Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1990 - 53

learning Theatre History in the Third Dimension
JOHN

ew people would question the usefulness of computer-aided drafting
and design (CADD) in theatre production, lighting, costuming and technical design. But what about using CAD
to insrruct university drama studenrs in
rhe hisrory of the thearre? Absolutely!
The line between modern-day thearre production and hisrory is often
quite fine, since hisrorical studies generally focus on thearre architecture and the
lessons ro be learned from past producnons.
Much of my work as an hisrorian at
the Universiry of Washingron School of
Drama cenrers on teaching srudenrs how
ro translate drawings of theatre machinery inro an understanding of mechanical
functions, and how ro understand architectural plans as the represenration of
congruenr work spaces rather than as
mere ourlines of walls. If I could combine my research in thearre architecture
with currenr computer technology, I
would have a powerful teaching rool.
A cenrral motif in my computer
research since 1984 has been the evaluation of software-primarily CAD, animation and presentation programswhich will supporr hisrorical studies as
well as technical and design practices
throughout the School.

IMPLEMENTING
COMPUTER TOOLS
The Universiry of Washingron School of
Drama initiated widespread use of computers as an instructional tool in 1984
through IBM's Advanced Education
Projecr, a parrnership between the computer giant and 19 orrh American
research universities. A 10-week
course-An Inrroduction ro Computing
in the Theatre-teaches computer-illiterate undergraduate and graduate srudents to use databases, spreadsheets,
word processing and CAD. Students
conrinue ro use these com purer rools for
the duration of their education at VW.
To facilitate computer operations in

WOLCOTT

design and technical practice and in the
managemenr of the School's five thearres
and studio spaces, a laprop IBM
Converrible and three IBM PS/2 Model
70 386s (20 MHz, 4MB RAM, 80387
math coprocessors, 115MB hard drives,
with YGA graphics running on NEC
Multisync monirors) are available in the
scene shop. The cosrume shop makes
use of an IBM PC XT; and an IBM PC
AT with 4MB of expanded RAM,
80287 math coprocessor and YGA
graphics is available ro studenrs and staff
in the production office. By year's end,
these computers will be connected by an
inrra-building lovell network and the
campus backbone Ethernet ro optimize
dara rransfer and sharing. Modems
presenrly pur bulletin boards and BITET within easy reach of all.
Equipment in the research lab
includes a 20 MHz IBM PS/2 Model 80
with 6MB RAM, 80387 math coprocessor and a 115MB hard drive; and two
PS/2 Model70s, each with math co-processors and 115MB hard drives. Each
machine has a mouse and 12x 17-inch
digitizer. The Model 80 also drives a
Pioneer LDY-6000 laser-disc player.

CAD SOFTWARE IN
PRODUCTION, HISTORICAL
STUDIES
After extensive evaluation, we starred
with three parricular software programs.
(See sidebar for evaluation guidelines
developed.) These include Lightwright,
\'(Iardrobe Master and
Generic
Software'sThl Generic CADDThl. We
began with Generic CADD version 2.0
several years ago and have progressed
with the company ro the current versions of Generic CADD Level 3 and
Generic 3DTM Drafting.
We use this software extensively in
both hisrorical research and production
work. For example, ground plans, furniture and prop plots, shift and srorage
plots for the School's Repfest '89, a
reperrory season of three plays, were

developed in ro a single multi-layered
CAD drawing by the designers of the
three productions using Generic CADD
Level 3. Lighting designers and their
electricians ran Lightwright on a laprop
computer in the theatre ro rrack the
reperrory's complex lighting demands.
Costumers and costume management
studenrs used Wardrobe Master for their
work.
In cosrume hisrory, work on The
Costume Game using Wardrobe Master
is creating a turorial on hisrorical clothing which features a test in which a srudenr arrempts Oro clothe a naked figure
correctly for a given period from a
"wardrobe" of garmenr choices (Figures
I and 2). Hisrorical production research
includes a beam-splirrer which combines
video input of live acrors with computergenerated serrings; on-going experimenrs
using computer-generated text and
graphics overlays on laser-disk and tape
images; and the developmenr of a 45minure animated turorial on the audirorium and stage machinery for Inigo
Jones's 1635 production of Florimene.

CAD IN HISTORICAL THEATRE
ARCHITECTURE
The project with which I am presenrly
involved illustrates the potenrial of twodimensional and three-dimensional
CAD in working with theatre architecture, and reveals as well the possibilities
for inregrating software inro multi-functional assemblies. Our objective is ro create a composite plan of Philadelphia's
Chesrn u t Street Theatre (1794-1835)
which shows the thearre's five floors,
stacked one above the other, ro illusrrate
work-space relationships and the flow of
acrors, technicians, designers and audience through the building. This computer model of the thearre itself will
evenrually be integrated with texrual
material of thearre practices and techniques-as well as of Philadelphia sociery-of the period.
This project had its origins in a

T D & T

1990 FALL

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1990