< Previous20 Sightline Autumn 2018 Theatre of 1925, a conversion of a 1903 synagogue by architect Albert Kahn, survives as does his Garden Theatre of 1912. Perhaps Crane’s most famous works, however, are his near twin Fox Theatres in Detroit and St. Louis. The Detroit example opened in 1928 and seated over 5000 in a style described by Ben Hall as ‘Siamese Byzantine’. When designing the largest houses most architectural practices used every design artifice at their disposal to create localised environments which appeared as intimate as possible; here Crane took the opposite approach and revelled in accentuating gargantuan proportions, with soaring arcades of blood red columns in both the five storey lobby and auditorium, the former boasting its own pipe organ to entertain the waiting crowds. A towering array of display pipes above the entry is complemented at the far end by a grand staircase guarded by a series of glowing-eyed mythic lions. In the auditorium a globular electrolier of twelve feet diameter is seemingly suspended from an intricately decorated faux-fabric tented ceiling. Beneath this is set the seventy feet wide proscenium replete with a plethora of diversely styled three dimensional embellishments in tones of gold capped by a colossal elephant head, all by sculptor Victor Berlendis. If one’s senses are not sufficiently stimulated by these surroundings the strains of the large scale pipework of the Wurlitzer organ rolling around this vast space will complete the task. This is not subtle architecture, but it’s impressive!A short distance from the city centre is situated the Fisher Theatre located in the eponymous building named after the motor coachwork magnate. The theatre, opened in 1928 and seating nearly 3000, was designed by Graven and Mayger, previously employed by Rapp and Rapp, who left that firm to set up their own practice which proceeded to design highly creditable theatres. This venue was clothed throughout in Mayan Revival style, and was arguably one of the two finest and fullest examples of this theatrical genre in terms of its complexity of form and elaboration of high relief ornamentation. Regrettably the death knell for this design was rung in 1960 when it was ripped out to be replaced by a typical interior of the period by none other than Rapp and Rapp. It is sometimes remarked, somewhat unfairly, that this was the company’s revenge upon its upstart erstwhile employees. Because of the great loss incurred in the reconstruction it is difficult to view the replacement with objectivity. Nevertheless, it has itself now survived relatively unaltered for almost sixty years, and is thus becoming of historic interest to students of that architectural period. It also constitutes a highly successful receiving house for Broadway tours.Whilst only a few fragments of the Fisher’s original interior survive, either behind the later décor or somewhat forlornly in a showcase on the circle staircase landing, one major trophy wrested from the devastation is the Wurlitzer organ, which plays on in a new location.. It operates using its original electro-pneumatic relays and sports a unique and eclectically styled console, with a polychrome Mayan overlay on a standard Wurlitzer French frame-design.Redford Theatre, DetroitSightline Autumn 2018 21 Another organ saved is that of the suburban Redford Theatre, which latter was purchased by the group which maintained the original Barton instrument therein when the building was threatened with demolition, The theatre was designed in atmospheric style by Verner, Wilhelm and Molby in 1928 with 1611 seats. For the unitiated, the atmospheric house was developed from primitive exemplars by John Eberson, doyen of the genus, and consisted of an indoor re-creation of an exterior courtyard, with the sky represented by a smooth curved plaster ceiling on which sunrise and sunset effects could be created, complete with cloud effects projected from Brenograph Juniors and twinkling lightbulb stars. Most theatres of this ilk tended to be of Italian or Spanish inspiration, but unusually the Redford was designed in Japanese mode. With anti-Japanese feeling running rife during the last world war, the décor was painted out in battleship grey and subsequently boarded over, curtained off, or repainted repeatedly. However, over a long period volunteers of the organ society have slowly restored the interior to its original appearance - and to a gratifyingly proficient standard. The venue now runs regular film screenings and live drama alongside organ concerts.Not to be outdone by the large city houses, smaller towns endeavoured to emulate them as closely as possible. Typical of these is Jackson with its Michigan Theatre, a 1930 house of 1450 seats