Reprinted from alestlelive.com, June 23, 2008:

In keeping with the “going green” trend, the Department of Theater and Dance’s latest show, “Point of Revue,” will be the first eco-friendly SIUE production.

Kathryn Bentley, theater professor and director of the show, said the idea for a “green” production came from fellow professor James Wulfsong, director of Design and Technical Theater.

“Jim was the one who brought this idea to the table and came to talk to me about it,” Bentley said.

Wulfsong said the idea for an eco-friendly theater production came to him after he made some eco-friendly changes in his own life, such as recycling, eating organic foods and wearing organic cotton clothes.

“One of the things that has been grating on my mind lately is that I work in an industry that is completely wasteful,” Wulfsong said. “When we tear down after a show, we have a lot of trash we drag out that goes straight into a landfill somewhere.”

Wulfsong said he had wanted to do this type of show for a while, but finding a production where this was possible was a challenge.

“I’ve been looking for a production we could make eco-friendly but still not compromise design,” Wulfsong said. “We can do this with ‘Point of Revue.’”

One aspect to an eco-friendly show is minimizing waste going into a landfill. Wulfsong said the goal is to only be left with recyclable materials at the end of the show.

“My ultimate goal is to not have one ounce of waste go into the landfill,” Wulfsong said.

In order to do this, the cast and crew are using costumes, scenes and props the Department of Theater and Dance already had in stock and are building sets so waste is minimized.

They are also using digital projections for scene backdrops.

“It is actually saving us a ton of money because I’m using what I already had in stock,” Wulfsong said.

Wulfsong said his goal was to donate any leftover money to buying green energy credits - money put toward buying clean, renewable energy power.

With money saved after the production is over, Wulsong said he hopes to donate the money, but is unsure which company it will be donated to. 

In addition to minimizing waste, the production is also using eco-friendly paint.

According to greenlivingideas.com, eco-friendly paint has become a new trend, due to its health and safety factors. Eco-friendly paints release significantly less pollutants known as volatile organic compounds. These paints have been used to restore and preserve national monuments. 

The production is also using wood the Forest Stewardship Council has certified as eco-friendly. The FSC ensures that any tree cut down for lumber is replaced by another tree.

Wulfsong has also researched more energy efficient lighting, such as LED lights, but found that most eco-friendly lights were too expensive for the theater budget.

“I’m working on applying for grants to make that happen,” Wulfsong said.

Wulfsong said he was very pleased with the supportiveness of everyone involved.

“I found the entire production staff was very supportive of this idea,” Wulfsong said. “I hope that future productions will do this too.”

By Lindsay Dunham