Today's approaches to theatrical scene design demand a great deal from the technician. Lee Simonson wrote: " The life of a scenic idea is inextricably bound up with the search for the purely mechanical means by which it can be projected on the stage without being destroyed in the process." The fact that a technical director has a role in this process should be clear, but the nature of that role remains obscure and perplexing. Among theatre practitioners there is no general concensus about the nature of the job; currently, a debate rages as to whether the technical director is an artist or a craftsman.

The reality is, producing theatres today, given a certain level of production, cannot function without someone working as a technical director or several people carrying out those responsibilities that generally fall to a TD.

I suggest that the technical director must possess four core attributes: Artistry, Craftsmanship, Leadership, and Managership and that these attributes form an intrinsic and interconnected foundation of technical direction.

ARTISTRY

The technical director must be an artist! At the very heart of the job is the art of theatre. The use of traditional flats and stock platforms addresses certain practical needs, but fails miserably to meet many of the artistic needs of a production. Solving design challenges requires more than mere dependence on formulas. The ever widening technology, (pneumatics, hydraulics, digital motion control) can certainly serve a production, but it must not be allowed to become a display. The most elegant technical solution should be the most artistic.

Technical directors must have design experience. Aesthetic understanding and "a designer's eye" is essential if the TD is to substantively contribute to the design. Substantive contribution need not mean expansive, extraordinary display. Often, the contribution is in the attention to small details that may not be fully appreciated by the audience.

CRAFTSMANSHIP

A technical director must demonstrate technical and tactical competence. "The theatre demands of its craftsmen that they know their jobs. ... We shall never have done with studying and learning." So wrote Robert Edmund Jones. Increasingly, design requires engineered solutions rather than dependence upon old formulas. Revolving bridges, floating platforms, moving canopies, real cinder block walls, and climbable mountains are the challenges we face.

Strong basic math skills in geometry, trigonometry, and algebra provide the basis for efficient and confident solving of design challenges. Guessing is NOT acceptable; settings should meet aesthetic goals AND be safe.

A working knowledge of a wide range of materials/equipment is fundamental. The theatre technician today faces an ever expanding and widening world of possibilities. As wood costs increase, metals, including aluminum have become more widely used. The challenge to use materials as envisioned by the designers and in new and different ways cannot be accomplished without this foundation.

Choosing the Right Tool for the Right Job is an ongoing exercise. In a class on theatre production I refer to the right tool for the right job when speaking of the difference between a #1 and a #2 Phillips screwdriver. But the concept goes much beyond this simple technical example. By tools I mean, in the broadest sense, anything regarded as a necessary aide to accomplish the work. The tool(s) and the job are uniquely connected.

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is the art of influencing others to accomplish a mission by providing Purpose, Direction and Motivation. At the simplest level, the job of the TD is to implement/realize the designs. The TD is at the crux of a production; where the abstract art finds its concretization. In order to provide clear direction and motivation, the TD must be involved in the creative process.

A leader seeks responsibility and takes responsibility. A TD must "grab the bull by the horns!" Understandably, a TD does not have control over all situations but failure to take control of those issues that can and should be the province of a TD is unacceptable. There are two actions: performance and excuses. Only one of these approaches is successful.

A leader sets examples; establishes and enforces standards. Henry Way Beston was correct when he observed that the things we make are conditioned by the means we use to make them. Working "down-and-dirty" to "up-is-good" as a general approach is not acceptable. The conditions backstage are as important as what the audience sees.

A leader is a good listener, a teacher, seeks self-improvement, and treats others with respect and dignity. The collaborative process that is theatre requires, indeed demands, these qualities. The failure to continue to seek self-improvement and learning is a great pit-fall. It leads to "rigid thinking" which is the death of the creativity.

MANAGERSHIP

A manager ensures that a task is understood, supervised and accomplished and keeps colleagues informed. A technical director must do careful and thorough planning. If artistry is the heart of the work then managing is the brain; where all connections are made. I am convinced that a meticulous and systematic strategy ensures success. Theatre is very process oriented but the ability to adapt to discoveries made in that process is indispensable.

A manager knows and cares for the available resources (people, facility, equipment) and employs/utilizes them in accordance with capabilities. Our most valuable technical resource, the technician, is frequently exploited by many theatres in this country. The fact that fewer technical people are entering theatre and that many do not intend to remain in technical fields should cause us great concern! Economic realities mean that we must find new ways of making theatre that matches available resources while remaining aesthetically dynamic.

Management involves making sound and timely decisions. Theatre is one of the only businesses that sets a goal in time (the show will open on ...) and regularly meets that goal. Would that major construction projects (roads, bridges, buildings) were as reliable.

Sound decisions are based on connections. It is vital to the operation that the TD be able to make informed, constructive and supported decisions and be entrusted to do so.

A manager developes and initiates process for achieving goals and solving problems. The notion of process is a recurring theme in this work. Theatre is process oriented; meaning that the work is built upon a series of actions. The importance of process must not be overlooked. This process involves making the connections among five root elements:

1) the theatrical event produced with style resulting from a guiding concept.

2) proper timing -- In the world of business they say that "timing is everything". Surely, this is also true in the world of theatre.

3) material resources -- money, space, tools, and the stuff of our creation. Given current economic realities, we must conceive theatre in new ways.

4) people resources -- our most valuable -- Theatre must invest in the technicians and treat them as more than just a service branch.

5) effective management -- Indeed, the art of theatre requires effective management, for without it, you will not have the first four elements.

The work of contemporary artists such as Robert Wilson, Peter Brook, Phillip Glass, and Pina Bausch is evidence that theatre is ever searching for expressive means and stretching the boundaries of the "scenic idea". With artistry, craftsmanship, leadership, and managership, the technical director is in an ideal place to take part in reinventing theatre's potential.

Bill Barksdale - (bill.barksdale@vt.edu)
Technical Director
Virginia Tech Theatre Arts
March 1996