HowlRound Theatre Commons: Sustainability and Broadway are two words that, on the surface, might not go together. Sustainability is a complex concept that seeks to ensure the natural environment is able to meet current and future needs, while Broadway is a cultural hub where theatregoers can escape and immerse themselves in the worlds of plays and musicals. But sustainability and Broadway are much more interconnected than you might think.
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I definitely would say that the first thing I think of when I think of theatre, and especially Broadway, is not environmentalism. It is really hard for me to see green practices in something that we use numerous resources and energies to create for the purpose of entertainment, but with that being said I think it is fantastic that a focus has shifted towards greener practices in the theatre world. Also, while it is great that the Broadway Green Alliance mainly focuses on what individuals can do to be green and sustainable as a theatre community, I think more conversation needs to be had about how we, in the process of production, can think about being greener in how we create the actual theatrical performances that are being presented to the general community (the LED marquee lights and rechargeable batteries are definitely steps in the right direction on this front). The changes that have been made so far are a great first step, and I hope they continue to progress and develop in continuing years, so theatre can be more sustainable and environmentally friendly long term.
I had no idea that the Broadway Green Alliance exists, and I am so glad it does. I get very sad and upset about how much is wasted in theatre and how unenvironmentally friendly this industry usually is, so it makes me very happy that there is a group working with some of the biggest theatre producers in the country to help fix this problem. I think their idea of not trying to be completely green but rather trying to be greener than they were yesterday. I think so many people just decide to not work towards a greener work place because they have the idea that if they can’t get completely green than there is no point in trying. If more people would take the attitude that being greener than yesterday is a goal than I think there could be a lot of change made in the world. I think it is telling that over 300 people have volunteered to be green captains on their productions means that people working in the industry really do want to make an effort for this to be a greener industry.
We talk a lot about this particular issue in our field. I think this article represents the efforts they are making to make long-running shows and theaters more green. In the end, however, they are not making all that many industry-specific green decisions. Most of it reads like a corporate drive to make offices more environmentally friendly. I am a bit disappointed, honestly. In a sense, Broadway is the face of theatre to the uninitiated, and to many industry professionals, Broadway is the pinnacle of our field. I think they have an obligation to be leaders in environmentalism, and the work that the Broadway Green Alliance is doing seems like the bare minimum. To make a broad generalization, they have the most money and the most time, and I think they should be doing more with it. Instead, green innovation is left to regional theatres, educational institutions, and nonprofits, few of which have the capacity to generate nearly as much traction in the industry.
I have mixed feelings about this article. On the one hand, I’m a little disappointed that I had not heard about this organization and it makes me a little sad that I had not heard about it. I feel like if it was more influential, I may have heard more about it already. On the other hand, I am really glad that there are people who recognize how big of an issue this is in theater, specifically, and are trying to address this issue. I think, as a bigger issue in theater, there is a bit of a superiority complex, where a lot of people think that producing art is equal to being good in every way, and that there is no room for improvement. This leads to several concessions being made, in terms of safety, and, in this case, being conscious of the damage to the environment that we contribute to. I am really glad that there are some people who are aware of these issues and I hope to see this organization make a significant improvement to the way theater is produced.
Sustainability is always bugging me while every time I tear down a set and throw everything into recycle bin, or worse, trash pile. I understand that current solution of the theatrical disposal policy and material acquisition is somewhere between the ideal and acceptable. Many of the technical professionals in the theatrical scene actually care about what are we using and how bad they would hurt the environment. Such as lauan, the industry is moving forward both for its resource and quality control. Since lauan is a rain forest product, it is actually a limited resource if people use them in certain manner that beats the growing speed of the rain forests we have on earth so far. Finding substitution for a once mass produced material is not a easy challenge. People try to do the scenery with the known method and familiar materials. Though it is not the best job we have taken to reduce the environmental footprints, we still can be as helpful to the earth as we can as an industry.
I am glad to hear Broadway is making some efforts towards being more green. However, I felt that as far as this article spoke, The majority of broadway was only making profitable, obvious changes. Changing to LED lights is a small choice most of us have made in our homes, and considering the lightbulbs are constantly needing to get replaced, I doubt changing to LEDs was much a question. The thing that I am most impressed by, is the use of rechargeables in Wicked. As a sound board operator who has had to go through more batteries than I ever would want to, I am really taken aback. This article states there is of no detriment to the show with the change, although I do not know if this is true. I am sure Broadway is buying some of the best rechargeable batteries out there, however they do, in general not last as long as regular. With effective, attentive sound folks watching the rack, I feel as though most Broadway houses should be making this change. Doing drives is helpful, but the only thing that seems to be making it broadway is because they are done on Broadway; I’d like to see these environmental steps be implemented into the making of a show. The construction, the resources, and focusing as much as possible on repurposing as possible.
This article brought me right back to TD 3 and the Greening Scenery discussion we had. I understand that the Broadway Green Alliance is trying it’s best to do important work. And the small changes can and do have an impact. But at the end of the day if we really wanted to increase sustainability and reduce environmental impact in the commercial production process, producers are going to have to seriously rethink the way things are done. To really be able to create low-waste productions, you would have to have that be a cornerstone of the artistic vision of the show, as well as completely rethinking scope and budget. However, one could also point out that the environmental impact of theatre is essentially a drop in the bucket compared to most other industries, and we’d be better off spending our time and energy attempting to create social change via cheaply produced and accessible art.
Being Eco-Friendly can seem daunting at times. During strike its sad to see large pieces of scenery go into the trash. Even in 33 the amount of trash is enormous. Our class certainly struggles to recycle even the most basic plastic bottles. There have even been talks within our class to get our own recycling bins in order to try to reduce waste. Another large sources of waste is all the stuff we buy for projects then not using. Lucky the shit cabinet creates a home for more useful junk but useless things just get throw away. In our community we are all aware climate change is a thing and we need to do our part, but personally I’m not sure what this exactly looks like, this article gives a nice example of how industry professionals are caring for the environment. Within an industry that is almost guaranteed to be wasteful I’m glad to know people are doing their part.
Theatre is a ephemeral practice. Even with the shows that have “been around forever”, set pieces, hardware, props, and costumes all have an expiration date, not to mention the shows that have gigantic sets that end up mostly in the trash after a month of runs. While one of the problems with sustainability and green practices is a lack of affordable, eco-friendly materials, a big challenge I have seen is a lack of care taken in a strike to really evaluate what pieces can be reused (realistically that is), what can be recycled in some way, and what must be thrown in the trash. The Broadway Green Alliance is doing good work, but I do share the concern that many contributors before me had in the changes that they were making not really being made because of sustainability, but because a new technology conveniently worked a little bit more efficiently. If sustainability is to be a goal of a show, it really must be that before the design phase even begins because the way in which pieces are designed, materials are chosen, and construction processes are designed to follow green practices starts at the beginning. I hope to see CMU taking this more seriously in the near future because how we practice this when we are learning will influence what we take into the world with us.
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