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Part I
Understanding Sustainability and Defining Greener Production
Figure 1.1 Krivosheev Vitaly/Shutterstock.
Time to Make a Change
What happens to the scenery, props, and costumes after the run of the show? What about scrap pieces of the virgin construction materials that were used in the creation of visual elements? Theatre productions can generate an enormous amount of waste both during the construction process and at the end of the run.
Early in my career I worked as a freelance scenic artist and designer for urban special events companies as well as theatre companies. While some elements could be stored and reused, every swanky birthday party, wedding, or product launch generated mountains of garbage ranging from handcrafted personalized decorative elements to live plants that died within hours because they were painted the party theme colors with an airless sprayer. When scenic pieces from these live industrial productions were struck at the end of the evening, the dumpsters were filled to overflowing with material that was not salvaged.
The artisans who created the props and scenery would sadly comment, āThere are visual artists who collect trash and create art. We buy art supplies and create garbage.ā
We are only beginning to understand the real impact of producing waste. It is time to embrace a change.
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Chapter 1
Setting the Stage for Greener Production
I grew up in upper east Tennessee where for many people, including some of my older relatives, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle was a way of life because there was no other choice. My grandmother had no idea she was ahead of the cultural curve growing her own vegetables or recycling leftover fabric from her sewing job into garments. Nor did my great-uncle consider making his own wine a way to be closer to the earth. (To be honest, his stories about the life he and his ten brothers led as young men suggested that making adult beverages at home was simply a long-standing family tradition.)
The self-proclaimed local sophisticates who had managed to go to college or get jobs somewhere other than the farm, the railroad, a factory, or the military viewed those practices as backward country ways or only for the very poor. At this time a focus on ecology for its own sake was viewed as the domain of those disconnected from day-to-day reality. What a difference a few decades make?
Before global warming and greenwashing entered the lexicon, I was interested in environmental issues. By the time I left college, I was the one driving everyone else crazy turning the lights off in empty rooms and collecting everything possible for recycling. I even had a worm composting bin in a fourth floor walk-up apartment in Chicago.
In spite of these choices in my personal life, I managed to achieve a complete disconnect from the same concepts in my work environment. My career includes time as a freelance lighting and scenic designer and scenic artist for professional companies, commercial shops, special event companies, and live industrial producers. I also design for a number of smaller theatre companies that are strongly linked to a specific cultural or geographical community. Most have tremendous artistic heart but few resources. I have spent many years mentoring students in academic settings. I also worked for theatrical vendors who were generous enough to allow me to spend as much time educating customers as selling them products.
I and my colleagues might comment on the amount of garbage produced by a show or event, but we never tried to do much about it. It was only when I became more aware of health and safety in the workplace that I started to think about the environmental impact of my work. To me the intersection of safety and sustainability became obvious and compelling.
When I joined the theatre faculty at Bemidji State University in northern Minnesota, I was able to experiment with production and facility maintenance strategies to green the technical theatre and design process. Director of Theatre, Dr. Patrick Carriere, and Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, supported those efforts and encouraged the development of a sustainability initiative.
The theatre students and employees were engaged and independently developed ideas for the project. Their enthusiasm for greener theatre production was invigorating and inspiring. Sadly, Minnesota state budget issues led to the total elimination of the Theatre Department there, but what I learned has moved forward with me.
An Introduction to Sustainability
Numerous books about sustainability have been published, but only Readings in Performance and Ecology, edited by Wendy Arons and Theresa J. May focuses specifically on theatre. Trade publications have documented green solutions adopted by some theatre companies, but many of the case studies focus as much, or more, on construction based venue changes than operational changes.
At the more manageable, but possibly less effective, end of the solution spectrum are the books of listsā101 Things to Do to be Green. These assume a universality of circumstances and most are specific to consumer products and domestic settings rather than entertainment venues. While some of these techniques are applicable to theatre, following a list of instructions does not provide a thoughtful strategy to greening your theatre. A broader foundation is required to make the long-term commitment that a sustainability initiative requires.
Earth Day celebrations and blue recycling bins have been with us for nearly four decades, yet our environmental impact seems to have grown more significant over time instead of decreasing. Are those committed to ecological concerns just a small but vocal slice of the population?
A February 2013 Reuters news article reported that a survey by the international group Globe Scan found that political and financial concerns overshadowed environmental concerns for the polled population. The survey was conducted in JulyāSeptember 2012 and participants were asked to rate the seriousness of six concerns: air pollution, water pollution, species loss, automobile emissions, fresh water shortages, and climate change. 58% rated the potential lack of fresh water as a significant concern while only around 50% found global warming and the loss of biodiversity a significant worry. The survey contacted almost 23,000 citizens in 22 countries (Reuters: Nina Chestney London | Thu Feb 28, 2013).
Has the general public really lost interest in environmental stewardship? Or is it simply easy to ignore the ramifications of environmental degradation when asked broad, general questions by someone you donāt know? Perhaps actions can speak louder than statistics compiled from surveys.
