Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2005 - 42

In March of 2005, the World
Stage Design exhibition made
its debut in Toronto, occurring concurrently with the annual USITT Conference &
Stage Expo and the quadrennial OISTAT World Congress (the International
Organization of Scenographers, Technicians, and
Architects of Theatre, of which USITT is the
United States center). Intended to be a smallerscale OISTAT complement to (and not in competition with) the venerable Prague Quadrennial, WSD was conceived of as a way to fill the
four-year gap between the Prague events.
USITT, the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology, and OISTAT functioned as producing
sponsors, with major sponsorship by Tom
Watson, Brigham Young University, York University, and Ohio University. Unlike the PQ, it is
hoped that future WSD events will be presented
in different parts of the world.

While the exhibition primarily focused
upon scenic, costume, lighting and sound aspects of live performance, several film and
video designs were included in the gallery as
well. As I wandered through the exhibits, I
found myself impressed and moved by the
sheer inclusiveness of the selection process.
The WSD event emphasized the significance of
the individual designer over that of national installations. In this spirit, a call went out in
2003 through OISTAT centers for digital submissions. Artists worldwide were welcome.
While most productions appear to have been
produced, unrealized projects were accepted,
and a single designer could submit multiple
productions for consideration. By July 15,
2004, The WSD committee had received 932
entries from 532 designers representing 42
countries (an "unofficial" tally). Bypassing any
regional selection process, artists were able to
present their work directly before the first international selection jury, which chose the participants to be showcased in the traditional

PHOTO BY R. FINKELSTEIN

INTRODUCTION

"It makes my brain hurt."
-Compliment overheard in the inaugural World Stage Design exhibition
gallery exhibit in Toronto. A second jury
awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals
(along with cash prizes) and Honorable Mentions to individuals from this group, in some
cases recognizing a single artist on the basis of
several designs. All entrants, however, had
their work presented in the gallery on large
video screens, television monitors, and computer workstations, where images could be
called up upon demand.
Most importantly, participants' work is
now accessible to the rest of the world through
the printed and DVD catalogs. Other than the
PQ catalogs, there have been few comprehensive English language sources available to
those who wish to grasp the worldwide state of
the scenographic arts, and no methodical,
continuing attempt to document and disseminate that work. Should the WSD become a
regular event, as is hoped, the publication of
the catalogs will continue to provide an invaluable resource for students, historians, and enthusiasts-the potential audience is vast.

THE EXHIBIT
mmediately upon entering
the Canadian Room at the
Royal York Hotel, a large
projection screen flanked by
banks of monitors greeted
the visitor. Models, costumes, renderings, and photographs filled the
entire room, with a separate area set aside so
that sound design entries could be experienced in an isolated environment. Tables of
computer workstations displayed the DVD
catalog of the exhibit, with chairs so that visitors could comfortably explore at will. Walls
constructed of deep red scaffolding framed the
pieces-an elegant, unobtrusive, yet appealing
matrix for an incredibly diverse range of work.
Designs were represented through photographs, renderings, costumes, masks, and scenic models (many illuminated by Thematics'
Lightbox system, whose programmed dimmer effects greatly increased the effectiveness of the presentations). Area spots highlighted renderings
and photographs while emphasizing costume textures. Although most of the renderings and photographs were framed under glass, the spots did
not reflect in an obtrusive manner-an irritation
that even major museums increasingly find difficult to avoid. By controlling light placement and

TD & T

S P R I N G

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2005