Although scholars have long considered the material conditions surrounding the production of early modern drama, until now, no book-length examination has sought to explain what was worn on the period's stages and, more importantly, how articles of apparel were understood when seen by contemporary audiences. Robert Lublin's new study considers royal proclamations, religious writings, paintings, woodcuts, plays, historical accounts, sermons, and legal documents to investigate what Shakespearean actors actually wore in production and what cultural information those costumes conveyed. Four of the chapters of Costuming the Shakespearean Stage address 'categories of seeing': visually based semiotic systems according to which costumes constructed and conveyed information on the early modern stage. The four categories include gender, social station, nationality, and religion. The fifth chapter examines one play, Thomas Middleton's A Game at Chess, to show how costumes signified across the categories of seeing to establish a play's distinctive semiotics and visual aesthetic.

'Adrian Noble vigorously highlights the extraordinary rhythmic, linguistic patterns Shakespeare gives the speaker. Any actor will find this book invaluable. For any student of Shakespeare it should be essential.' (From the Foreword by Ralph Fiennes)

'How can I bring the text alive, make it vivid, how do I make people hear it for the first time? How can I enter into that world and not feel a stranger. How can I not feel clumsy and inept? ... How can I speak it without sounding artificial or "actory"? In other words, how can I make it real ...?'

Adrian Noble has worked on Shakespeare with everyone from oscar-nominated actors to groups of schoolchildren. Here he draws on several decades of top-level directing experience to shed new light on how to bring some of theatre s seminal texts to life.

He shows you how to approach the perennial issues of performing Shakespeare, including:

• wordplay using colour and playing plain, wit and comedy, making language muscular
• building a character different strategies, using the text, Stanislavski and Shakespeare
• shape and structure headlining a speech, playing soliloquys, determining a speech s purpose and letting the verse empower you
• dialogue building tension, sharing responsibility and passing the ball .

This guided tour of Shakespeare s complex but unfailingly rewarding work stunningly combines instruction and inspiration.

Light for Arts Sake provides a basis for a level of professional expertise for lighting practice in museums. Rather than portraying conservation and display as having diametrically opposed objectives, the central concept is that the interaction of light and art media is the source for both the visual experience and the degradation of the artwork. Optimal solutions derive from understanding and controlling the interaction process, and the need is for the level of understanding among lighting professionals to be brought closer to that found among conservation scientists. It considers the conservation needs of an object in the context of the lighting design process. It includes philosophical, conservation, and practical aspects of lighting design for museums and galleries. Useful appendices provide details for easy access to materials and services discussed in the text.

Women Writing and Directing in the USA: A Stage of Our Own features interviews with some of the most successful theatre artists currently working on and off Broadway and beyond. The book provides an insight on what it means and what it takes to be a successful female-identifying playwright and director in the USA, where the professional theatrical landscape is still mostly dominated by straight white men. The interviews explore a wide range of themes, including if and how the artists' female perspective influenced their art, the social and cultural significance of their work, and how theatre and women working in theatre can participate in awakening greater social awareness. Readers will learn about some of the most current and relevant American theatre artists, such as Young Jean Lee, Pam MacKinnon, Dominique Morisseau, Rachel Chavkin, and Martyna Majok. Written for students in directing and playwriting courses, Women Writing and Directing in the USA: A Stage of Our Own features inspirational and informative stories that will help young theatre artists find and pursue their artistic voices.

An introductory guide for students learning professional make-up, hairdressing and wardrobe skills and front of camera' professionals needing an understanding of the techniques.
Written by an experienced professional, this manual offers a step-by step approach for the complete beginner with diagrams to show procedures for a variety of make-up effects, from corrective and character make-up, to period dramas, special effects and prosthetics. It describes the skills required of the job, introduces special make-up products and how to apply them for different effect and sets the context for the make-up artist's role, by considering technical requirements such as lighting, camerawork and chroma-key backgrounds.
Learn how to get professional looking results for a variety of situations and effects
Fully illustrated with diagrams to show you step-by-step techniques
Understand the role and necessary skills of the make-up artist within a wider context of television

The art of armed and unarmed stage combat thrills actors and audiences alike the world over. This book details many of the foundational techniques used by actors studying stage combat and actor-movement disciplines. A variety of specific training exercises are described that connect the actor's imagination to a cohesive and meaningful actor-training curriculum - integrating stage combat with the actor's process of developing a fully embodied awareness of the physical life of the character. Developing physical awareness and dexterity is an essential component of an actor's training and rehearsal processes. Engagement, connection, the ability to listen and respond with authenticity, clarity, flexibility, intentionality, tactical response, variety are all helpful aspects for the actor studying combat movement. With practical exercises and expert advice, Stage Combat Arts allows the actor to further hone their emotional connection and extension, breath and voice, intention and focus, movement and freedom, and their ability to connect physically to imagery and text - disciplines that are at the foundation of actor-training - all through the art of combat movement.

