Following up an item in September's Association News, more details have been issued regarding An Oral History of Theatrical Lighting and Its People. Project co-sponsors ESTA, Lighting Dimensions, TCI, and USITT seek two or three graduate students who are interested in undertaking this work as their master's thesis.
Each candidate will be required to:
1.Conduct approximately 50+ interviews with industry people either in person or over the phone. (A total of 100-200 interviews are expected to take place as part of the project.) Interviews are expected to average one hour each. 2.Research available materials and archives to prepare for interviews. 3.Provide their own computer and phone. 4.Acquire pictures of subjects to illustrate the text.
One or more candidates may be required to: 1.Travel to major industry trade shows (LDI, USITT) and the Broadway Lighting Master Classes in New York to conduct interviews. 2.Travel to other locations to conduct interviews if necessitated by health of interview subject (these trips would be very limited).
The History Committee will provide: 1.The list of interview subjects (prioritized based on age and/or health). 2.A formal introduction to the interview subjects and a request for their cooperation. 3.Guidance as to where to look to find preparatory material for interviews. 4.A basic outline and suggested questions for the interviewer to follow to start the interview process (these questions will also be provided to the subject prior to the interview at their request). 5.Funding for travel expenses including airfare, hotel, and meals, and reimbursement of phone expenses. 6.Transcription services.
The committee then plans to find an individual to transform the transcribed interviews into a readable text. Excerpts from it will appear in the publications of the sponsoring organizations and an attempt will be made to find a publisher for a resulting book. The students conducting the interviews will be free to use their material to prepare a written document for their thesis if required. However, the material remains the property of the committee and the student retains no rights to it.
All interested candidates are asked to submit their resumes to the History Committee, c/o ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2302, New York, NY 10001. Potential candidates may be asked to conduct a half-hour trial interview with Sonny Sonnenfeld, a member of the committee, and the tape submitted to the committee for review. This can be accomplished either in person or over the phone.