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Stagecraft, Theater - Direction & Production
Technical Theater for Nontechnical People by Drew Campbell β€” book cover

Technical Theater for Nontechnical People

by Drew Campbell
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Overview

Completely updated to reflect state-of-the-art standards in today's fast-changing theater technology, Technical Theater for Nontechnical People helps actors, dancers, playwrights, and directors to understand every aspect of a traditional and digitally supported backstage environment-from scenery, lighting, and sound to props, costumes, and stage management. All sides of production are clearly explained in jargon-free prose, and unfamiliar terms are highlighted and defined in an appended glossary. In addition to discussions on the more traditional elements of technical theater, this book gives equal weight to the new technologies that have become mainstream, including software (DMX, MIDI, and SMPTI) for show control systems, software to build audio cues, and PC-based audio play-back systems.

β€’ Affirmed by Library Journal as a book that "will certainly become a standard introductory text on trchnical theater."

β€’ "The most down-to-earth, stright-forward survey of technical theater practice I have ever read."--John R. Lucas, managing director of theater, Brown University

β€’ This replaces 1-58115-020-2

Synopsis

A veteran of entertainment in its many forms, Drew has written a similar book for film and television. He walks non-techies through finding a space, scenery, lighting, costumes, sound, coordinating sound and light, properties, stage management, and working with corporations. The first edition came out in 1998. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

Two under-appreciated theatrical specialties, technical production for the novice and audience development, take center stage in these two thorough works. With hundreds of production/design/technical credits behind him, Campbell has written what will certainly become a standard introductory text on technical theater. All facets of production are clearly explained in jargon-free prose, and unfamiliar terms are highlighted and defined in an appended glossary. In addition to separate chapters on the more traditional elements of technical theater (lights, sound, scenery, properties), Campbell gives equal weight to the venue, design, stage management, corporate theater, and checklists. As valuable as this comprehensive manual is for the neophyte, experienced techies will also benefit from its common sense. Everyone involved with theater should have acces to this most welcome text. Stage Directions, "the practical magazine of theater," is to the theater community what the U*N*A*B*A*S*H*E*D Librarian is to librarians. This guide to cultivating and retaining an audience, the most perplexing and financially significant problem facing every theater, is the latest entry in Heinemann's "Stage Directions" series, compiled mostly from previously published articles in the magazine. This practical compendium, arranged in three sections, addresses how to attract and retain a constituency and profiles several theaters that have been successful in both areas. A more focused and audience-specific work, this title will be of value to theater administrators and marketers as well as smaller theater groups seeking practical and empirically tested ideas and solutions.--Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., TX Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

About the Author, Drew Campbell

Drew Campbell is a lighting and sound supervisor for Universal Studios. He is also the author of Technical Film and Television for Nontechnical People. He lives in Woodland Hills, CA.

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Editorials

Library Journal

Two under-appreciated theatrical specialties, technical production for the novice and audience development, take center stage in these two thorough works. With hundreds of production/design/technical credits behind him, Campbell has written what will certainly become a standard introductory text on technical theater. All facets of production are clearly explained in jargon-free prose, and unfamiliar terms are highlighted and defined in an appended glossary. In addition to separate chapters on the more traditional elements of technical theater (lights, sound, scenery, properties), Campbell gives equal weight to the venue, design, stage management, corporate theater, and checklists. As valuable as this comprehensive manual is for the neophyte, experienced techies will also benefit from its common sense. Everyone involved with theater should have acces to this most welcome text. Stage Directions, "the practical magazine of theater," is to the theater community what the U*N*A*B*A*S*H*E*D Librarian is to librarians. This guide to cultivating and retaining an audience, the most perplexing and financially significant problem facing every theater, is the latest entry in Heinemann's "Stage Directions" series, compiled mostly from previously published articles in the magazine. This practical compendium, arranged in three sections, addresses how to attract and retain a constituency and profiles several theaters that have been successful in both areas. A more focused and audience-specific work, this title will be of value to theater administrators and marketers as well as smaller theater groups seeking practical and empirically tested ideas and solutions.--Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., TX Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Book Details

Published
August 1, 2004
Publisher
Allworth Press
Pages
288
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781581153446

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