Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1982 - 5

Theatre Design

Technology
Volume XVIII * Number 1 * Spring, 1982
Journal of the United States
Institute for Theatre Technology

Number 68

Contents
Letter
4

Theatre Management Training
By Kent Neely

Standard Graphic Language in Scenic Design
by USIIT Graphic Standards Board

TECHNICAL REPORT
An Effective Heat Source for Shop-Built Vacuum
Forming Machines
by William S. Johnson, Jr.

RESEARCH
Costume Pattern Drafts: Double Breasted Frock Coat.
by Kevin Seligman

BOOK REVIEWS

On the Cover
Costume design by Robert Edmond Jones for Central
City Nights, an original musical revue presented as
part of the Central City Opera House Association
Fourth Annual Play Festival, 1935. Costume is for the
Soprano-purple satin night gown with pink taffeta,
ivy and grape leaves, full train. Original: 12"x18".
Courtesy of the Central City Opera House Association
Theatre Design Collection. Part of this collection is on
display at the current USITT Convention.

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Back issues of Theatre Design & Technology are available from
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48106.

< 1982, by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.

In reference to David Collison's article, "Memory Sound
in the Theatre" (Winter 1981), I would like to call your
readers', and David Collison's attention to what seems to
be one of the best kept secrets in the Theatre. In August
or September of 1969, Ford's Theatre in Washington,
D.C. was re-opened after extensive renovations with a
Sound and Light Show telling the story of the events
leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The
entire production was controlled by a memory systemlighting and sound.
The console was a modified version of a Century
Lighting Inc. Memo-Q System. One half was a conventional (1969) memory lighting console, with the addition of
on/off controls, load re-patching and timed fades. The
other half memorized the levels of 6 amplifiers and timed
fades. The entire system was driven from tow cue tracks,
one for light cues and one for sound cues, added to a 6
track, 35mm Westrex tape deck. Running the show involved cueing up the start of the tape and pushing the
Play button. Everything else was memorized-from turning off the noisy air conditioner through 35 minutes of
lighting cues, sound cues and operation of winches, to
bringing up the house lights and turning on the air
conditioner at the end.
David Mintz of David A. Mintz Inc. was the consultant on
the project, the sound engineering was done by Robert
Fine of Fine Communications Corp., and I was fortunate
(?) enough to spend countless hours at the console
programming and recording the show.
Charles Levy

Strand Century Inc.

WPA THEATER PROJECT
Where are the following people?
Call for information about people who were employed by the
Technical Department of the National Science Bureau-Federal
Theatre Project-Works Progress Administration. We are especially interested in hearing from any of the following, their
families or associates: Richard B. Rawls, James Korniloff, Albert
Hatos, Walter Russell, Milton Hirsch, George G. Hyde, Cleon
Throckmorton. Of particular interest are career updates, anecdotes and personalized views of the people and the work of the
Technical Department. Please write to John Olbrych/Jennie
Clarkson at P.O. Box 12401, Charleston, S.C. 29412 or call
collect 803-795-9517.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1982