Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2021 - 11

relief old ways of working. IATSE film
and television workers began voting on
October 1 for strike authorization to address
conditions such as low pay, missed
meal breaks, and " marathon workdays, "
problems that the pandemic " threw into
relief, " according to Katie Kilkenny at The
Hollywood Reporter (2021). The agreement
reached on October 16th between
IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture
and Television Producers makes concessions
for better working conditions, including
longer downtime between calls
and adequate rest and meal breaks. As
university theatre departments shut down
live performances and classes, the voices
calling for a more humane theatre work
week gained volume, encouraged by
USITT's promotion of the No More 10
Out of 12s working group. Many theatre
professors recognized that the production
scheduling and practices they had
adopted to familiarize students with work
in the performance industry ultimately
failed to suit their educational needs.
Once they acknowledge that professionals
find these same hours exhausting and
inhumane, educators cannot expect the
same from students also attending class,
writing papers, and studying for exams.
Whatever changes do emerge within
the varied communities of theatrical production
as live activities resume, they will
reflect new perspectives gained and increased
connectivity and collectivity built
during the pandemic shutdown. Having
been reminded that we individually lack
the control we thought we could gain by
doing more and being more, we can find
renewed solidarity. And with that solidarity,
we can imagine forward a more just,
humane, and inclusive industry.
Christin Essin is an associate
professor of theatre history at
Vanderbilt University. Her
book, Working Backstage,
was published by the
University of Michigan Press this September,
and her first book, Stage Designers in Early
Twentieth Century America (2012), won
USITT's 2015 Golden Pen award. She
previously served on USITT's publications
committee and has written numerous essays
on theatre design artistry, technology, and
backstage labor.
Works Cited
All of the interviews for this essay were conducted
via Zoom during the spring of 2021.
Aldana, Ryan Waterman. (August 14, 2021.) " With
Hamilton, Lion King, Wicked Ticket Sales Slow,
Broadway Isn't Back. " CNBC. https://www.cnbc.
com/2021/08/14/with-hamilton-disney-wickedticket-sales-slow-broadway-isnt-back.html
Costume
Industry Coalition. " Custom Costumes
| Costume Industry Coalition. " https://www.
costumeindustrycoalition.com
Einiger, Josh, and Toby Hershkowitz. (May 6, 2021).
" 'Ghost Light: Broadway's Long Intermission' | Full
Documentary. " ABC7 New York. https://abc7ny.
com/10589929/
Kilkenny, Katie. (September 21, 2021). " Change that
is Long Overdue. " The Hollywood Reporter. https://
www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/businessnews/iatse-may-call-for-a-strike-1235018080/
No
More 10 Out of 12s. " Why No More 10 Out of 12s. "
https://nomore10outof12s.com/why-no-more/
Paulson, Michael. (June 25, 2020, updated). " Disney
Closes 'Frozen' on Broadway, Citing Coronavirus
Pandemic. " The New York Times. https://www.
nytimes.com/2020/05/14/theater/frozenbroadway-closing-virus.html
JobsUSITT
When
our industry comes back, the best place to
start your job search is at JobsUSITT. Whether you
are looking to call a cue or design a costume or
create an all-new digital projection - or teach
others how to do any of those things - we have
the resources you need at JobsUSITT.
JobsUSITT is industry's leading choice for
recruitment because the industry knows
that its best candidates for live
entertainment design
and technology
positions are USITT
members.
JobsUSITT has been
upgraded to give both job
seekers and recruiters a
more robust marketplace.
Find out more at
www.usitt.org/jobs
Content placed on JobsUSITT is solely the responsibility of the
advertiser. USITT assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of
the content.
RECRUITERS: Draw even more
candidates with our new Featured
Jobs enhancement. Contact our Sales
Department to learn more.
FALL 2021 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | 11

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/14/with-hamilton-disney-wicked-ticket-sales-slow-broadway-isnt-back.htmlC https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/14/with-hamilton-disney-wicked-ticket-sales-slow-broadway-isnt-back.htmlC https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/14/with-hamilton-disney-wicked-ticket-sales-slow-broadway-isnt-back.htmlC https://www.costumeindustrycoalition.com https://www.costumeindustrycoalition.com https://abc7ny.com/10589929/ https://abc7ny.com/10589929/ http://Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/iatse-may-call-for-a-strike-1235018080/ http://Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/iatse-may-call-for-a-strike-1235018080/ http://Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/iatse-may-call-for-a-strike-1235018080/ https://www.nomore10outof12s.com/why-no-more/ http://Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/theater/frozen-broadway-closing-virus.html http://Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/theater/frozen-broadway-closing-virus.html http://Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/theater/frozen-broadway-closing-virus.html http://www.usitt.org/jobs

Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2021

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