Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2010 - 65

tems that allowed the house curtain to open and
close based on a predetermined set of targets.
Next, the catalog presented stage machinery:
motorized elevator lifts and curtain controls. by
1942, the catalog included a flying picture screen
frame, cradle and track for sound horns, and a
wagon to move the band on and off stage.

Automation sweeps the nation
The age of stage rigging automation had arrived,
keeping pace side by side with counterweight
rigging, the more affordable option for everything from school auditoriums to large performing arts centers. In the 1950s and 1960s,
J. R. Clancy dominated the automation age
with custom solutions as well as off-the-shelf
products: disappearing microphones, versatel
curtain controls, motorized winches, revolving
turntables, and a motorized band car.
The company's list of impressive achievements grew as the industry embraced new technologies. J. R. Clancy's 1960 catalog featured a
partial list of recently completed jobs: auditoriums, network television studios, war memorials,
college theatres, and high schools. Other rigging
contractors brought in J. R. Clancy consultants
and designers to assist with their projects, adding well-known names including Texas Scenic,
I. Weiss, A. J. Hoffend & Sons, and Northwest
Studios to the company's client list.
Perhaps most important to our exploration of rigging history is the first evidence of automated winch controllers: "from pushbuttons
stations or portable type controls, to the most sophisticated memory-programming systems...."
In 1960, J. R. Clancy introduced SceneControl,
the first automated rigging system the industry
had ever seen. Remarkably similar to the automated systems of today, SceneControl "helps the
architect eliminate much presently wasted fly and
wing space...cuts structural steel requirements
drastically...eliminates the danger and waste of
backstage clutter...and removes the pin rail and
fly gallery from the architect's lexicon." SceneControl moved beyond the counterweight system,
shifting the load from the traditional grid to the
high steel of the roof construction. The motorized
hoists were controlled from a central console,
which looked much like the lighting dimmer
boards of the same era.
Here on the frontier of rigging automation,
J. R. Clancy engineers explored the applications
for computer-controlled systems, like those used
for elevators or industrial manufacturing, and

their impact on the future of moving scenery.
by 1971, the J. R. Clancy catalog underwent
a significant modernization. dimensional drawings appeared right in the catalog, and the text
and illustrations throughout the book offered
education and instruction as well as product
descriptions. An entire page was devoted to the
discussion of wire guides versus T-bar track for arbors, while another page explained the differences
between underhung and upright rigging. One of
the most significant innovations was the spot-line
rigging system, which used power-driven counterweighted line sets, combining the effectiveness of

two proven technologies. (Today, J. R. Clancy's
PowerAssist automation drive for counterweight
linesets offers a similar blend of technologies.)
Nearly thirty years would pass before J. R.
Clancy offered another catalog, but the industry
did not sleep in the interim. A virtual revolution took place in the world of theatre rigging
as automation replaced counterweights in the
most sophisticated theatres. J. R. Clancy led the
way with automated hoists and its Shamrock
controller-introduced in the 1980s and still in
use in theatres across the country-but bringing
the convenience and versatility of automation to

On January 1st 2011, ESTA and PLASA will come together as
PLASA to form a global association representing the interests of
the entertainment technology industry.
This international organization will continue both associations'
long history of commitment to the industry through programs
such as standards and certification.
We look to the future and strive to meet the evolving needs of
our members through new and expanded initiatives.
Please join us in our commitment to a stronger, safer, and more
profitable industry.

Learn more at:
www.esta.org | www.plasa.org

2010

theatre

design

technology

http://www.esta.org http://www.plasa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2010