Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2005 - 43

WSD

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minimizing spill, the monitors and projection
screens for the most part were easily viewed.
Unfortunately, some designs were lost in the
darker areas of the gallery, lessening their impact.
I did find myself initially confused by the
use of extended pipes in the hanging presentation of costumes; as headpieces often were
placed on top of the horizontal pipe and the
costume suspended below, the pipe became a
long extended nose, most appropriate to
commedia characters and Pinocchio. After
my initial confusion, however, I became accustomed to the silhouette.
From the moment one entered, the digital
aspects of the WSD were integral to the event.
Visitors could easily walk straight in the door,
sit down and watch every last image on either
of the back-to-back screens (which displayed
differing images at any given time). For those
who found that form of presentation too arbitrary
and linear in nature (or if they just wanted to see
their own work and move on), the digital catalog
(soon to be available through the USITT Web
site, as will the print catalog) could be viewed
at the multiple workstations. The well-organized digital catalog allowed users to browse
images according to design area, designer,
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or its inclusion in the gallery. While the fullcolor print catalog is excellent, the DVD had
the advantage of being able to include sound
design excerpts and to present all of the visual designs full screen; out of what must
have been practical necessity, the print version reduced many images to postage stamp
size, though each design was provided with at
least one larger image.
Did the WSD encompass the full diversity
of contemporary performance design? The exhibit certainly showcased an extraordinarily
wide range of images, submitted from all over
the globe. While all entries required a nominal
$75 entry fee (a not inconsiderable barrier in
some economies), it seems clear that within
that limitation, the event lived up to in its mission, and reflected the broad diversity of the
creativity of individual stage and screen artists
worldwide. 188 designs represented some 35
nations. While certainly some of the major
names in the profession were present, most
were unknown to me. The works chosen for
the gallery were produced in small college departments and major opera houses, dance
troupes, and a concert venue. I was personally
delighted to see the increasingly creative and

significant world of academic theatre design so
well represented.
If a lighting design is difficult to communicate in an exhibit, a sound design is virtually
impossible, but the WSD found an excellent solution. A separate section of the exhibit featured a
surround sound system and widescreen television. Sound design excerpts, presented with a
surround sound system, were accompanied by
production images and information displayed on
a wide screen video display. One could also hear
the speakers outside in the galleries, which was
actually a nice (although presumably inadvertent) touch. The DVD catalog of the exhibit includes recordings of sound submissions, a truly
important development.
The organizers of the WSD have repeatedly
emphasized that the event complements the Prague
Quadrennial; it does not compete with it. Given
the breath and scope of performance design
throughout the world, two exhibitions of international scenography in a four-year period is hardly
excessive. In the spirit of this complementary relationship, the PQ provided its own installation
(figure 1). Tongue placed firmly in cheek, it succinctly depicted the mental state of a visitor overwhelmed by scale of the Quadrennial.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2005