Theatre Design & Technology - May 1967 - 23

Now, the question as asked, "can this be taught?" I am
now working at Yale on the problem, and we seem to be
having some success. The idea that it can be taught is also
being put to the test through the National Arts Foundation,
US ITT Seminars, and so forth. You will have to wait for
a few years for the results.
QUESTION: You seem to neglect the fact that repertory,
with its 52 -week seasons, cannot seem to support itself
and requires huge quantities of support.
LU1Z: I should like to point out that the gentlemen here
have rarely had to rely on subsidy, and they have never
gone out of business . . . . .
KRAWITZ: Except at the Met! And I will come to that now
very specifically. I have to distinguish among methods here.
The Metropolitan Opera bases its operations on the idea
that some of its funds will come from public giving, rather
than the public buying of tickets. And in New York, most
other operations of this type are continually sold out.
According to Mr. Wharton, we should therefore, increase
our ticket prices when we are sold out. But it is our
opinion that it is better for our audiences to give us money
than to take it from them in the form of ticket prices. We
get income both ways, and we know we are going to get it
before we begin.

It is a custom in our operation that patrons donate. It is
so much a custom that we can budget, to the penny, what
we can anticipate from fund raising.
Of course, in order to raise money, we have to say that
we are bankrupt in spite of the fact that we are far from it.
That's an unfortunate part of fund raising. You have to say
that there is a "dire situation." And it's true, it would be
a dire situation if the public failed to give.
KRAUSS: What you fail to real ize is that I am in a situation where we must sell tickets in order to suPPOrt ourselves.
KRAWITZ: You just come up to the Metropolitan or City
Center and watch us sell tickets ..
KRAUSS: But tell me about the Arena Theatre in Buffalo.
They can't sell tickets. Don't tell me about the City.
KRAWITZ: You must remember that all these institutions
are self-producers of quality, they all.
KRAUSS: We're not talking about quality, we have to assume that each producer, whether he is in stock or elsewhere, is putting on that stage what he believes is the
best possible theatre ..
KRAWITZ: That's not true. He puts on that stage what he
believes will produce the best profit, not the best quality.
LUTZ: Gentlemen, I turn to another question from the floor.

3,210,531
OUTDOOR FLOODLIGHTING ASSEi\1BLY
Samuel 1\1. Neely, 511 N. Mayo, and Norman M. Harford,
501 S. Poinsettia, both of Compton, Calif.
Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No, 265,741
6 Claims. (Cl. 240-3)

2. In an outdoor area floodlighting system for play
fields and auto parking areas and the like which system
is of the type having a plurality of beam-type floodlamps
supported for independent aiming and adjustment atop
upright overhead light supporting means; that improve.
ment which comprises sighting means on individual ones
of said flood lamps having the axis thereof arranged
generally parallel to the axis of the light beam of the

QUESTION: Mr. Krawitz, when you are dealing with a nonprofit-making venture, and Mr. Krauss is dealing with a
profit venture, I think you have to agree that there is a little
difference.
KRAWITZ: I do not agree, I do not agree in the slightest.
QUESTION: Well, let's face it, when you have stockholders
who are expecting a return on their investment, you have a
certain commitment to them. And also, if you are starting
from scratch, as many of us thought the Met would do in a
totally new facility without an established repertory, could
you have produced as many shows as you have? Could you
have mounted and run a whol e series of repertory - successfully - in a single season
.
KRAWITZ: Yes. The answer is yes. Because there is a
theatre next door that did.
QUESTION: Yes, but they do not have a full-scale repertory.
They [Lincoln Center Repertory in the Beaumont] are doing
three productions a year and will not be into repertory for
some time.
KRAWITZ: Now let's not confuse growing pains with immediate success or failure. This is a common mistake of
the commercial theatre. It has to have instant success. The
Lincoln Center Repertory has unfortunately had bad press
and response during its formative years. But in spite of all
the publ ic defeats they have had there, the people of New
York want so intensely for th is sort of thing to succeed
that they still buy their tickets in advance. Their subscription is good.

as-ociated lamp for u e by a workman in aiming the floodbmp at a designated target area of the ground surface
to be illuminated while said lamp remains de-energized.
and means for clamping the individual floodlamps rigidly
in their respective adjusted positions while held aimed
on a designated ground target area.

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

MAY 1967

If you want an example of successful repertory, take a look
at the APA. They are going to take New York by storm.
And whyl Because they produce hits l And they are a real
repertory company.
The APA is just a case in point. Repertory does not depend
on the one hit; it rotates plays. Most repertories maintain
flexible schedules. They expand the evenings of the hits
and contract the playing time of the flops. The APA does
not have as much of this type of flexibility as they might
have because they announce their schedules in advance. I
am against this practice.

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