Customer Reviews

Illustrated Theatre Production Guide

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Have you ever been interested in theatre production? Then this is one book you should definately read. It contains thorough instructions on the construction of modern scenery and discusses these topics with a wry humour. The topics of this book are broad and range from welding steel frames to the use of styrofoam forms to replicate stone structures. Holloway starts each section with an explanation of the tools that are commonly used and why. The "why" part of this book gives you the information necessary to synthesize your own new ways of construction and create anything you can imagine.

John Holloway's book Illustrated Theatre Production Guide is a great choice for any novice or skilled person wishing to take their creative ideas and put them on the stage. The practical advice provides a step by step guide to constructing the basic set pieces like platforms, flats, steps etc. Illustrated pictures of each step make the amateur or professional set designer able to construct their designs with little or no technical knowledge. It's the "Set Construction for Dummies" answer for the beginner and the "go to" book for the educated.
I was a theatre major in college 20 years ago and if I had a book with this kind of information, in a step by step, illustrated guide, it would have made my life so much easier! It is a book to own.

This book represents a life time of knowledge of practical technical theatre information. It doesn't treat you like you should already know this information. It is easy to read and spells out the smallest of details so that if you have never picked up a hammer you can use this to construct your design.

If I could only buy one book to instruct me as a "How to guide" this would be it.

John Holloway's stagecraft textbook, "Illustrated Theatre Production Guide", is an excellent introductory text to basic scenery construction and stage work. The text is clear and succinct with carefully drawn illustrations providing instructions on the use and operation of stage equipment and the construction of useful scenic elements. Mr. Holloway's direct manner of writing makes the book very readable and easily accessible to students of theatre technology. The information included is thorough and very valid for any theatre program and the volume will prove to be a solid reference text for any technical theatre program. It has proven to be successful in the classroom and helpful to the beginning as well as the seasoned stage practitioner. The illustrations are particularly helpful in further clarifying scenery construction and operations. I recommend this text for any beginning or advanced stagecraft class.

This is a useful book for both students of theater and for those interested in constructing traditional stages for performances. The beneficial aspect of the Theatre Production Guide is the "Illustrations" that provide close-up details for every aspect of set up, which includes equipment or tools needed, lighting, and how to put everything together step-by-step.

On the contrary, for vehicles like "Signaling Through the Flames" and others interested in alternative theater production, such as setting up solar or generator powered [self-sustaining] systems in off-grid operations like Burning Man, this book would not be recommended, as it is for traditional theaters only.

John Holloway's ILLUSTRATED THEATRE PRODUCTION GUIDE, SECOND EDITION, is a slim volume that holds many important secrets of the theatrical professional. How to build a flat, how to run lights, how to build a stage floor, basic electricity for theatre techs...all of these are serious skills that every technical theatre professional needs to know. It is simple enough to be used as a textbook in an introduction to theatre tech in high school or community college, and it could even be used in some college programs.

It is lavishly illustrated, which makes it easy for the novice to actually see what Holloway is talking about. I learned from the old Parker and Smith text, but this one is updated, and far better for stage production.

Nice book. Read it if you are interested in what goes on backstage, or if you want to learn how to do what goes on backstage.

The Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, Second Edition provides a solid overview of Theater Production. It would make a great Introduction to Theatre textbook for an intro level course, either High-School, College or Adult Education.

The wide breadth of information covered in the book results in most topics getting just a brief treatment. You won't find a great amount of indepth detail about most things but you will walk away with a very good understanding of the "big picture." This, of course, opens up the doors to further specialization in areas that have the most interest to the reader.

What really sets this book apart from others however is the accompanying website. The power of video can not be understated in the way that it shows you how to do things and explains the mechanics of operations in a way that text simply cannot. The videos on the website add immeasurably to the value this books brings to the reader.

I was a bit surprised that the emerging technology of LED lighting wasn't discussed except in a passing sentence or two. But then again, I'm just assuming that LED lighting will become more widely adopted in theatre as it is in many other areas of performance arts and architectural lighting.

My other reservation with the book has to do with many of the photographs which seem dated and dark.

Reservations aside, this is a great book for the student or theater enthusiast. It will explain a lot of the fundamentals as to how things work behind the scenes (no pun intended) and provide fodder for further exploration.

Illustrated Theatre Production Guide is a brief introduction to a variety of theater related topics. From the basics of some assemblies for sets to the technical reasoning behind the existence of sound.

Many concepts here are introductory and brief. For example, the directions of lighting are basic and offer no actual solutions. The authors encourage the practical nature of theater, that only experience can offer solutions to different situations.

I would really discourage this book from anyone who is stumbling through their first show. This is really a better reference for anyone who has had a few years in theater and needs a simple reminder.

The illustrations are good, almost reminiscent of I. Ching from the architecture world, but particularly with rigging, less hand sketches and more pictures of the types of knots and rigging in use would be better.

