Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1985 - 10

OBITUARIES
Fortunately, obituaries have been few
and far between in these pages. This issue,
however, contains two. In the past half
year, the technical theatre has lost two
giants, and USIIT has lost two of its most
long-standing members and staunchest
supporters: Hans Sondheimer and Harold
Burris-Meyer. Rather than present cutand-dried articles about the lives and contributions of these two men, we felt it more
appropriate to present a collec(ion of (ributes by their colleagues. The section on
Hans Sondheimer is introduced and edited
by Joel Rubin. The tributes to Harold
Burris-Meyer are by Edward L. Madden, a
designer and colleague at Florida Atlantic
University, and John Bracewell of Ithaca
College who contributed two arricles to (he
Winter 1981 of TD&T issue on sound.

Hans Sondheimer
1906-1984
The Memorial Services for Hans
Sondheimer on Monday, October 1,
1984, drew a large audience that nearly
filled the main floor at the New York
State Theatre in Lincoln Center in New
York. Perhaps not well known throughout all the US ITT membership, Hans
Sondheimer was a founding member of
the Institute, very active variously as a
member of the Board of Directors, Engineering Committee Commissioner,
International and National Liaison
group activity, and a member of the first
class of Institute Fellows. At the time
of his death he was Technical Consultant to the New York City Opera, having
retired from his long-term position as
Technical Director and Production Coordinator only a few years before. The
night before his death he worked the
performance of La Boheme at the City
Opera at the ripe old age of 3 months
short of 83.
Beverly Sills, Managing Director of
the New York City Opera, opened the
service by calling the proceedings a
"Celebration" of the life of a talented
and dedicated man. "Hans loved the
City Opera, and this theatre," she said,
"and he was so much a part of both
that we will always have his presence
with us here."
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Theatre Design & Tcchnology/USITT/Winlcr 1985

Julius Rudel and Ming Cho Le(
both spoke of Hans' dedication, ane
told amusing incidents of experience:
with Hans. Maestro Rudel pointed ou
that Hans did not permit productior
cost overruns, Hans refused to let re
hearsals or setups go overtime. He rar
his domain most efficiently, and in
sisted on the same from the rest of us
"His frugality extended even to lightin!
levels- I sometimes had to step in ane
insist, Hans, we can't see."
Harold Bronstein, the IA Propert)
Head at the New York State Theatre
and Carmine Marinelli, IA Chief at th(
Los Angeles Music Center, spoke or
behalf of the crews at these two theatres
Both men made the same point: "Han:
was simply the best technical directoJ
with whom I have ever worked." Mr
Marinelli pointed out the special rela
tionship between Hans and the men 01
Local 33 in Los Angeles when Hans wa~
an honorary member of the Local. Th(
City Opera's visit to Los Angeles ever)
year coincided with Hans' birthday. I
became a tradition for the crews in Lo~
Angeles to prepare a special gift fOI
Hans every year to which each membel
would contribute. One year an elabo
rate miniature train layout prepared a:
if for a railroad version of the Cit)
Opera tour, another year a specia
"Rube Goldberg" lighting device
Hans took delight in these gifts anc
looked forward eagerly to the Los An
geles season.
The services included remarks b)
Rik Kaye, Hans' successor as technica
director of the City Opera, and by Joe
Rubin as a colleage and friend of Han:
in US ITT for some 30 years. Both set:
of remarks are appended in shortenee
form below. Musical contributions te
the services were by soprano Claudew
Peterson and mezzo-soprano JO)
Davidson, each of whom also spok(
tenderly of Hans and his special rela
tionship with the artists of the Opera.
A third det of remarks is contrib
uted below by Doris Einstein Siegel
She was a student of Hans at the Ne\\
School and a professional colleagu(
throughout much of his working life ir
the United States. Doris Siegel has cap
continued on page 30 ...

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