Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1977 - 7

EDITORIAL & N E W S - - - - - EDITORIAL----

NEWS-----1977 BC/EC DATES ANNOUNCED-76 ATTENDANCE
SETS RECORD

The recent Winter weather prompts your Ed itor to
some thoughts on theatres and the energy crisis. If one
looks at several of the items in the NEWS column which
follows, certain facts seem to jump right off the page.
Larger performing arts facilities are being built or are in
the planning stages. The manufacturers of equipment to
be used in these theatres are designing and turning out
even more sophisticated devices to handle light, sound,
and scenery by remote control. As a professional society,
we, in our sage wisdom, approve of the further development and spread of the performing arts and the spaces
that house and nurture them. Why shouldn't we? We all
believe in the usefulness of our art form and for many
of us our work in the theatre is our livelihood.
The problem lies in the fact that theatres are prodigious consumers of energy; energy for lighting, heating,
cooling, and making things. Just think for a moment
of the amount of electricity that is used for eight performances - a normal full week - of let's say, A Chorus
Line. Add to that the heat to keep our audiences - plus
performers and crews - comfortable and the amount of
KWH and BTUs begins to look overwhelming. The point
is, how much longer are we going to be able to use 200
or more luminaires to illuminate the stage and keep our
patrons in relative comfort at 67"f.? Mr. Schlesinger has
stated that our fossil fuel reserves will last another 30-50
years. What sort of production problems are in store for
the next generation or two?
These questions will, one hopes, prod all of us to a
greater awareness of the forthcoming problem and the
realization that now is not too early to begin thinking
about doing it with less energy. Can our Engineers improve the machines so that we get more OUT for less
IN?
Will the top of your stage house or your theatre's
roof support an economical solar heating system? Can you
train your students to do good Iighting with twenty-five
spotlights rather than two hundred fifty? Are there ways
to recycle materials for scenery and properties so that
every production we do does not need to be built from
scratch? What can each one of us do to cut down - even
in small ways - on the exorbitant wasting of our energy
and natural resources? There are dozens of similar questions and all of them will require answers, soon!

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In our last issue - Winter, 1976 - we ran out of page
space for the balance of our most recent index. You will
find the final portion of it on page 38.

USITT

Dates for the second annual BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION EXPOSITION & CONFERENCE (BC/EC)
have been announced - November 1-3, 1977. The site
will again be Chicago's McCormick Place.
Sponsored by The Producers' Council, Inc. (PC)Washington, DC-based representatives of manufacurers
of quality construction products-the recently-concluded
(November 17-19, 1976) first-<>f-its-kind trade show for
members of the Building Team (architects, engineers,
owners, contractors, builders and developers) drew
nearly 16,000 visitors from the United States and 34
foreign countries-15,964 by actual count. They came
to see new products and services on display by 258
exhibitors, which included "producers" of every type
of material that becomes a permanent part of any building.
The Exposition also featured an Energy Section, a
major showing of practically everything new and available in this important new field. Too, Machinery and
Material Hand ling exhibitors demonstrated operating
equipment as a show-within-the-show.
GROSSER TO ASSUME NEW PO"ST IN MUNICH
Helmut Grosser, current Technical Director of the
Opera House and the Theatres of Cologne, will take on a
similar position in the summer of 1977 for the Munich
National Theatre (State Opera).
Herr Grosser was recently elected as the new President
of the Deutsche Theatertechnische Gesellschaft (West
German Technical Theatre Association). Herr Grosser is
also the Program Chairman of the OISTT and Editor of

Buhnentechnische Rundschau.
LAS VEGAS' ALADDIN HOTEL TO INCLUDE A $10
MILLION THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
One of the boldest gambles in Las Vegas history is
galvanizing the attention of the world of show business.
The Aladdin Hotel, in the heart of the neon.Jit Strip, is
putting its own money on the line - $10 million - in a
new concept for showcasing entertainment. Breaking
abruptly from a time-honored local format of the supper
club, the hostelry has newly opened the 7500-seat Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts in which no food or
beverages will be served and admission is solely by advance reservation.
Apart from musical superstars the Theatre is planning
to present a wide cross-section of diverse attractions,
ranging from the Bolshoi Ballet to the New York Sym-

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

SPRING,1977

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