Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020 - 8

LEADERSHIP

e begin this issue with a series of reflections from some
members of the USITT leadership. Shortly after noon
Eastern time on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization had declared the COVID-19 outbreak a
pandemic. The resulting unprecedented cascade of closures and cancellations included a vote to cancel the 60th Annual USITT Conference & Stage Expo. In response, TD&T solicited columns from four
members of the leadership and asked them to speak about that decision and the road ahead. These pieces are a snapshot of early April
2020, each written a month from that unimaginable decision and during a time when we all had planned to be in Houston.

Alone Together
Members of the entertainment world, who know
only too well that shared experiences are essential
to the human condition, step up to contribute during COVID-19
BY DAN CULHANE, USITT PRESIDENT

Sunday morning, April 5, 2020

ntil a month ago, I was scheduled to
return home today after spending a
week of community and collegiality
at USITT's annual conference in Houston.
Instead, like everyone else, I am working
from my dining room table, learning best
practices for virtual meetings, washing my
hands multiple times a day, and maintaining
appropriate social distance when I do venture out.
A month ago, this scenario was still
unimaginable and the Board was struggling
to decide whether to go ahead with the
planned conference. We were in constant
contact with our venue, we followed the
status of other large events and gatherings,
and of course, we read daily CDC recommendations. Ultimately, we made the very
difficult but responsible decision to cancel
the 2020 conference-the first cancellation
in our 60-year history. That decision seems
a lifetime ago. But the lessons learned will
continue to inform and improve our future
preparedness. Our entire industry-an in-

8 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | SPRING 2020

dustry centered on the live experience-
has been rocked to its core by the isolation
protocols necessary to control the spread
of COVID-19. Today, I choose to celebrate
the inspired response of our entertainment
community.
Creative problem solvers are at the
core of our industry. We are people who
are able to realize and give life to imagination and who believe that shared experiences are essential to the human condition.
So it is not surprising that during this global
crisis, members of the entertainment world
have stepped up to contribute. Thousands
of masks and gowns are being sewn for
health-care professionals by costumers
around the country. Industry manufacturers are revamping to create face shields for
front-line workers. Theaters across the nation are donating their precious PPE to hospitals. And the entertainment workers of
IATSE are assisting in the creation of field
hospitals in hotspot cities. These are just
a few of the many ways in which our industry, in crisis, still offers assistance and
aid to the nation.

When the unimaginable occurs, it is
imperative that organizations examine their
ability to persevere and adapt. USITT was
able to respond appropriately to the current
pandemic, but it also taught us how to be
better prepared in the future. Risk assessments can be an organization's best defense
in preventing injury and loss. As USITT prepares for the 2021 convention in Columbus,
Ohio, risk assessments can be extended to
event planning, and further down the line,
venues and cities can be vetted for their
emergency preparedness. We cannot take
emergency preparedness for granted any
longer.
When this crisis has subsided, people
everywhere will need and seek out the
shared experience of live theatre and entertainment more than ever. The virtual entertainment that is essential to so many during
this pandemic is a substitute for the communal experience that is theatre. And USITT
and our members will be ready and eager to
get back to business.
Wash your hands. Stay healthy. Be
gentle to yourself and help others in any way
you can.
Dan Culhane is currently the
President of USITT. In the
past, he has been Treasurer,
Director at Large, and
Technical Production
Commissioner. Culhane is employed by
Wenger Corp. in technical business
development, which includes working with
architects and consultants on designs and
other theatrical engineering issues.

Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020

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