by Maurice Finkel – not one of the most prominent or prolific specialist architects, yet this house demonstrates his assurance and capability. Beneath a compact well-balanced exterior tower lies the entrance to the modest lobbies, which are nevertheless handsomely decorated in Spanish Baroque style, as is the auditorium. The sweeping scale of the latter thus presents a pleasing surprise with its richly embellished columns, walnut panelling, intricate grillework, and highly effective cove lighting. Now run as a non-profit performing arts centre whilst concurrently seeking funding for further much needed restoration, this is no ‘also ran’ in comparison to its big city siblings. Hopefully the preceding overview presents an insight into the diversity of the buildings visited, each demonstrating differing physical attributes and aesthetic qualities to be experienced and admired, or occasionally adversely criticised. A debt of gratitude is owed not only to the organisers but also to the theatre operators who accommodated us within their busy schedules with such good grace.All photos by Tim HatcherMichigan Theatre, Jackson22 Sightline Autumn 2018 On the 5th October, 1967 one of the great pioneers of British Theatre – the maverick Stephen Joseph, died at his home in Longwestgate, Scarborough.He had been the first person in Britain to conceive a Stage Management course in a drama school (Central School of Speech and Drama), the first to recommend Speech Therapy as a University subject and the first to recommend that an acting course should concentrate the production of a play in a three week period rather than an entire term.He was the first person in Britain to hold playwriting courses and one of the first to advocate Local Radio (1946). His was the first full time Theatre in the Round company in Britain and the first to champion new – as opposed to West End – writing.He was certainly the first person to startle his listeners by advocating a Fish and Chip Theatre – years before Pub performances gained ground – and his Promenade Performances in Manchester rank as the first of their kind in Britain.His was the first company of his generation to encourage in-house writers or employ a dramaturg and was also one of the first Shoestring Theatre – Has Stephen Joseph’s Vision a Future?to advocate all day uses for theatres to encourage those huge buildings not to be idle for twenty two hours of the day.Stephen was unconventional, eccentric and revolutionary and he was aware that society is afraid of anarchy. Its leaders, rulers, those in positions of authority, attain those positions because of the power inherent in them, and he was opposed to power. If he was not, himself, a ‘good’ director, it was because he was opposed to the power it implied.Sir Alan Ayckbourn said of him, “He was an extremist for the round … he was an extremist about everything … being a pioneer makes you extreme: you have to take an extreme point of view to get your point across …”He had started public in the round performances at the Mahatma Gandhi Hall in London, established his Studio Theatre Ltd. Company in Scarborough and on tour to theatreless towns in 1955. In 1962 his company under the direction of Peter Cheeseman opened and ran the New Victoria in Stoke on Trent, and his erstwhile Stage Manager Terry Lane created the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh which opened in 1963. This was quickly followed by the Bolton Octagon under Photo: Ken Boden, © Scarborough Theatre Trust / Stephen Joseph TheatreSightline Autumn 2018 23 the direction of Robin Pemberton-Billing, the Orange Tree in Richmond created by Sam Walters, and later under the determination of Ken Boden, the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough.Within a year of the Vic and the Traverse being opened, other new companies had also begun life – a warehouse in Brighton, another in Chester. Out of Manchester, Roland Joffe ran a season of plays some in promenade style at the Young Vic in London. Very shortly after the Royal Exchange in Manchester, Centre 42 in Chalk Farm and the Tron in Glasgow had opened their doors; then out of Manchester Claire Venables became the director of the predominantly feminist company Monstrous Regiment. Fringe theatre from the Hull Truck to the Kings Head became the way to explore new theatre forms.Richard Rothrock, the late Professor of Humboldt State University, wrote: “He was rich with intellect, knowledge and personality. He seemed to thrive on contradiction. He was an intellectual giant.”Many of his concepts became central to the Diploma Course which he established and supervised at Manchester University, where in 1961 he had been invited by Professor Hugh Hunt to become the first Fellow in