The United States exhibits from the Prague Quadrennial will be on display as part of the 2008 Stage Expo. All three exhibits, including the National entry, at left in Prague, will be remounted in the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Photo/R. Finkelstein

Daniel Denhart
VP Special Operations

The 2008 USITT Conference & Stage Expo continues the Institute's tradition of offering exciting exhibitions of theatrical design. This year in Houston participants can look forward to strolling through Design Expo and witnessing the incredible array of designs this biannual exhibit offers. The Architecture Commission is sponsoring three exhibits this year combined in one exhibition. It will include the 2008 Architecture Awards, the 2008 Student Design Competition, and a display of architectural model boxes.

In Houston, the three 2007 USITT PQ USA exhibits will be on display. The National Exhibit showcases 95 designers and 120 productions. This exhibit features many three-dimensional examples of set models, costumes, and puppets; a large projection screen providing images of all of the curated designs; and interactive computer stations.

The Student Exhibit has participation from theatre training schools from coast to coast with 16 focus boxes and a photo montage of student designs. This shows the clever interplay of student design and prop-related projects surrounding a small stage area where live and video performances demonstrate design as performance.

The Architecture Exhibit focuses on theatres for training programs including those at universities and professional theatres with educational outreach programs. 

There also will be a display of photographs capturing the essence, excitement, energy, and chaos of the Scenofest and other activities that surrounded and permeated the atmosphere during the 10 days in June that was the PQ 2007.

As a separate International exhibit, the PQ 2007 Gold Medal Award winners have been invited to present sessions and display portfolio samples in Houston. The guests are Dmitry Krymov from Russia, the designer of their Golden Triga winning National Exhibit; Boris Kudlicka, winner of the Gold Medal for Technology in his set designs; and Eloise Kazan, who will represent all of the costume designers of Mexico, who shared the Gold Medal for Costume Design.

Houston's rich tradition and established history in the performing arts promises to be apparent among the special exhibits being planned to showcase this region. An exhibit of designs from productions by The Houston Ballet -- including models, costumes, production photographs, and shadowboxes featuring the work of Desmond Heeley, Tom Boyd, and Kristian Fredrickson -- are sure to provide excitement and inspiration.

Houston friends are making plans for an exhibit entitled, "Highlights from the Tobin Collection of Theater Arts," The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts, which includes close to 9,500 objects, emphasizes scene and costume designs of European and American theatre from the 16th century to the present. It highlights Baroque festivals, Shakespeare plays, the Ballets Russes, Broadway musicals, and contemporary operas. The Tobin Collection includes the work of path-breaking designers from Edward Gordon Craig and Robert Edmond Jones to Ming Cho Lee and Oliver Smith. Don't miss the special opportunity to check this one out.

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