Stagecraft Fundamentals

The only book that tackles every aspect of theatre production, this one-stop guide is written by an Emmy Award-winning, respected designer. It discusses the history of stagecraft, safety precautions, lighting, costumes, scenery, and much more.

Stagecraft Fundamentals Second Edition tackles every aspect of theatre production with Emmy Award-winning author Rita Kogler Carver's signature witty and engaging voice. The history of stagecraft, safety precautions, lighting, costumes, scenery, career planning tips, and more are discussed, illustrated by beautiful color examples that display step-by-step procedures and the finished product. This second edition offers even more in-demand information on stage management, drawing and drafting (both by hand and CAD), lighting fixtures, and special effects. Also new to this edition are current articles from Lighting and Sound America, brand new diagrams that illustrate hard-to-grasp concepts, and a plethora of information on European conversions, standards, and practices, making the skills you learn applicable to stage jobs on either side of the ocean! The accompanying website, www.stagecraftfundamentals.com is bursting with additional material such as an instructor's manual, CAD drawings, color theory, manufacturing information, and so much more to help you along the way as you learn all about the world of theatre production! Praise for the Book: Beautifully written! The author has succeeded in relaying technical theatre information without being too technical and putting the reader to sleep. I read three sentences and instantly knew this book was for me and the way I teach. When I think back on the insufferable intro to tech theatre books I had to read, I feel cheated I didn't have this one as a student. I will be using this text in my class! -- Rob Napoli, Designer and Technical Director at Penn State University, Berks Campus This text has temped me to return to teaching with a textbook for the first time in seven years. The language is both accessible and informal yet the text goes a long way in debunking some of the typical jargon that may alienate students just getting into the field, or trying it out for the first time. The illustrations (the text is full of them) coupled with the stories reinforce the fundamental information being conveyed. -- John Paul Devlin, Associate Professor of Theatre at Saint Michael's College What a great idea! Thank heavens someone is doing this for students at that impressionable age. That has been one of my mantras - education of teachers and students on the use of scenic materials. The teachers don't have enough time in college to learn and do everything they have to teach. Most get thrown into the theatre area by default and struggle with designing/building/painting the scenery. -- Jenny Knott, Rosco Stagecraft Fundamentals is beautifully illustrated throughout, and the pofusion of color on every page gives this textbook the appearance of a coffee table book. The writing is clear and personal, which should be very appealing to students. Rita Carver covers all aspects of theatre production from scenery, to lighting, to an actor's makeup. Her close ties to the New York theatre scene gives this book a special insight into the professional world, one that goes well beyond what is found in most college textbooks. -- John Holloway, Professor in the Theatre Department at the University of Kentucky and President of the International Association of Theatrical stage Employees (IATSE) Local 346. I can't thank you enough for Stagecraft Fundamentals. I have been teaching stagecraft since 1976 and you have saved me from the nightmare of writing a text to suit my class needs..After two semesters with your text, I have found that I had more time to develop the skills necessary within the classroom than before. The humor that you have infused in the book has enticed my students to read on. That alone makes this text invaluable. --Meta Lasch, Assistant Professor, West Liberty University

