Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2023 - 61

Centre for Sustainable Practice in the
Arts, to discuss methods for bringing sustainable
and ecoscenographic practices to
their craft, especially when that is within a
larger company structure. The group discussed
planning for the end-of-life of materials,
making choices based on material
lifespan, strategies for gaining buy-in from
collaborators, and several other steps for
growing a more sustainable production.
Final Assignment
The penultimate assignment for the program
was to create their own design for
an extant piece of work or a devised work
that takes place in a location in Prague of
their choosing. They needed to consider
sustainable scenography while maintaining
their vision. This assignment is where
experiencing performances and installations,
attending talks, connecting with
fellow artists, and considering the community
all came together. The students created
scenography for performances that
included a day inside the world of a visually
impaired young person, a Lincoln Log
installation exploring the concept of " who
we are shifts with where we are, " a tour of
a local park sharing one's experiences in
the park with neighbors, a performance
on the Vltava river that is viewed from
the Charles Bridge, a steampunk experience,
exploring immigration and Prague
through toy theatre, and ambulatory performance
throughout the local park that
explores the park's history.
As the students looked back on their
goals or pre-reflections when creating their
program reflections, overall they enjoyed
and benefited from the PQ study abroad
experience. Many talked about this being
a " life-changing " experience " both personally
and artistically " due to their ability
to " experience theatre from outside the
United States, " gain a " greater understanding
of different perspectives from around
the world, " and connect with " artists from
around the globe. " A common theme was
also expectation versus reality, with one
student noting that " the PQ is one of the
most 'roll with the punches' events " they
have ever experienced, and they'd have it
no other way.
Some challenges our group faced included
a common PQ challenge-time and
the intensity of the festival. One can never
see it all, and some students succeeded
at finding a balance between experiencing
the PQ and sustaining themselves
FALL 2023 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | 61
personally. Accessibility in many forms
also impacted our students, something
they had an opportunity to discuss with
Markéta Fantová, PQ Artistic Director
from 2016 through 2023, when she met
with us to discuss creating and managing
the Quadrennial, including the specific
challenges the PQ leadership faced with
this edition.
Attending my third Prague Quadrennial
with student scenographers and arts writers
via a study abroad class was outstanding.
Seeing 20 students' perspectives,
expectations, and boundaries shift daily is
an unrivaled experience. We collaborated
to develop performance ideas and even
held a graduation ceremony for our seniors
who missed commencement. Prague is a
beautiful and culturally rich city, and I am
pleased our students got to spend nearly
three weeks immersed in this place, while
also being a part of the massive artistic and
cultural exchange that is the PQ.
Can students now describe ecoscenography?
Indeed they can; I overheard a
student describing it just the other day to
a peer saying " practicing ecoscenography
involves lowering our waste output as theatremakers
and it is also a way for us to
connect with our communities by taking
inspiration from the community, as well
as recycling, repurposing, donating, and or
salvaging scenic and other pieces. " I was
glad that they brought that definition home
with them from Prague, while also sharing
with great excitement all the manifestations
of ecoscenography they experienced
at the Prague Quadrennial.
Shane Kelly is professor and
head of the theatre technology
program at The Theatre School
at DePaul University. He is the
co-author, with Jay O. Glerum,
of Stage Rigging Handbook 4 edition. Kelly is
an ETCP certified rigger and recognized trainer,
OSHA Authorized General Industry outreach
trainer, and American Red Cross authorized
trainer. His company, Shane Kelly Rigging,
conducts rigging inspections, system and safety
consultations, and rigging and safety training.
http://historicalemporium.com
Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2023

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