Drama. In the same year he helped to found the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT), along with Richard Pilbrow (Theatre Projects), Fred Bentham (Strand Electric), the architect /designer Sean Kenny et al. The Association hosted the first British Congress of International Theatre Technicians chaired by Peter Hall and Stephen edited a printed version of the proceedings under the title Adaptable Theatres. The following year the Drama Department at Manchester hosted its second Theatre Week bringing together prominent theatre practitioners of the time to consider the theme Actor and Architect. This later became a seminal book edited by Stephen and published by the University Press.Shortly after establishing the ABTT he then proposed the formation of the Society of Theatre Consultants, after which the Arts Council then demanded that all new proposed stages in schools, should have their plans vetted by the association.In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Joseph’s death in October 2017 some 30-40 people gathered in the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, mostly alumni from Manchester University. A month later, twice the number of people attended a two day seminar hosted by the University at the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama: Stephen Joseph – Legacy Symposium. Arising out of these two events and to mark the centenary of his birth in 2021, the Stephen Joseph Association was born: (www.stephenjosephassociation.org).In the afternoon of 16 November this year the SJA will hold its first AGM for its members at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In tandem we will also host a public Forum with a small panel of practitioners with a keynote presentation by Sam Walters, the first Director of the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond.For further information and or to join the Stephen Joseph Association please go to the website: www.stephenjosephassociation.orginfo@stephenjosephassociation.orgor the Chairman: terrylane09@gmail.com © Stephen Joseph Association 2018Library Theatre Scarborough, 1955© Scarborough Theatre Trust / Stephen Joseph Theatre24 Sightline Autumn 2018 The Production Managers Forum is a place where PMs can share ideas and knowledge, get information on specific topics and suppliers and connect with other Production Managers. We encourage PMs of all backgrounds, nationalities and ages to sign up – whether theatre, music and live events, festivals or conferences are your specialism, we would love to hear from you.Originally formed in 2000 by the ABTT and the SMA and still actively supported by both, the PMF had a facelift in 2017 with a new website and fresh team taking on the running of the organisation.Continuing on with the original aims for the group, we host regular forums throughout the year on industry specific topics such as rigging, tax for freelancers and how to get the most out of your suppliers, giving production managers a place to share knowledge and collaboratively discuss topics and challenges facing the PM community. Each forum is chaired and run by industry specialists and forums are always followed by the traditional adjournment to the nearest drinking establishment to allow for the all important social element.With the introduction of the new team, we want to develop and enhance the original ideas for the PMF and expand our outreach and functionality, making it more useful and practical for our members. Goals for 2018/19 include:• Building up an archive of past forums and meeting minutes which can be viewed at any time online• Quarterly newsletters for members• Forming the website into an online ‘library’ where members can find information on suppliers, training courses and download PDFs written by industry specialists on specific topics• Setting up a mentoring scheme for young PMs, matching them with willing and experienced counterpartsThe Production Managers Forum• Creating a database of paperwork templates for RAMS, schedules, budgets and other project related paperwork, aiming to share and learn from different practitioners methodsThe PMF has traditionally been London based, and whilst this will remain our HQ, we are keen to start hosting forums further afield. We want to hear from members who are interested in hosting forums in other locations across the UK.For those who can’t make a forum in person, we are now recording and publishing each one via our new YouTube channel and are also looking to introduce Facebook live feeds.We are particularly interested to hear from our members what they would like the next forum topic to be, so please do get in touch if you have a specific subject you’d like to see discussed.Membership is free and you can