Stagecraft Fundamentals Second Edition tackles every aspect of theatre production with Emmy Award-winning author Rita Kogler Carver's signature witty and engaging voice. The history of stagecraft, safety precautions, lighting, costumes, scenery, career planning tips, and more are discussed, illustrated by beautiful color examples that display step-by-step procedures and the finished product. This second edition offers even more in-demand information on stage management, drawing and drafting (both by hand and CAD), lighting fixtures, and special effects. Also new to this edition are current articles from Lighting and Sound America, brand new diagrams that illustrate hard-to-grasp concepts, and a plethora of information on European conversions, standards, and practices, making the skills you learn applicable to stage jobs on either side of the ocean! The accompanying website, www.stagecraftfundamentals.com is bursting with additional material such as an instructor's manual, CAD drawings, color theory, manufacturing information, and so much more to help you along the way as you learn all about the world of theatre production! Praise for the Book: Beautifully written! The author has succeeded in relaying technical theatre information without being too technical and putting the reader to sleep. I read three sentences and instantly knew this book was for me and the way I teach. When I think back on the insufferable intro to tech theatre books I had to read, I feel cheated I didn't have this one as a student. I will be using this text in my class! -- Rob Napoli, Designer and Technical Director at Penn State University, Berks Campus This text has tempted me to return to teaching with a textbook for the first time in seven years. The language is both accessible and informal yet the text goes a long way in debunking some of the typical jargon that may alienate students just getting into theatre production. manufacturing information, and so much more to help you along the way as you learn all about the world of theatre production! Praise for the Book: Beautifully written! The author has succeeded in relaying technical theatre information without being too technical and putting the reader to sleep. I read three sentences and instantly knew this book was for me and the way I teach. When I think back on the insufferable intro to tech theatre books I had to read, I feel cheated I didn't have this one as a student. I will be using this text in my class! -- Rob Napoli, Designer and Technical Director at Penn State University, Berks Campus This text has tempted me to return to teaching with a textbook for the first time in seven years. The language is both accessible and informal yet the text goes a long way in debunking some of the typical jargon that may alienate students just getting into theatre production.

Veteran theater designers Karen Brewster and Melissa Shafer have consulted with a broad range of seasoned theater industry professionals to provide an exhaustive guide full of sound advice and insight. With clear examples and hands-on exercises, Fundamentals of Theatrical Design illustrates the way in which the three major areas of theatrical design--scenery, costumes, and lighting--are intrinsically linked. Attractively priced for use as a classroom text, this is a comprehensive resource for all levels of designers and directors. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

An Introduction to the World of Theater A friendly and practical guide to the stage, The Essentials of Theater will prepare actors and crew for their next show. Perfect for college students in theater programs, as well as community theater troupes, this book covers all the bases—from a brief history on theater over the centuries and basic terminology to tips on interpreting scripts, developing characters, and utilizing props. Lisa Mulcahy’s helpful explanations and examples take readers on a backstage tour, introducing the tasks and responsibilities of every participant: stage hands, sound designers, prop managers, and more. Special sections include: A simple guide to completing your first production project Worksheets and checklists to practice new skills Interviews with theater critics, playwrights, and sound designers Appendices with suggested readings, viewings, and resources for theater students Through real-world examples and engaging activities, readers will explore every facet of the world of theater: acting, directing, playwriting, production, technical design, and more. Mulcahy even includes a chapter on innovative ways to use one’s theater education off-stage. A great resource for college theater programs and acting classes in general, The Essentials of Theater is an excellent introduction to the stage and all of its moving parts.

The book’s organization follows a layered approach that builds on basic principles: Light as a Medium (Part 1), Tools of a Lighting Designer (Part 2), Design Fundamentals (Part 3), and Lighting Applications (Part 4). This presents students with a practical and logical sequence when learning basic concepts. The full spectrum of the lighting design process is presented in detail, giving students an example of how one might develop a lighting design from script analysis through concept and plot development, and all the way to an opening. This detailed process with a step-by-step design approach gives students a plan to work from, which they can later modify as they mature and gain confidence as designers. The text contains a more comprehensive discussion of basic technology, light as a physical phenomena, and methodology of designs than is found in most introductory texts, bridging the gap between introductory and advanced lighting courses. The text will appeal to theatrical designers who want to venture into areas of lighting like architectural or virtual lighting design, while at the same time gaining a solid grounding in the fundmentals of lighting design. Lighting Design will also benefit illuminating engineers who want to move away from mere computational approaches in lighting and on to explore techniques along the design approaches of theatrical lighting design. The final 9 chapters cover many specialty areas of lighting design, highlighting the unique and shared qualities that exist between the different aspects of these elements. Discussions involve traditional entertainment areas like theatre, as well as lesser known facets of the industry including film/video, landscape lighting, retail/museum lighting, virtual lighting, concert, spectacle performances, and architectural lighting. Models of design tasks demonstrate the actual use and development of plots/sections, schedules, photometrics tables, and cut sheets, rather than simply talking about what they are. This hands-on approach provides students with a firm understanding of how to actually use these tools and processes.