Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2010 - 9

letters to
the

editor

dear Editor:
Joel E. Rubin's fellows address (Spring 2010 issue) was inspiring in so many
ways. As a costumer, his recommendation to resurrect Costume Research
Journal was perhaps the most exciting suggestion. Though I understand the
many reasons for its demise, I have sorely missed it as a scholarly venue in
which my colleagues and I might share our research and innovations. I look
forward to the day when our graduate students in costuming may once again
count CRJ among their potential avenues for publication of their theses and
project research.
It was the loss of CRJ as a publishing opportunity that inspired me to
begin writing my crafts artisanship blog, la bricoleuse (labricoleuse.livejournal.com/), and that fact may hold some key to its resurrection as well-
might CRJ go the way of many scholarly and literary journals for whom the
high overhead costs of print quarterlies have driven to digital? If resuscitating CRJ in print format is cost-prohibitive, perhaps it might transition to
an online publication, or a combination web-based and print-on-demand
periodical. Particularly in the literary realm, many respected journals have
transitioned to online and/or digital content.
desktop publishing software make the number of staff members required minimal. I utilized this technology to publish my textbook on parasol
construction, whose appeal is so narrow I presumed I'd never find a traditional publisher. This pertains to the potential widening of monograph distribution as well: do those titles have digital versions available for e-readers
such as Kindle and the iPad? That is an entire realm of readership into which
USITT could tap. We devote ourselves to the cutting edge of theatre technology, and mustn't neglect the amazing innovations in publishing technology!
As for CRJ, another suggestion beyond hitching its wagon to a fashion
designer or fabric distribution house, would be to consider sponsorship by
businesses who might actively court the patronage of theatre costumers to
expand their customer base. CRJ would be a charity case for vera Wang or
Ralph lauren, and those fabric vendors who are sustaining members already
know our costumers are aware of and patronize their businesses. but what
of a short-run custom digital fabric printing business such as Spoonflower
or KarmaKraft? What about the apparel-industry CAd companies such as
OptiTex or TukaTech? We're largely an untapped market for them, and the
relatively minimal financial outlay for such companies of funding the production of CRJ on a quarterly or bi-yearly basis would be an incredible way
to reach a huge number of potential lifelong customers of their products.
With respect to its editorship, I'm reminded of the literary journal
model again. What about seeking a graduate program or rotation consortium of graduate programs as aids to its editorship? The costume technology
programs with written thesis/research components value that sort of scholarship and might be interested in taking on the production of the journal as
another feature of their academic offerings.
Regardless, however it comes about, I joyfully look forward to the return of Costume Research Journal.
Rachel E. Pollock
Costume Crafts Artisan, PlayMakers Repertory Company

2010

theatre

design

technology

http://www.journal.com/

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