sign up via the PMF website which takes no longer than two minutes. We will ask you for some details about yourself to help us properly identify and connect with our membership, such as whether you are freelance or building based and what you consider your job title to be. You do not necessarily have to be a production manager to sign up, only to have an interest and connection with the role in some way. We’re interested to hear from a broad range of practitioners to keep our community as broad and diverse as possible!We also have Twitter and Facebook accounts, details of which can be found below http://www.productionmanagersforum.org/members-form/#membersTwitter: @ForumPMFacebook: Production Managers ForumProduction Management Forum (PMF) meeting at the ABTT Trade Show - "Women in Production Management"Panel including Jacqui Leigh and Hannah Lobb,Sasha Milroy, Jacqui Leigh chaired by Sarah Rushton-Read.at www.taylor-phillips.co.ukcandidates...Register now!Head of Technical ServicesT-PTaylor-PhillipsRecruitment Consultants to the Entertainment Industryat www.taylor-phillips.co.ukcandidates...Register now!Recruitment Consultants to at www.taylor-phillips.co.ukcandidates...Register now!t: 01223 55 08 09e: andrew@taylor-phillips.co.ukT-PTaylor-PhillipsRecruitment Consultants to the Entertainment Industryt: 01223 55 08 09e: andrew@taylor-phillips.co.ukT-PTaylor-PhillipsRecruitment Consultants to the Entertainment IndustrySpecialising in jobs for the Entertainment Technology sectorWelcome to Taylor-Phillips Recruitment ConsultantsTaylor-Phillips is exclusively tailored for the entertainment technology industry We understand the market!Which means that we only place candidates in jobs that the employee will find rewarding and the employer will find professionally undertaken.We understand the business!We usually get it right first time – saving you time and resources. Whoever you are, let Taylor-Phillips help you find what you are looking for!26 Sightline Autumn 2018 The ABTT Show had its beginnings in 1976, with discussions at the ABTT Executive. At that point there were a lot of small companies in the sector, but they didn’t all know each other, and Fred Bentham and others therefore suggested a trade show. Roger became involved, because he had worked on trade shows in a previous life. The West End Years The first venue was what was then known as the Donmar Rehearsal Room, operated by Ian Albery and used by the RSC as a performance venue with a temporary licence. Ian needed to be able to demonstrate change of use in order to get another temporary licence, and therefore a trade show fitted in rather nicely. It took place in March 1978, and there were 22 8x4 stands provided, many of which fitted into the balcony. There was no difficulty in finding people to take them. The show was notable for the first sight of aluminium trussing – which seemed revolutionary in terms of its possibilities. Tungsten Halogen lighting was also on display – at the start of its 40 year lifespan. Catering was provided by Richard York and his wife Joy, who bought rolls from a bakery near their home and filled them on the day. Courage provided beer. The event was well received within the industry – people attended and liked it, and Francis Reid gave it a favourable review.In 1979,the next show took place at the Piccadilly Theatre, also courtesy of Ian Albery. At that point, Dame Edna Everage aka Barry Humphries, had a run in the theatre, and therefore there was limited scenery, so it was possible to use the stage for 8x4 stands on trucks. But other parts of the building were used, including a first UK showing of the Kliegl lighting control board, courtesy of Martin Moore, in one of the Dressing Rooms. This produced large queues. Catering again was courtesy of Richard and Joy York, and beer courtesy of Courage. Although this ran out at one point, swift action by Piccadilly stage crew swapping barrels with a nearby pub averted a crisis. The recently installed moveable ceiling installed at the Piccadilly to reduce capacity was demonstrated 4 times a day. In 1980, the Show moved to the Shaftesbury Theatre, also courtesy of Ian Albery. The stalls were floored over to provide space for stalls. The Roundhouse years (1981 and 1982)These were the last years when ABTT was Roger Fox – 40 years of the ABTT Showresponsible for providing its own shell scheme stands – these were produced out of flame retardant cardboard (Tri-Wall) in an early version of the flatpack! Thelma Holt, doyenne of the Roundhouse, was often in evidence (with her cat) and the excellent bar which was open all day was a real inducement to attract West End crew in the days when drinking between shifts was allowed.Riverside Studios (1984 to 1990)Over