Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2011 - 18

BUiLDinG THe eXHiBiT
University of Montana student Doug Dion
welds a ceiling truss.

Students assemble ceiling trusses in the University of Montana shop.

photos courtesy m monsos, re stone, w bloodgood

To those of us in theatre

By MiKe MOnsOs

who seem to spend every waking
moment in a shop, on a stage, or in a darkened auditorium, the prospect
of starting the production process over again for each show can sometimes
fall into a mundane routine. Let's be honest, productions occasionally have
repetitive aspects to them, and we may lose sight of the excitement of the
creative process if it is clouded by tedium. That is why challenges are so
wonderful. The opportunities for experimentation, and new ideas that could
be discovered within the journey, as well as the adrenaline rush from the
pressure, tension, and uncertainty of the situation that reminds your body
and brain of the feeling of being alive. Building the USITT-USA exhibit for
the 2011 Prague Quadrennial was this monumental journey for the students
and faculty at the University of Montana. It was our new theatrical challenge,
a deeply profound project that could certainly break us as individuals out
of our routine but also one that would test our skills and abilities. It was a
project that had the potential for numerous logistical problems as well as
the all too real possibility of failure on an international level.
The process leading up to the construction of this exhibit actually
encompassed many years. It began in 2003 when I first requested that the
University of Montana's School of Theatre & Dance be considered for this
honor. After being selected to construct the 2011 exhibit, my colleague,
Associate Professor Alessia Carpoca, and I traveled to the University of
Illinois to witness the trial set-up for the 2007 PQ and to try and gain an
understanding of the scope and scale of this project more completely. We
needed to learn how USITT's involvement in the PQ functioned and how
all the groundwork with respect to contracts, shipping, budgets, and
16

theatre design

& technology

2011

hierarchy were to be accomplished. The obvious realization was that this
was so much more than simply building a set. We would need to make
many arrangements to ensure the success of this project.
One arrangement was to adjust the school's production calendar.
We moved one production from the fall semester to the spring semester,
reducing the number of fully mounted shows to two, and reused an existing set from stock for the second production. These actions effectively
allowed us unhampered access to the scene shop where we could build
and setup the exhibit over the entire semester. I then received word that
my sabbatical request for the fall was fully funded so that my entire focus
could be dedicated to the project. Finally, the most important part, was to
assemble the student team.
When I first lobbied for UM to build this exhibit, it was still eight years
away, so I had no idea what students we would have available or what the
design would be. But I believed in our training and our program, and I
shamelessly used the PQ as a recruiting tool. I also recruited from within
the program, including recent graduates, so that I would have a full team
of painters, welders, carpenters, and electricians that would be up for the
task. When all the logistics were finally completed, I had a student team of
eight, one recent graduate of our BFA program, two faculty members, and a
recently retired production manager who was going to handle all the bookkeeping (he was the only one who could possibly comprehend our university's fiscal process) in place as the Montana contingent of the "PQ team."
The end of the 2010 summer meant assembling in Missoula (thankfully a relatively forest-fire-free year) for a planning meeting. Susan Tsu

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2011