Many theatres and related organizations have begun the conversation about how to make productions, essentially shortterm installations, greener to reduce environmental impact. Blogs, feature stories in trade publications, and web pages on green theatre are popping up with regularity. Some regional theatre organizations and public interest groups are committed to disseminating information and creating consortiums to discuss how to reduce the environmental impact of theatre production. This movement includes artists creating theatre at the local level as well as national and international organizations and corporations. It is the result of concern, not regulatory legislation. This evidence of widespread efforts to preserve rather than squander natural resources is exciting and suggests it is time for all of us to explore ways to support this perspective. Engaging your colleagues and patrons in these conversations is one way to reinforce the connection between individual actions and global problems.
In some circles disregarding environmental impact has become a social taboo. Even multinational corporations with poor environmental track records hire publicists to mitigate a potential negative image. The public concerned about adopting a greener lifestyle may choose to vote with their wallets. Consider the rash of advertisements after news coverage of business practices or accidents that impacted the ecosystem.
The Greening of Fill-in-the-Blank Industries
Zern Liew/Shutterstock
Figure 1.2 We at Fill-in-the-Blank Industries, known as FIB in the trade, are really sorry we dumped something bad in the ocean or leveled those mountains or poured awful things into the groundwater and air. Just turn your head away from those pictures while we distract you with our new greenwashed products. Look! There is less packaging to throw away, because the container is now only twice as big as the product. And we have placed an artistic representation of a green tree on the plastic bottle. See, we are all really swell folks. FIB is just misunderstood as an environmental leader.
Not-for-profits and huge corporations may seem to have little in common. However, explanations for lapses in environmental stewardship, whether by theatres or businesses, seem to fall into the same categories:
ā¢ It is too expensive to change the way we do business. In this economy our customers value low prices more than environmental concerns.
ā¢ It takes too much time or is too much trouble to use green manufacturing and business practices.
ā¢ We cannot produce the same quality products if green practices are instituted or environmental protection acts are enforced.
ā¢ Sustainability involves so many details involved in the unique production and sales process of our industry; we cannot determine what steps to take to really make a difference.
The Triple Bottom Line
For some time, there has been a movement in business to assess successful operation on more than profit creation. This analysis is called the Triple Bottom Line. Origin of the term in 1994 is attributed to John Elkington, author of Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business and founder of British consulting group, Sustainability. While financial success is important, this philosophy also demands that a corporationās impact on the earthās ecosystem and people be examined as well to determine success.
One goal of this book is to outline Triple Bottom Line concerns for those engaged in theatre production. Whether your company is a small community theatre with a volunteer staff or a large program associated with a state university, you can maintain the quality and artistry of your productions and reduce the environmental impact of your organization by using your available resources with sustainability in mind. Additional strategies may require a financial investment and you must determine if the ROI, or return on investment justifies the expense. More sustainable theatre production is not only good for the environment; it can save labor, material, and resource expenses over time when integrated into your production plan.
Figure 1.3 The Triple Bottom Line refers to the way an organization responds on three levels: Environment, Economy, and Society. The three areas are sometimes referred to as People, Profit, and Planet. The philosophical foundation of assessing the three areas is that sustainability of the environment, the company, and the people the organization impacts only happens when the interests of all three are considered and intersect. Arka38/Shutterstock.
Figure 1.4 Did most of the materials from your last show end up in a place like this? Every company can make a difference by embracing environmental concerns and greening production practices. Huguette Roe/Shutterstock.
For most companies, the finished visual elements for a specific production have a predetermined lifespan in a specific configuration, the length of the run. Tours, repertory companies that repeat productions, rental companies or shows with an open-ended run are the exceptions where an entire set or complete complement of costumes and props may be placed in storage for reuse. Even placing individual items into storage for remounts or rentals, or placing them in stock for piecemeal use in the future, helps mitigate the waste. The visual elements of a show might be totally broken apart and pieces recycled if possible or the entire set or showās costumes loaned or given to another company. However, in many cases, resources are used for the short term and quickly become waste products. It increases overall operating costs when resources cannot be reclaimed for future projects. It impacts the ecosystem when reusable materials end up in a landfill.
The enormous scope of activities involved in producing theatre can make it overwhelming to decide on an approach to the problem. Even the most ardent convert to sustainability can be paralyzed by the range of endeavors that must be evaluated and the number of potential changes.
Where do you start? How can you be sure you are investing your time and energy in a way that will offer tangible results? Note that the title of this book is A Practical Guide to Greener Theatre. The qualifier underscores the fact that there is probably no way to create a totally green production process that meets all of the other parameters required in every given situation. However, developing a green initiative that outlines the best possible sustainable practices for a specific company is possible.
What is an Environmental Sustainability Initiative?
An environmental sustainability initiative begins with a vision or goal, whether it is for a corporation or a theatre company. You donāt have to adopt or even agree with the vision or objective for another organizationās environmental sustainability initiative. Your organizational vision will be determined by the scope of your particular operations and may focus on a narrow band of concerns or it may encompass a range of production areas. For example, Texas A&M Technical Director Justin Millerās vision was ver...
