Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1985 - 36

Women in Design

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continued from page 33 ...

KELLOGG: There's one thing about
the theatre that's different for designers
than being a writer or painter or sculptor, which is that we are not initiating
the subject matter. I think a feminist
painter or writer might be more likely
to deal in feminist subject matter. We
are making choices based on our own
aesthetic, but we are not choosing the
subject matter. That's the name of the
game.
DA VY: Is the game di fferent for
women?
ARONSON: I came across at least one
example of men being very aware of
working with women. I talked to a director whom Marge worked with extensively who was praising her to the skies
and going on and on and, without any
provocation, he pointed out that
"even" as a woman, she worked very
well with the crew. The attitude was
there and it came across. As long as
they're aware that this is somewhat
unique or different it's got to have some
effect. I talked to Patricia Zipprodt
and Ann Hould- Ward when they were

h·f~P.
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designing Sunday in the Park lVirh
George. Pat was upset because the producers kept referring to them as "the
girls." She is certainly a major name in
design.
ROBBINS: Being called "the girls" is
small potatoes. I don't care what the
hell they call me as long as they give me
an adequate budget to do my work.
KELLOGG: And hire you in the first
place.
DA VY: Do you think those attitudes
bleed over into the work that you get?
ROBBINS: No, I'm in control of the
work that I get. As long as I get enough
financial backing, I can get the work
out of the costume shop and deliver it.
I only have finite amounts of psychic
energy, and I try to throw all of it into
the product. If you're going to do a

chunk of good work it's going to take
a lot of concentration. It takes a lot
of time. I don't know how people
have energy left over to think about
feminism.
REINHARDT: This reminds me of the
kind of argument that women and
blacks and other racial majorities faced
before federal guidelines were introduced. In the universities a typical
woman scholar made it by playing the
game in the men's world back in the
'50s and '60s. One was very concerned
about protecting that position, and
would say things like "I don't care if
my colleague calls me a girl or says
things about emotional reactions or has
any of these attitudes because I've got
my job. I want to get tenure. I want
to get my articles out. That's what's
most important." I can understand
how that attitude develops in a closed
institutional framework, which the
American theatre is. If you had a publicly supported theatre, affirmative action would be the key issue, and there
would be pressure on the businessmen
who make the final decisions to include
women, and blacks, and other minorities, in strong creative roles.
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