Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020 - 30

of the semester. Students will participate
in small group discussions, then present proposals for re-mounting the show
as a virtual experience. VR experts will
brief the students on fundamental VR
technologies, such as rotoscoping and
360-degree photography, and students
will work together via Zoom and digital
documents to imagine how the show
could deliver its meaning and production concept to an audience virtually, using as many of the original performance
and design elements as possible. The
problem-solving itself represents the final outcome for the course, and students
from all areas of the production have the
opportunity to fulfill the course by participating in the idea development process.
The department will be able to fund this
process from the existing show budget
contingency.
For students near Los Angeles, exposure to these techniques will broaden
their knowledge of entertainment industry fields, such as visual effects for film,
and experience design for themed and
immersive entertainment. Finally, for
those students who are hampered by
the loss of production photos for their
portfolios or video for their reels, the
department is considering supporting a
second-phase project, where interested
students actualize their imagined virtual
production, allowing them the opportunity to realize the show and acquire content to help propel their careers, albeit in
a new format.

The Chicago
Flyhouse
Shannon Belmont

Like everyone, The Chicago Flyhouse
Inc. has adapted to changes in operations
during the COVID-19 pandemic. While
construction-including rigging work-
continues in many parts of the country,
other projects such as productions,
cruise lines shows, and the like, have
been put on hold. Chicago Flyhouse, a
specialty rigging company primarily servicing the entertainment, multi-purpose
venue, retail, church, and museum industries, is continuing work that can be
done-in particular, closed venues offer a
great opportunity for inspections, repairs
and maintenance-while following all
current recommended safety guidelines.
In an effort to support the industry

Annie O. Cleveland at her trusty sewing machine wearing the iconic USITT pleated face mask with ear loops.
A small pleat under the chin was added later to make the mask fit the face better. INSET: The original USITT
swag T-shirts before they were repurposed into masks. | Photos courtesy Annie O. Cleveland.

during this unique time, Flyhouse quickly shifted existing training into an entirely new, online program. Over a few short
weeks, trainers have created curricula
for six different classes, with more in the
works.
"All classes are being offered for
free. That's how we fly," said Shannon
Belmont. "Initially, we started with
smaller, limited class sizes. We quickly
found that-unlike in-person training-
the number of students doesn't impact
the quality of the experience. Given that,
we are working hard to serve the overwhelming interest in these sessions. To
date, we haven't turned away a single
interested participant." An acrobatic rigger and freelance technician remarked
that "These classes really help fill in the
gaps between formal education and road
experience."
As of early April 2020, Flyhouse
had provided 860 person hours of training across all skill and experience levels.
Participants have come from 28 U.S.
states, four Canadian provinces, and 13
other countries (Czech Republic, Dubai,
Finland, Germany, India, Israel, Mexico,

30 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | SPRING 2020

New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Serbia,
Slovakia, and the United Kingdom). As
one training participant said, "Massive
gratitude to Chicago Flyhouse for giving
us all something positive and productive
to do in this downtime."
"The focus at Flyhouse is always on
safety," said Belmont. "And for many in
the rigging industry, the safest thing to
do right now is to stay home. And, train
online with Flyhouse."

The Clevelands
Annie O. Cleveland

"In early March, already becoming concerned about the shortage of face masks
in hospitals, I decided it would be prudent to start making my own," writes
Annie O. Cleveland, independent design
professional and author. "Barry and I live
in a condo with 145 units in an enclosed
building like a hotel. Although it is not
an over-55 community, many of our residents are in the high-risk age and underlying conditions group. My first impulse
was to make the masks for our community. Because the government and

Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020

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