Best Place to Start
The Performance Design Archive Online in ProQuest Primary Sources covers all aspects of theater production design, from the 17th century through to the present day, including scenic and set design, lighting design, sound design, costume design, and makeup, bringing together essential books and periodicals, archival material, and specially commissioned instructional videos. These resources do not show up in Library Search.
It includes a run of the journal Theatre Design and Technology (1972-2017), and many design manuals published by The United States Institute for Theatre Technology, along with thousands of sketches, models, technical drawings, photographs, posters, and ephemera, documenting productions designed by world-renowned artists.
- Primary Sources Collection (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowFind the Performance Design Online Archive under Arts tab, in the Theatre & Drama category
Online Resources
Theatre Design Journals:
- The Lighting ArchiveThe Lighting Archive website is developing a collection of actual plots, focus charts, cue sheets from real shows. It places an emphasis on historical productions and designers who have made important contributions to the field.
- Theatrical Lighting Database (beta)This collection contains actual plots, focus charts, cue sheets and much more from four landmark productions digitized from the collections of the New York Public Library.
- Primary Sources Collection (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowThis database has access to full runs of Harper's Bazaar (1867-present), Vogue (1892-present), Italian Vogue (1964-present), and Women's Daily Wear (1910-present), which document the changes in fashion that may be essential for costume inspiration.
- Vintage Fashion GuildThe Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of vintage fashion. They have many visual resources for fabric, vintage hats, and lingerie.
- Europeana FashionEuropeana brings together digital collections from institutions across Europe. In the fashion section, you can search for designs by keyword, designer, technique, material, item type, and color.
- Motley Collection of Theatre and Costume DesignThis collection has thousands of costume designs from 1932 to 1976 for plays by Shakespeare and modern classics, opera, ballet, and motion pictures
- Royal Victoria and Albert Museum Costume CollectionSearch the costume collection of the Royal Victoria and Albert Museum from the mid-18th century to today.
- AM Explorer This link opens in a new windowThe subcollection "Trade Catalogues and the American Home" has historical catalogues for home decorating, cookware, crockery, cosmetics, furniture, food and drink, and full mail-order catalogues that can help inspire your historical designs.
- Motley Collection of Theatre and Costume DesignThis collection has hundreds of set designs from 1932 to 1976 for plays by Shakespeare and modern classics, opera, ballet, and motion pictures.
Search for Design Books
You can also search these subjects in Library Search advanced search:
- Theaters--Stage-setting and scenery
- Scene painting
- Theaters--sound effects
- Set designers
- Stage machinery
- Stage props
- Costume design
- Costume designers
- Theatrical makeup
- Stage lighting
Here are some examples:
Costumes and Chemistry by
Based on 14 years of research and experiment with plastics and various non-traditional materials, this book supplies information to designers and interpreters on specialized techniques for use in costumes for theatre, film and TV. Also included are charts detailing the effects of dry cleaning and laundering on adhesives, coatings, colourings and metallisers, allowing the designer to make appropriate choices for specific needs and longevity. This reference delivers many exciting new choices to designers and craftspeople, with the bonus of improved safety, maintenance, comfort for the wearer and visual effects for the audience.
Call Number: PAC PN2067 .M6 2001ISBN: 9780896762145Publication Date: 2000-03-01
Theatrical Costume, Masks, Make-Up and Wigs by
This is the first bibliography in its field, based on first-hand collations of the actual articles. International in scope, it includes publications found in public theatre libraries and archives of Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Florence, London, Milan, New York and Paris amongst others. Over 3500 detailed entries on separately published sources such as books, sales and exhibition catalogues and pamphlets provide an indispensible guide for theatre students, practitioners and historians. Indices cover designers, productions, actors and performers. The iconography provides an indexed record of over 6000 printed plates of performers in role, illustrating performance costume from the 18th to 20th century.
Call Number: PAC PN 2067 J68 2000ISBN: 9781138884045Publication Date: 2015-02-05
The Cambridge Introduction to Scenography by
Scenography - the manipulation and orchestration of the performance environment - is an increasingly popular and key area in performance studies. This book introduces the reader to the purpose, identity and scope of scenography and its theories and concepts. Settings and structures, light, projected images, sound, costumes and props are considered in relation to performing bodies, text, space and the role of the audience. Concentrating on scenographic developments in the twentieth century, the Introduction examines how these continue to evolve in the twenty-first century. Scenographic principles are clearly explained through practical examples and their theoretical context. Although acknowledging the many different ways in which design shapes the creation of scenography, the book is not exclusively concerned with the role of the theatre designer. In order to map out the wider territory and potential of scenography, the theories of pioneering scenographers are discussed alongside the work of directors, writers and visual artists.
Call Number: PAC PN2091.S8 M35 2009ISBN: 9780521612326Publication Date: 2009-11-19
Stagecraft Fundamentals by
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, exercises and study questions that coincide with chapters from the book, 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 ises and study questions that coincide with chapters from the book, 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 he 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 le 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. &nbs
ISBN: 0240820576Publication Date: 2012-09-10
