Saturday, September 19, 2015
Teams Sought for Ideal Theatre Design Contest
Stage Directions: The USITT Architecture & Theatre Student Design Competition, sponsored by American Seating, is now accepting applications to participate. The competition asks theatre and architecture students to imagine a new theatre space for their campus. Designs are due Jan. 18, 2016, but teams must fill out an intent to participate application by Oct. 30.
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3 comments:
This is a really cool idea. Theatre design is incredibly complex. I can’t even imagine all the planning and thinking that goes into designing a performing arts building. Nonetheless, people still do it. Perhaps the most difficult part of the process is deciding how to balance a large amount of competing interests. A good theatre is a space that successfully balances the wants and needs of the actor, the director, the designer, the technician, the manager, the facility personnel and the audience member. This is tough, and it requires a team of talented individuals to accomplish. USITT is encouraging students to collaborate with others and design a perfect space. The problem is there’s no such thing. The cool thing about this challenge is that a team who goes through this process will be exposed to new aspects of theatre that will change their thinking. In addition, team members will learn how to better communicate their ideas and compromise when necessary. The $1000 is a nice side benefit, too.
Yea many can design a space for people to watch a show but not many can perfectly balance good design for sound, lighting, and practical use. I might want to do this competition later but it would require a lot of thought and time. I think for many it would require a lot of instruction on theatre spaces, architecture, and more importantly theatre architecture/history. But assuming that one has all of these things this competition is a great way to get your work out there when you cant be hired for real projects. I did a themed entertainment competition last year on the museum of science fiction. The goal was to create a space that could change, was cost effective, and applied many different technologies that the guests could interact with. I ended up be one of three who won the competition and in turn it led me work on the design team. This put my work out there and gave me an opportunity to have a voice on a major project. This project could give a student a great opportunity to shine as well as add something unique to their resume. with the requirement of a team it also opens up room to improve communication skills as well as collaboration.
Designing my ideal theater is not something I’ve often thought about doing, but I have certainly thought about what I would want in it. I have worked in and seen enough theaters that I think I have a good idea of what an ideal theater should be and would make an asset to a team of this nature. There is a lot to designing a theater aside from the architecture, engineering, and overall look. One of my main concerns is this: how do you allow for updates, renovations, and the ever-changing technology that we face every day?
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