several years, the show took over more and more spaces at Riverside – including one year where there was a tent on the terrace. The good catering and bar added to the venue’s attractiveness – and the bar was drunk dry on at least one occasion. The most notable product introduced during these years is probably the most important ever introduced at the show – Steeldeck!Back to Basics and the Horticultural HallAs the Riverside years continued, stands got larger and larger, and also the PLASA Shows started to offer other opportunities/attractions especially to lighting firms. Business was not as good as it used to be.Roger decided it was time to go back to basics, and took the exhibition to the Mermaid Theatre in 1991. Stands went back to 8x4 in size again and Phil Parsons created a crazy golf course down the stairs in the auditorium. It was a success.Following this, the show went to the Horticultural Halls (1992-2011), and grew over the years, moving from the smaller Hall to the larger Hall, and then, from 2001 onwards, Following his retirement as Director, Roger Fox reflects on his time at the helm. Roger speaking at the ABTT Show 2018. photo by origins8photographySightline Autumn 2018 27 taking both together. A look at some of the programmes from those years showed that by this point, it was not just suppliers with stands, but a wide range of ancillary groups involved – something that Roger believed was important. Recent yearsIn 2011, the Halls were sold, and couldn’t honour their commitment to the ABTT, which needed a venue at short notice. The show moved to the Old Trumans Brewery on Brick Lane, where it stayed for 3 years. This was a great venue in many ways, but the relationship between the venue’s marketing team and their operational team made it quite hard for the Theatre Show team.So, in 2015, the Show then moved to Alexandra Palace where it has remained for three very happy years. The venue is very much the right size, has great staff and facilities and access for trucks, and the distance from central London is surmountable. Roger has always been keen on venues that have an interesting architecture, and Alexandra Palace certainly fits that brief.Changes over the yearsThe ABTT AwardsThese are in fact older than the Show, in that they started in 1976, and only took up residence at the Show during the time it was at the Riverside. Originally, the Awards were led by David Adams and had only two categories. There was Product of the Year, which recognised a proven product that had come into use over the previous 12 months. Technician of the Year recognised the achievement of someone long-serving, and was a surprise event – with great subterfuge involved in getting the unsuspecting person to the Awards. Once resident at the Show, the number of awards expanded, and was connected much more closely with the content of the Show. Roger’s significant contribution was the idea of a hook clamp as the Award! It is a simple item which remains vital to any theatrical production.Suppliers In 1978 there were numerous small supply companies – many West End-based. This meant that a central London location made perfect sense. As time went on, many companies moved their bases further outside, so a less central location was not a problem. Roger also encouraged organisations that had a support role within the industry to take part, and this has always included Colleges, associations such as the Stage Management Association and supporters groups like the Theatres Trust and CTA.Looking back at the first list of participants, both Rosco and Lee Filters continued to take part until recently, but White Light remains as the only exhibitor to have been at all 40 shows! Companies are amalgamating – and when they do, they only need one stand rather than two or even three.In areas such as lighting, hires have become much more important – theatres and production companies keep less stock and prefer to hire in on a show by show basis.AttendeesInitially, a fair number of attendees were West End technicians, visiting (and frequently drinking) before going to crew a show. That would now not be acceptable behaviour, but it is also fair to say that their purchasing power has now diminished! The show is still attractive to theatre technicians and practitioners, but statistics seem to show that many only attend every three years.Amateur theatre groups used to be accommodated by Saturday morning opening, but now many remain regular attenders. The growth of student visitors has been significant and mentoring for aspiring theatre technicians was introduced in 2018. These are the buyers of the future.The drinking culture may have changed, but the Theatre Show’s reputation for networking means that it remains and is