For a couple years in College I was a drama major, but I figured out I couldn't act and so I changed to a more practical major. Still, I was in more than one play, bumbling along, trying not to forget my lines, while a whole ocean of people were doing things around me, just so I could go on and make a fool out of myself.

This book is about what all those other people were doing and what they had to do to put on the plays I was in or the plays you or your children may be in one day.

But it's more than that. I can see it being used as a textbook for a theatre production class as it covers everything one could possibly want to know about the subject from the philosophy of theatre production in the introduction to working with foam in the last chapter with theatre types, rigging, ropes and knot tying, lighting, sound, stage management and so much more in between.

But unlike a textbook, this book isn't the least bit dry. The text is engaging and you'll find yourself learning about the subject without even trying, because before you know it, you're reading for enjoyment as well as enlightenment and I think that's because of all of the illustrations. Just when I though I wasn't understanding something, there was an illustration right alongside the text, making everything clear as the proverbial bell.

I don't know if I'd call this a fun book to read, but usually when I get a book like this to review, I skim it, read a few relevant bits, then maybe a bit more that interests me, then I write the review and I think that's the way most people do it. Nobody sits down and reads every licking, sticking word in a reference book. But I did this one. I just sort of started, read for awhile, put it down, picked it up the next day and in about two weeks I was through it. Granted once I got a third of the way into it, it became a bit of a challenge.

If you want to get into theatre production, then this is a good place to start. At no point does Mr. Holloway talk down to his readers. He presents everything in a straightforward way with excellent illustrations to reinforce what you've read.

While I'm sure that experienced theater professionals could pick up a few helpful tips from John Holloway's 2nd Edition "Illustrated Theater Production Guide," this book is really aimed at the theater-beginner or theater student. If it's not being used as a text in high school and university-level theater classes, it should be. It includes all the practical knowledge one needs to know for setting up a theater. Think of it as Theater Production 101 in a book.

Holloway knows his stuff. He's worked as a stage mechanic and technical director for more than 30 years and has built scenery for more than 200 plays, TV shows, commercials, operas and trade shows.

The book includes the basics of theater types, rigging, ropes and knots, electricity, power distribution, dimmers and lighting, photometrics, spot lights, sound, computer programs, stage management, hardware, welding, lumber, hand tools, constructing flats, building stairs, frame construction, patterns, working with foam, and much, much, (did I say much?), much more.

In addition to the conversational style of Halloway's writing, there are hundreds of helpful diagrams, drawings, pictures (such as the parts of a fader section on a ETC board, common lamp types, how a scrim works, curtain types), and much, much, much more.

In some ways, the information is for the beginner - such as drawings of basic tools necessary for set design - but in other ways, the book offers helpful information and tips for those who are looking for new ideas or ways of doing things. I cannot begin to describe the vast amount of information that Halloway offers in this book. Suffice it to say that this book alone would give any reader a rudimentary enough knowledge of theater to design a simple, working set. If there's one drawback, it would be that the book doesn't go into great detail on specific set design (i.e. how to make a tree, constructing a door, painting a skyline), but then that's quite dependent on the particular show. Instead, Halloway focuses on the general elements necessary for most, if not all, sets...things like building flats, hanging lights, etc.

Anyone, whether a student of theater or not, desiring to know more about theater design would find this book enormously informative and helpful. The best thing about it is its practicality. The descriptions and illustrations go a long way in explaining the concepts to the reader. The book also features a companion website, complete with bonus chapters, how-to videos, and many do-it-yourself projects.

This all-inclusive production guide can replace an entire shelf of lesser texts. Not only is it an "everything you need to know" extravaganza, but there are little suggestions in here that you may never have considered. Let's get specific:

Oversized, this text provides large, generous illustrations. And, don't be "put-off" by the "old-school" cover: nothing in here feels out-dated. (I think it's supposed to be cool/ironic ... LOL!)

Need to teach your students about rigging? (Or want to learn on your own?) There are a plethora of both basic and advanced techniques -- explicitly explained, heavily illustrated. Nothing is left unsaid. Want to discover computer programs for theater? It's there! Seriously, whatever you need, it's there.

What I found to be a pleasant surprise was the applicable, responsible asides. There are boxes which address safety concerns (like "safely loading and unloading stage weights") (page 25). This is especially helpful to those who are new to this field (and, again, this emphasizes why Illustrated Theater Production Guide would be a fantastic text for any professor's classroom). Of equal but different importance, the author included boxes which offer "green" tips. Considering the "waste" that this art can potentially generate, this is a most welcome touch. For instance, the abundance of pine makes yellow pine plywood a more responsible choice than less sustainable woods (page 233). Many of these "green" suggestions may be new to the reader (no matter what her/his level of theater-experience) ... and, in that sense, this author makes theater that much more compatible with nature. (And dulls some of the personal guilt we occasionally feel). Such a kind touch!

Bottom-line: this is the ideal text for any classroom! Every professor involved in theater should have a copy on her/his shelf (it's perfect for quick reference). Just fantastic!