.7488 / 315.463.6463
fax 866.398.7488 / 315.463.6525
jim@usitt.org

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