Richard Pilbrow, founder of Theatre Projects and one of the world’s leading theatre design consultants, will give the keynote address at the North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference (NATEAC) in New York City on July 22.
The conference, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, July 22 and 23, 2012, promotes communication between the architects, engineers, consultants, and manufacturers responsible for designing and building new theatres and renovating existing performance facilities in North America. Pilbrow will speak at the conference’s opening session on Sunday morning July 22 at the Midtown New York Hilton Hotel.
Early in his career, Pilbrow was selected by Laurence Olivier to be the lighting designer and theatre consultant to the National Theatre of Great Britain. He founded Theatre Projects in 1957, and led the organization to become one of the most respected theatre design consultancies in the world.
More recently, Pilbrow was honored as Lighting Designer of the Year by Lighting Dimensions magazine in 2005, and he received the Wally Russell Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. In 2010, he was voted one of the most powerful people in the entertainment technology industry by Live Design magazine, and he was conferred with Honorary Fellowship of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for his “outstanding achievements and distinguished services to the performing arts.”
Pilbrow’s new book, A Theatre Project, tells the story of Theatre Projects as a young enterprise, and how the company went on to revolutionize the design of theatres and concert halls in the United States and around the world.
“I applaud NATEAC for the noble effort to bring together people who influence theatre design to share their ideas and insights, and to learn from one another,” said Pilbrow. “It will be exciting to share this unique experience for our industry, and to contribute to the process.”
“I am honored that Richard has agreed to speak at NATEAC,” said Bill Sapsis, president of Sapsis Rigging, Inc., and NATEAC chairman and organizer. “We have known each other for many years, and I know firsthand how influential he has been in the world of theatre design. His talk will have a positive impact on an audience that will appreciate his broad perspective and expertise.”
NATEAC 2012 features more than 60 panelists speaking at 24 sessions, on topics ranging from the impact of current ADA standards to restoring pre-Depression era theatres and designing non-traditional spaces for classical music.
Registration for NATEAC is now open. For more information, visit www.nateac.org.