Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1981 - 5

Theatre Design
&

Technology
Volume XVII * Number 1 * Spring, 1981
Journal' of the United States
Institute for Theatre Technology
Number 64
Contents
4

Recreating Loie Fuller's Fire Dance
Introduction
by Kate Davy

The Costume
by Jean Gonzalez

The Lighting
by Michael Sicotte

Mobile Scenic Design Through Fiber Sculpture
by Delbert and tone Unruh

Special Effects in Barnum
by Brooke Allen

Paper Honeycomb Sandwich Structures: Engineering Data
by Jack Neveaux
Teaching Television Design Techniques

An Approach to Teaching Television Design
by Val Strazovec

Television Scene Design
by Herbert Zettl

Television Lighting Design
hy Kenneth Palius

Television Design: Questions and Answers

ABC TV-2: A Studio of the Eighties
by Jay O. Gterum

TECHNICAL REPORT
Building an Oval Wooden Tub
by Elbin L. Cleveland

RESEARCH
Costume Pattern Drafts: The Collar
by Kevin Seligman

BOOK REVIEWS

NEW PRODUCTS

C78-6

by Fred M. Wolff
NEWS

On the cover: Dance based on
Loie Fuller's Fire Dance (see pp. 4-8.)

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Introduction
While most of the articles in this issue are devoted to
design, in each case the design was made possible
through the application of some kind of special technology.
The first set of articles, for instance, demonstrates
that in television, design is inseparable from a knowledge of optics and electronic technology. While this is
hardly surprising, it raises the question, then, of how to
train television designers? The participants in the USITT
panel on teaching television design all agreed that traditional theatre departments still provide the soundest
training. This will undoubtedly provide some comfort to
theatre departments, but it should also suggest that
these same departments should consider expanding the
range of material taught. Design, separate from technology, will not suffice in the future. We plan to include
more articles on television in upcoming issues since it is
clear that designers and technicians can no longer afford to remain isolated in one particular medium-basic
skills remain the same throughout the entire industry.
The article on Loie Fuller explores two problems:
How to create a costume that will function more like
moving scenery than as a piece of clothing; and the difficulties of historic recreation. It is one thing to recreate a
"look" based on photos or descriptions, and quite another to recreate devices and designs accurately to reconstruct specific movement and mood. Whatever interest this set of articles may have for historians or
designers, we hope that it may introduce more people to
Loie Fuller, who is, unfortunately, still little-known. Fuller is significant in the history of lighting technology, yet
is usually overlooked. She was a pioneer in the young
field of electric lighting, and not only patented many
types of instruments, but is responsible for many lighting techniques usually attributed to Adolphe Appia. She
had a profound influence on the Symbolist movement
and Art Nouveau. Fuller's contributions are frequently
ignored in part because she introduced her inventions in
her Parisian music hall performances rather than in "serious" theatre, and in part, perhaps, because she was a
woman.
David Mitchell's set for Barnum is not only a visual
delight, but a rigger's paradise. There is no new technology involved-just old-fashioned stage and circus
technique, now in a new context. Clearly, this old technology inspired a new design.
The article on honeycomb paper in the last issue generated a great deal of interest and we follow that up with
a more specific piece on calculating the strength of the
product. We neglected to include information last time
on where to find honeycomb products. There are three
sources listed at the end of the current article, and an
item on Norcore Corporation is included in the New
Products section. We will be happy to pass on more information as we receive it.
Beginning in the May issue of TD& T, there will be a
continuing series profiling contemporary American designers and their work.
A.A.

K.D.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1981