News & Notices
Announcements
July 14 Deadline for PQ '15 Designs
Apply before the July 14 deadline to have work considered for the USITT PQ USA ’15 National Exhibit.
Design for the structure that will showcase the work chosen continues, and curators are eager to see submissions which speak to the theme of Weather. Curators are not considering only theatre and theatrical designers. They are looking for outstanding collaborative art in the areas of all of performing arts, applied scenography, urban performance, performance art, performance installation art, etc. done since 2011.
For more information about the National Exhibition, click here. To submit a design, visit awards.usitt.org/PragueQuadrennialExhibits.
Golden Pen Nominations Due in August
Nominations for USITT’s 2015 Golden Pen award will be accepted through August 15. Click here to complete the short online form and put a book published in the last three years into consideration. All books will be reviewed by members of the Golden Pen committee chaired by Mike Monsos.
Any book which has made a significant contribution to any aspect of theatre design and technology is eligible.
Apply for Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase
Applications will open July 7 for the Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase from Opera America.
This program brings new talent forward and connects promising directors and designers with those who are in a position to advance their careers. Selected finalists will be funded to further develop their production designs for presentation at Opera Conference 2015.
To view the guidelines and application, visit operaamerica.org/grants. The Intent to Apply deadline is Wednesday, August 27 with the final application deadline on Thursday, October 9. For more information, contact Laura Lee Everett at 212-796-8625 or leverett@operaamerica.org.
Big Apple to Host LHAT Conference
Registration is now open for the League of Historic American Theatres’ National Conference. The event will run July 16 to 19 in New York City.
Organizers noted that registration opened a bit late because the of the almost endless possibilities for LHAT in the Big Apple. They declare, “In the city that never sleeps, neither will we!”
With over 30 educational sessions, 17 theatre tours – including a ghost tour – and more networking opportunities than ever before, this National Conference will be the largest and most important gathering in League history.
Educational programs will include special intensive tracks for marketing and fundraising; sessions on restoration, safety, technology, and programming; and important case studies of best practices from around the nation.
Don’t miss out. Register online today!
Standard for Floor Slipperiness Reaffirmed, Published
Meet the new ANSI E1.34—the same as the old ANSI E1.34, Entertainment Technology - Measuring and Specifying the Slipperiness of Floors Used in Live Performance Venues. The reaffirmation of the standard was approved on May 29. ANSI E1.34 - 2009 (R2014) is now published and available for free download sponsored by Prosight Specialty Insurance.
The standard describes a simple means of measuring and specifying the slipperiness of floor surfaces used by performers in live entertainment venues. It gives two procedures: a generic measurement that will allow the comparison of different floor surfaces, and a specific measurement with a performer's footwear.
The reaffirmation’s requirements are identical, but the new edition bears the PLASA name and logo, lists the current Floors Working Group members, has a 2014 copyright, and gives updated notices and disclaimers.
Proposal to Help Prevent Falls
Public review and comments for PLASA standard BSR E1.46, Recommended Practice for the Prevention of Falls from Theatrical Stages and Raised Performance Platforms are open until July 15.
The users of theatrical stages and raised platforms can suffer debilitating injuries from falls into orchestra pits, open stage lifts, and similar openings in stage floors. Health and safety regulations require action to prevent these falls, but offer little guidance that is suitable for theatrical environments. This document would provide that guidance.
Click here to review and comment on this standard.
Alliance Demonstrates OCA at InfoComm
The OCA Alliance, a global consortium of companies developing the Open Control Architecture (OCA) as a media networking system, demonstrated its flexible and robust standards-based open control of devices for the first time at this year’s InfoComm June 18-20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
“There has been significant work on the OCA control protocol to date. The InfoComm show is a great opportunity to present the results of that effort to the industry and to the public,” said OCA Marketing Workgroup Chairman Marc Weber of d&b audiotechnik.
OCA defines a flexible and robust control standard that complements any media-transport standard. By adding standard system control to the media-network equation, OCA will allow devices from multiple manufacturers to share common controllers. This will allow seamless user experiences of multivendor systems.
OCA Alliance is a non-profit corporation. It promotes the adoption and standardization of Open Control Architecture (OCA) as a media networking system control standard through marketing, education, and training and develops standards and other documents that augment, enhance, or extend the primary OCA standard. The members of the Alliance are Attero Tech, Audinate, Bittner Audio, Bosch Communications Systems, d&b audiotechnik, Focusrite, Harman Professional Group, LOUD Technologies Inc., PreSonus, RCF, Salzbrenner Mediagroup, TC Group, and Yamaha Commercial Audio. The Alliance will support the AES X210 effort strongly. For more information, visit www.oca-alliance.com.
Pre-LDI Party to Benefit Behind the Scenes
PLASA will host the Behind the Scenes Happy Hour, a pre-LDI party with music, food, and drinks, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 20 at The Las Vegas Hotel.
The Behind the Scenes Happy Hour is not just a great party, it raises money for Behind the Scenes which provides financial support to entertainment technology professionals when they are ill or injured or to their surviving family members. The Happy Hour will replace the Rock Our World Awards and Cocktail Reception, since that program is being evaluated and updated for the future.
Current sponsors include Altman Lighting (Diamond) and Barbizon Lighting Company (Gold). Sponsorship opportunities are available on multiple levels and information can be obtained online or by e-mailing katie.mcculloh@plasa.org for more information.
Tickets for the Behind the Scenes Happy Hour will go on sale in September.
