The American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC) is a

professional organization A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the ...

whose main goal is to apprise owners, contractors and/or

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s of the services that a theatre consultant can perform, whether it be for a new or renovated facility.

Settings of work

The types of facilities that an ASTC member is qualified to assist with are: *Theatres: professional & commercial,

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

colleges A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

and community *

Auditoriums An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...

Concert Hall A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage that serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats. This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia, dramatic theatres or convention centres that may ...

s *

Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

s *

Stadiums A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

* Churches *Multi-use performance facilities (for

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or musical band, band. Concerts are held in a w ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

, etc.) *Corporate theatres, board rooms, and presentation &

conference room A conference hall, conference room, or meeting room is a room provided for singular events such as business conferences and meetings. Room It is commonly found at large hotels and convention centers though many other establishments, including even ...

s *

Showroom A plumbing fixture showroom, Canada, 1921 A showroom, also referred to as a gallery, is a large space used to display products, entertainment or visual arts. Marketing location A showroom is a large space used to display products for sale, suc ...

Theatre consultant definition

A theatre consultant, hired by either the contractor, architect or owner, is a professional who with their vast knowledge of layouts, codes and functions of theatre and performance spaces are there to advise owners and design teams during the planning and building of the project. ASTC members must be well versed in technical criteria such as: *

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

layout and specifications (also see

Parts of a theatre There are different types of theatres, but they all have three major parts in common. Theatres are divided into two main sections, the house and the stage; there is also a backstage area in many theatres. The house is the seating area for guests wat ...

) *

fly system A fly system, or theatrical rigging system, is a system of rope lines, blocks (pulleys), counterweights and related devices within a theater that enables a stage crew to fly (hoist) quickly, quietly and safely components such as curtains, lights ...

and rigging *mechanical systems such as turntables,

orchestra pit An orchestra pit is the area in a theater (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music (such as opera and ballet) or in cases when incide ...

lifts, etc. *

theater drapes and stage curtains Theater drapes and stage curtains are large pieces of cloth that are designed to mask backstage areas of a theater from spectators. They are designed for a variety of specific purposes, moving in different ways (if at all) and constructed from v ...

*seating and sightlines *

stage lighting Stage lighting is the craft of lighting as it applies to the production of theater, dance, opera, and other performance arts.

equipment and lighting positions * audio systems *

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...

video projection A video projector is an image projector that receives a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system. Video projectors use a very bright ultra-high-performance lamp (a special mercury arc lamp), Xe ...

criteria *

dressing room A changing-room, locker-room, (usually in a sports, theater, or staff context) or changeroom (regional use) is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes. Changing-rooms are provided in a semi-public situation to enable people to ch ...

specifications *

loading dock A loading dock or loading bay is an area of a building where goods vehicles (usually road or rail) are loaded and unloaded. They are commonly found on commercial and industrial buildings, and warehouses in particular. Loading docks may be exterio ...

s *

front of house In the performing arts, front of house (FOH) is the part of a performance venue that is open to the public. In theatres and live music venues, it consists of the auditorium and foyers, as opposed to the stage and backstage areas. In a theatre, t ...

* building and safety codes *

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...

(ADA)

Background

The American Society of Theatre Consultants has a current membership of 80 individuals representing 31 theatre consulting offices. Their members have worked on venues such as: the

Walt Disney Concert Hall The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 24, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Ave ...

in Los Angeles, CA, the

Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the ''Opera Association of New Mexico'' in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby (conductor), John Crosby, oversaw the building of the fir ...

in Santa Fe, NM, the Robert and Magrit

Mondavi Center The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts venue located on the UC Davis campus in unincorporated Yolo County, California. It is named for arts patron and vineyard operator Robert Mondavi, who donated US$10 ...

for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Davis, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park, Chicago, IL, the

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a non-profit, professional theater company located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. Its more than six hundred annual performances performed 48 weeks of the year include its critically acclaimed Shakespeare s ...

, Jenison Center for the Arts in Jenison, MI,

Music City Center The Music City Center is a convention complex located in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It opened in May 2013. The complex was designed by tvsdesign with Associated Architects: Tuck-Hinton Architects, Moody Nolan Moody Nolan is ...

in Nashville, TN, Red Skelton Performing Arts Center in Vincennes, IN, and the

Conference Center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

in Salt Lake City, UT. With the complexity of designing performance spaces and the need to keep apprised of the multitude of codes and new technologies, ASTC has two meetings a year to discuss and review the newest evolutions in public performance spaces. These meetings are held all over the United States so members can see first hand the newest facilities their fellow members have designed. Included in these meetings are panel discussions, often with invited authorities on various topics. Past Forum topics include: * Programming and Planning for the 21st Century * The Artistic Side of Theatre Planning * Acousticians * Facilities for Dance * Casino Theatres * Outdoor Theatres * Rooms for Music * Front of House Design Issues With the constant changes to building and safety codes, the ASTC has been heavily involved in the creation, dissemination and implementation of those codes.

Allied organizations

The ASTC maintains close ties with similar organizations such as:

United States Institute for Theatre Technology The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) is a membership organization which aims to advance the skills and knowledge of theatre, entertainment and performing arts professionals involved in the areas of theatrical design, design, ...

(USITT), the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), and the

Entertainment Services and Technology Association The Entertainment Services & Technology Association (ESTA) is an American non-profit trade association that represents the entertainment technology industry and is dedicated to promoting professionalism and growth within it. It also provides a for ...

(ESTA).

References

* *{{cite book, last1=Mackintosh, first1=Iain, title=Architecture, actor and audience, url=https://archive.org/details/architectureacto00mack, url-access=limited, date=1993, publisher=Routledge, location=London tc.isbn=978-0415031837, pag
87
edition=1. publ. *James Moody. "The Business of Theatrical Design". Allworth Press, 1st edition, October 10, 2002. Page 151 *Francis Reid. "Stages for Tomorrow: Housing, funding and marketing live performances". Focal Press, June 1998. Page 33

External links