Indiana University student, Olivia Ranseen won the BGA’s 2017 College Green Captain Award after greening the practices within the Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance. During the 2015-16 school year, Ranseen began a project in theatrical sustainability with Paul Brunner, an Associate Professor of Theatre Technology, and received an additional $3,000 grant in the 2016-17 school year to continue their work. In October 2015, they conducted an environmental audit of IU’s Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance and develop policy recommendations for the theatre based on their research. Using their Spring of 2016 production of Duchess of Malfi as a case study, now equipped with the research from the previous school year, they sought to improve sustainability in every facet of the production, including set design and management, directing, house management, materials, and production culture. For example, they replaced alkaline batters (of which around 630-750 were disposed of each year!) with about 20 rechargeable batteries in their microphones for both the academic and summer seasons.
They also worked on implementing Ecor, a wood alternative formed by cellulose fibers sourced from materials like old cardboard, newspapers, office waste, forest waste, and agricultural fibers.
They also worked to replace the houselights in the Wells-Metz and Ruth Halls Theaters with LEDs and to recycle their spent lamps. In addition, they used an electronic sign-in sheet for both auditions and rehearsals, decreasing paper use, and used a recycling bin for the rehearsal room. The Green Captain for Duchess reused old scripts to print line notes.