still an important date in the technical theatre diary.And finally, the name. It started as the ABTT Trade Show and changed to the ABTT Theatre Show in 2001.28 Sightline Autumn 2018 The ABTT Theatre Awards 2018 took place on Wednesday 7 June after the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palace, London.The five highly sought-after Awards for Sound, Lighting and Engineering Products of Year, ‘Widget’ and Stand of the Year, were this year complemented by a Special Award to celebrate the retiring Theatre Show Director, Roger Fox, acknowledging his forty years work.The judges, made up of an experienced jury of working practitioners and industry peers, decided on the following awards, which were presented by ABTT Chairwoman Louise Jeffreys and Roger Fox.ABTT SOUND PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2018: EM Acoustics ‘EMS-41’This speaker features a compact design with a 4” driver and coaxial compression driver, producing similar output to the larger EMS-51, but at half the size, and below half the weight. It is ideal for placing discretely in positions where visual impact needs to be minimal, and it will integrate efficiently with existing infrastructure. ABTT LIGHTING PRODUCT OF THE YEAR: Martin ‘Mac Encore Wash’A suitable, and long overdue, alternative to a discontinued tungsten moving head favourite. Both cool and warm output versions of the unit come complete with CMY colour mixing and fixed colour wheels, beam shaping and effects. These features combine with the zoom functions and a soft Fresnel lens.ABTT ENGINEERING PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2018: MDG ‘Round Floor Pocket’Solving the problem of how to get your low fog into those hard to reach places, the MDG DMX controlled floor pocket works as a reversed trap, lifting a lid to allow ducted haze onto the stage. The steel lid means that it is still suitable to stand on safely, and the DMX control easily integrates into haze cues. ABTT WIDGET OF THE YEAR 2018: Flints ‘6 in 1 Stapler & 3 in 1 Stapler’This is another truly useful product. Being able to insert a multiple of different staples, nails or tacks into the 6 in 1 Heavy Stapler, means that even if you have run out of staples you won’t need to look too far to find something in the stores to successfully fill the stapler and complete the task in hand. The 3 in 1 Stapler offers both gun and paper stapling, and an adjustment for staple depth means a fixed height staple head can be installed, making removal of the staples easier for quick get outs. ABTT THEATRE SHOW 2018 STAND OF THE YEAR: Philips LightingPhilips created a backstage environment that reflects the industry we work in while show casing their latest products. They included the backs of flats, spike marks and a general back stage feel to make the working technician feel at home and at ease. All that is missing is the black out!ABTT Theatre Awards 2018Collecting their awards from Louise and Roger are:Top Left: Mike Wheeler, EM Acoustics Centre Left: Lauren Drinkwater, Sound Technology Ltd Bottom Left: Matt Wiseman, MDGTop Right: Alasdair Flint, FlintsCentre Right: Amba Etra, Philips LightingBottom Right: Roger Fox together with Louise Jeffreys, Robin Townley and Martin WhiteAll photos: origin8photography.comSightline Autumn 2018 29 Wednesday 7 June after the first day of the ABTT ighting and Engineering Products of Year, ‘Widget’ ented by a Special Award to celebrate the retiring ng his forty years work. working practitioners and industry peers, decided ABTT Chairwoman Louise Jeffreys and Roger Fox.8: EM Acoustics ‘EMS-41’4” driver and coaxial compression driver, producing he size, and below half the weight. It is ideal for needs to be minimal, and it will integrate efficiently Martin ‘Mac Encore Wash’ontinued tungsten moving head favourite. Both cool te with CMY colour mixing and fixed colour wheels, ne with the zoom functions and a soft Fresnel lens.AR 2018: MDG ‘Round Floor Pocket’g into those hard to reach places, the MDG DMX , lifting a lid to allow ducted haze onto the stage. d on safely, and the DMX control easily integrates 6 in 1 Stapler & 3 in 1 Stapler’o insert a multiple of different staples, nails or tacks you have run out of staples you won’t need to look ully fill the stapler and complete the task in hand. apling, and an adjustment for staple depth means ng removal of the staples easier for quick get outs. E YEAR: Philips Lightingeflects the industry we work in while show casing flats, spike marks and a general back stage feel to ease. e Awards 2018om Louise and Roger are:eeler, EM Acoustics water, Sound Technology Ltd tt Wiseman, MDGsdair Flint, Flints Etra, Philips Lightingse Jeffreys, Robin Townley and Martin White8photography.comNext >