Useful Books For Students

[Fiona]

Just updating the reading list for this years courses and thought maybe some of you may have stumbled across some books that have been particularly helpful to you. I'm specifically talking about Stage Management and Lighting Design books - if you have used a book that really enlightened you .......what was it?

Books that I currently recommend to students as my favourites (among others)

Stage management - Gail Pallin ( covers almost everything in a very practical way)

Stage Mngt and Theatre Admin - Hawkins and Menear (good for schedule examples)

Stage Management - a gentle art - Daniel Bond (informative for new students)

 

Stage Lighting Design - Richard Pilbrow - (The Bible surely!)

Stage Lighting Design. A practical guide - Neil Fraser - (Good basic insight to equipment)

Devised and Collaborative Theatre - Bicat and Baldwin (for working off script..)

 

Any others that come highly reccommended????

[Bryson]

Surely you need the enhanced version of the Pilbrow: Stage Lighting, the Art, the Craft, the Life. It's enormous and wins the prize for most pretentious title ever. But it's very very good.

 

 

Actor, Architecture and Audience: Ian Mackintosh (?...could be wrong about the author) is interesting too. Might be a little beyond your remit, but it's good to understand the nature of the spaces you're working in.

[Fiona]

That was the one I meant Bryson......just was too lazy to write the whole title......!!! :huh:

[Bryson]

I'm so sad...I have the big one, a 1980's edition and a 1990s edition of "Stage Lighting" I suppose I should part with some of them, but just can't bring myself to do it...

 

Plus, I share a house with two other people I know from college, so we have 3 copies of everything anyway...

[James C]

I bought my Pilbrow a while back, and noticed the foreword mentioned that a next edition was due. As it was in a returnable state, I phoned the publisher to see when exactly the next edition was due, with a view to taking mine back to the shop and waiting for the all-singing all dancing one. The publishers told me it was just wishful thinking on Richard Pilbrow's part. Imagine my delight when six months later the glorious new hardback appeared in Foyles :huh:

 

Incidentally, for stage management, Lawrence Stern's "Stage Management" is a good read, once students are aware of the different stage management roles usually found in the UK. It's an American book, so the roles outlined are different, but the book covers every task that could ever possibly be associated with stage management, however loosely. I found it quite inspiring, and it's probably partly to blame for me choosing stage management as a career. Quite a good read for amateur stage managers and producers in the UK too, as it gives a very good overview of things that need to be taken on board when putting a show together. Has some (unintentional???) slightly comedic elements too:

 

eg1. Always have a piece of wax-paraffin in your stage management kit, to act as a temporary filling until the actor is free to visit the dentist at the end of rehearsal :blink:

 

eg2. When an actor says one of his lines incorrectly, take him quietly aside in the break, read him the correct line and then ask him to read it back to you. He is unlikely to be angry at this, but will respect the fact that you are simply trying to assist him, and will thank you for it :D :D :D

[Tom]

When an actor says one of his lines incorrectly, take him quietly aside in the break, read him the correct line and then ask him to read it back to you. He is unlikely to be angry at this, but will respect the fact that you are simply trying to assist him, and will thank you for it

I would love to see some poor kid on their first job out of drama school try that with some of the more belligerent members of the acting profession.

[Suzette]

How about "StageCraft" by Trevor Griffiths? It covers all aspects, so is not specific for SM or LX but would give your students a general idea of all areas and how they interact - always handy to know I think!

[robloxley]

Personally I quite liked 'Light Fantastic' by Max Keller; though it's less of a how-to book than a couple of the one's you've mentioned. I also quite like Stage Lighting for Theatre Designers by Nigel Morgan as a basic introduction (and I think there's a new edition from ET Press).

[Andrew C]

Perhaps some of the ABTT codes of practice should be required reading. PAT, Access equipment etc.

[Brian]

I quite liked 'Light Fantastic' by Max Keller

 

A second vote for this book, some gorgeous production photos.

 

I've also just read 'Lighting for Romeo and Juliet', sub-titled 'Patrick Woodroffe at Vienna State Opera' by John Offord which is a very good 'Why' book as opposed to a 'How' book. A great insight into the thinking process of design.

[robloxley]

For production photos and some inspiration, the SBTD books (Make Space; Time/Space etc.) are well worth a look.

[James]

OK I'm a bit board at work so I've taken and sumarised the reading list so fat and added a couple of titles, (nb click on book for amazon...)

 

The IEE wiring regs (or at least a guide to...)

The Stage Lighting Handbook Francis Reid

Lighting and Sound Neil Fraser

The Sound Reinforcement Handbook Gary Davis & Ralph Jones

Live Sound Reinforcement Hunter-Sark

Bums on Seats Helen Sharman (Personaly I think anyone involved in AmDram should read this one :huh:)

 

Hope this helps and I don't get in trouble for commercial posting...

 

;( Oh this is a pain - I can only put 10 images on a post - Oh well - I might as well get in trouble for multi posting as well...)

 

Stage Management

 

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[James]

Lighting

 

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[James]

Theatre

 

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Sound

 

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James.

 

(sorry for the multi posts...)

[Tom Baldwin]

"A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting" by Steven Louis Shelley is (as the name might suggest to the more perceptive reader) very much focused on the practical details of lighting, from creating and scoping a design, right through to performance. It's very clearly and calmly written, with a slightly dry, understated style, for example on blackouts during plotting while others are working on the stage:

"If it's necessary to see a fade to black, announce to the stage that this is about to happen, and wait for clearance from the onstage personnel. Anyone who can't contend with darkness at that moment will give you their opinion regarding your intent". He's not wrong... :huh:

 

I find it more concrete than Pilbrow, which is undoubtedly fascinating, but can be a little nebulous sometimes.