Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1993 - 42

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40

1993 WINTER

TD&T

parron who did nor pay for good seats was ofren relegared ro a
second class area of rhe rhearre where rhey could nor adequareIy see or hear rhe performance. Ir is wirh rhe rise of rhis rype of
reasoning rhar sociery furrher isolared irself inro rhe privileged
and rhe nor, rhose who could enjoy rhe experience of shared
social exchange, and rhose who found arr one srep furrher
removed from daily life.
ne can see how rhe arrs were available
only ro rhe educared few, rhe privileged
middle and upper class. Ir is hoped rhar
roday ir can be seen rhar rhis removal of
drama and music from rhe mainsrream is
nor necessary. "Ir is nor a maner of educating people so rhey can join rhe privileged ranks. The rhearre can speak ro all people: we only have
ro rake ir our of irs feners, ler ir expand and explore."" By sensirively designing spaces where rhe playwrighrs and acrors of
roday have rhis room ro explore, rhe archirecr can make a significanr conrriburion ro providing dynamic performing arrs for
all people. Ir is rhe archirecr's responsibiliry ro confer wirh rhose
who live in rhe shadow of rhe currain ro be cerrain rhar appropriare space is being designed.There are many vexarions of
play-going, nor rhe leasr of which would be rhe high price of
rickers and rhe srrong pull of books, movies, and relevision.
Some wrirers believe rhar rhese are all merely reasons ro jusrifY
rhe increasing insulariry of American life." Roberr Brusrein
asks in his book, "Why leave home ar all? Why exchange one's
pleasanr and habirual surroundings for an unfamiliar environmenr where rhe sears are uncomforrable, and rhe srreers
unsafe?" 23 Ir is rrue rhar many American rhearres find rhemselves in areas described as combar zones, many rimes no berrer
rhan rhey were sired in Elizaberhan England. Bosron and ew
York are good examples of rhearre disrricrs rhar are locared in
blighred areas. The physical issues of uncomforrable sears and
unsafe srreers are ones rhe archirecr musr become more
involved wirh for rhe rhearre ro regain irs posirion as a pleasurable and advanrageous acriviry. Ir is no longer acceprable ro
design an egorisrical monumenr rhar has no respecr or undersranding of rhe conrexr in which ir sirs. The Performing Arrs
Cenrer of roday musr inregrare inro rhe neighborhood, invire
all residenrs of rhe ciry ro walk rhrough irs doors and parricipare. These are issues of scale, symparheric marerials, openness
and accessibiliry of rhe facade rhar rhe archirecr musr conrrol if
rhe rhearre is ro be again embraced by all. Today ir is more
imporranr rhan ever rhar drama and music become an ordinary
experience, an inregral parr of conremporary life.
Ir is generally agreed rhar receprion ro rhe rhearre SlIffers
because of irs physical condirions, bur ir is overwhelmed by
cosr. 2, One of rhe primary concerns of rhe rhearre roday is rhe
rising price of arrending live performance. The same human
forms referenced earlier rhar make rhearre easy ro relare ro, also
make ir a labor inrensive and expensive acriviry. There have
been some breakrhroughs in rechnology-lighring boards,
compurer inregrared sound equipmenr, ere. For rhe mosr parr,
however, ir srill rakes rhe same number of people ro do rhe
same number of rasks rhar ir did in Shakespeare's day, or in
Sophocles' for rhar maner. There is no quesrion rhar a 545 ricker has a srrong influence on rhe decision by many people ro sray
away from Symphony Hall. The price of a ricker for any given
performance is rhe resulr of many facrors: performers' wages,
corporare underwriring, rhe cosr of elecrriciry, and a hosr of
orher facrors rhar are far beyond rhe rhearre communiry's
influence.
For rhearre ro survive and fulfill rhe role rhar is being

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1993