Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020 - 10

LEADERSHIP

Next Step: Columbus
While the entire USITT community mourns the loss
of the 2020 conference in Houston, remember that
although this crisis certainly brings change, that's
where innovation happens
BY LEA ASBELL-SWANGER

hen I was asked to serve as
USITT's interim Vice President
for Conferences, I was honored
and excited. After all, I was going to get
to work with an incredible team of people,
most of whom had much more direct experience with the inner workings of our
conference than I did. Also, all of our effort would culminate in the celebration of
USITT's 60th anniversary.
I made it clear that this was to be a
short-term commitment, limited to fulfilling the final year of Jack Feivou's term,
a need created by his employer sending
him to China for a major project. When
the news of the coronavirus first surfaced
there, I thought of him and was relieved to
learn that he, his wife, and his team had
returned to the United States to what we
all thought was safety.
You know what happened after that,
at least in terms of the spread of the virus and ultimately the declaration of it as
a pandemic. What you may not know is
how much thoughtful, careful consideration went into USITT's decision-making
process. The USITT staff led the charge.
After all, they were the ones on the frontline getting emails and phone calls from
concerned members, including exhibitors
and other attendees. The scenario planning and communication strategy they
developed kept the health and safety of
all parts of our organization at its core.
When the time finally came for your Board
of Directors to reach the difficult decision
to cancel the 2020 conference, they were
able to do so with confidence in the information on which that decision was based.
I admit that I struggled to accept
the decision, even though I agreed with

This may not have
been what was
planned for
Houston, but our
community is still
having positive
impact across the
industry.
it completely. That struggle was because
I also knew, during this same time, that
all the members of the conference team
were continuing their work, assuming the
conference would go as planned. Here's
part of the note that I sent them on the
day our conference should have started:
I just wanted to send a quick
note to this incredible team on the
day that would have been the official start of a wonderful celebration. It is not lost on us that April
1 might not be a date we want to
make the traditional start of our
conference going forward.
As is often the case in our business, the culminating event that results from the collaborative process
is not the whole story. Even though
I am crushed to be missing the opportunity to share what would have
been an exciting, engaging, exhilarating, and yes, exhausting celebration of USITT's 60th anniversary,
the path toward the conference

10 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | SPRING 2020

was fulfilling in ways that are still
impactful and appreciated.
This crisis will certainly bring change,
but that's where innovation happens.
USITT is committed to fostering innovation, and those of us that are members should be as well. That innovation
is happening already. Educational and
training sessions are being offered virtually by USITT and a host of our exhibitors.
Members are sharing remote teaching
tips and tricks for classes that no one
thought it possible to teach that way.
Portfolio reviews and resume coaching
sessions have moved to a virtual format.
Most importantly, those who would have
been attendees are connecting with each
other. This may not have been what was
planned for Houston, but our community
is still having positive impact across the
industry.
When the USITT membership gathers next year in Columbus, there will be
acknowledgement of the struggles, the
sorrow, and the loss, but there will also
be celebration of accomplishments, unbridled networking, and sheer joy of being
together again.
No matter what else happens, stories
need to be told, especially the new ones
being written now. USITT members are
the ones that find the right way to make
the best telling of those stories possible.
Lea Asbell-Swanger was the
2020 Vice-President for
Conferences. She is a former
President of USITT and a
Fellow of the Institute. She
serves as assistant director of the Center for
the Performing Arts at Penn State.

Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020