Fall 2025

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Greetings from ASTC

ASTC members and associates pose on the stage at 
Galliard Center, Charleston, SC.

Welcome to the Fall 2025 issue of ASTC:Notes. It’s been another busy year at the American Society of Theatre Consultants. We are now 84 members strong with a few new members and associates joining recently. We are a small group, but when you see what our members do in the performing arts design industry, one can see our impact. 

Our members are working on all kinds of buildings, from traditional theatres to concert venues (both kinds: classical and popular), to houses of worship, to entertainment spaces, to cruise ships, museums, event centers, and convention centers. The breadth of our work and impact is pretty vast. These are all challenging spaces with significant technical demands that constantly evolve. Oh, and they must look great too. This is fascinating work and I’m glad to do it, as well as be associated with this group of professionals.

We’ve had a few things happening at ASTC too. We had another successful ASTC-USITT Renovation Challenge at the USITT Conference in Columbus, OH. [https://theatreconsultants.org/2025-astc-usitt-venue-renovation-challenge/] I was very impressed with the work of students as they learned just a bit about what our members face every day. They put in a lot of work, but the results are impressive. Our Codes Committee has been hard at work on some proposed changes in NFPA’s Life Safety Code and the International Building Code that should bear fruit soon, to the benefit of future buildings throughout the US. I hope you will hear about those efforts soon.

The membership met in Charleston, SC in September to sample the city’s performing arts scene and talk about topics we are all encountering. The Forum is such a great opportunity to gather, share ideas, and learn from each other. We ate pretty well too. [https://theatreconsultants.org/astc-forum-held-in-charleston-sc/] It’s an event I look forward to every year, and I’ve developed some real friendships in ASTC. Even though we are all competitors, the atmosphere at our Forum is always supportive and quite collegial.



I wish all of you the happiest holidays.

Paul Sanow, ASTC

President



Did You Know - What is a Box Boom?

by Robert Jenista

Did You Know - Get with the Program?

by Paul Sanow, ASTC

ASTC Forum Held In Charleston, SC

by Heather McAvoy, ASTC

Why Terminate DMX Cables

by Rusty Cadaret, ASTC

ASTC New ASTC Members - Fall 2025

by Kent Conrad, ASTC

A permanent ladder-style lighting position in an historic theatre. Horizontal pipes make hanging lights easier and safer because technicians do not have to hold or balance the weight of the fixture while securing it. (Photo by Paul Sanow, ASTC)

We are back with another brief article demystifying the sometimes arcane and certainly unique language used in the theatre. Box Booms have been added to existing theatres and are expected in the construction of new spaces to add valuable lighting positions for the Lighting Designer.

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Did you know it is important to make sure all of the people involved in a project are using the same vocabulary? One word often used in architectural design projects that can be confusing for administrators and end users is “program.” It can mean lots of things to many people and all of them are right! 

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The hills are alive with the sound of consultants. ASTC members explore the stage of the Dock Street Theatre, which was set up for rehearsals of The Sound of Music. 
(Photo by author)

ASTC members meet twice each year for our business meetings and to exchange knowledge and ideas. This fall we met in Charleston, SC to see the rich architectural history of venues that support the Spoleto Festival USA.


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DMX control cables are used here to daisy-chain into one fixture and out into the next. The last fixture in the line will need a resistor plug to prevent end of line reflections.  
(Photo by Bob Jenista)

DMX-512 is a wiring scheme ubiquitous in theatres and many other spaces where high quality dimming of lighting is needed. The industry has been using this control signal for more than 35 years and it has found its way into commercial lighting. Still, one must follow the rules. One of those rules has to do with end of line termination. 

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The American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC) welcomes two new members and one new associate during the Forum in Charleston, SC.

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