In the first third of the twentieth century, South America became the most important market for many European theatrical companies. When Italy found itself in various theatrical crises, Walter Mocchi created a transoceanic theatrical empire, using his business acumen to craft viable solutions. While his efforts were most visible in the sphere of opera, he played an extremely significant role in the promotion and circulation of popular forms of musical theatre (such as operetta) and staged world premieres of works by Italian superstars in Argentina (such as Mascagni's Isabeau), thus offering an early example of what Stephen Greenblatt calls 'cultural mobility'.

Digital Design for Custom Textiles: Patterns as Narration for Stage and Film is a beginner's guide for creating custom textile patterns for performing arts production, with an emphasis on storytelling through design using hand and digital design techniques. The book offers essential information for the beginning digital designer, such as: methods of designing patterns, appliques, and unique textures for custom textiles; custom textile examples including various styles of pattern repeats, digital embroidery, and cut and sew textiles; full-color, step-by-step instructions and practice exercises; production timelines; a textiles and patterns glossary. Digital Design for Custom Textiles will allow students and design professionals to embrace digital media to enhance their work, apply digital alternatives to find the perfect fabrics and embellishments, and create more meaningful and personalized designs for the stage.

"Introduction to Documentary Production" is designed for students who are approaching documentary production for the first time. The book is written in an accessible style by media staff at the University of Portsmouth, UK, all of whom have backgrounds in media production or journalism. The book covers the making of documentaries from concept through production to post-production and includes close readings of documentary makers' intent and target audiences.

Scenic automation has earned a reputation of being complicated and cantankerous, a craft best left to the elite of our industry. Not sure of the difference between a VFD, PLC, or PID? If you have dreamed of choreographing scene changes with computerized machinery, but get lost in the technical jargon the Scenic Automation Handbook will guide you along the road to elegant automation. Adopting a pragmatic approach, this book breaks down any automation system into five points, known as the Pentagon of Power. Breaking down a dauntingly complex system into bite- size pieces makes it easy to understand how components function, connect, and communicate to form a complete system. Presenting the fundamental behaviors and functions of Machinery, Feedback Sensors, Amplifiers, Controls, and Operator Interfaces, the Scenic Automation Handbook demystifies automation, reinforcing each concept with practical examples that can be used for experimentation. Automation is accessible - come along and learn how!

This newly-updated volume looks at the scope of Augusto Boal's career from his early work as a playwright and director in Sao Paulo in the 1950s, to the development of his ground-breaking manifesto in the 1970s for a 'Theatre of the Oppressed'. Offering fascinating reading for anyone interested in the role that theatre can play in stimulating social and personal change, this useful study includes: a biographical and historical overview of Boal's career as theatre practitioner and director an in-depth analysis of Boal's classic text on radical theatre an exploration of training and production techniques practical guidance to Boal's workshop methods This is an essential introduction to the work of a practitioner who has had a tremendous impact on contemporary theatre. As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further, primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners are unbeatable value for today's student.

A Hollywood Insider Takes You Inside Hollywood! Richard Bare knows the film industry. He has worked with Spielburg and Lucas, discovered James Garner, and has been nominated for numerous awards, including three Oscars. Now this award-winning Hollywood veteran shares his experiences, advice, and techniques in this completely updated edition of the classic film-directing guide. In this invaluable book you'll find:

• A solid nuts-and-bolts handbook for the beginning director.
• A candid look at the technical aspects of how directors work on a set.
• Valuable guidance on moviemaking for the low-budget director.
• Discussions of the careers and working methods of such leading directors as George Lucas, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, and Mimi Leder.
• Practical knowledge on shooting, staging, camera style, rehearsing, and editing.
• Examples and advice on how to get a job directing with a studio or production company.

If you're serious about a career behind the camera, this book will give you the inside information you need to make your dreams come true. Visit us online at www.idgbooks.com

Scenic automation has earned a reputation of being complicated and cantankerous, a craft best left to the elite of our industry. Not sure of the difference between a VFD, PLC, or PID? If you have dreamed of choreographing scene changes with computerized machinery, but get lost in the technical jargon the Scenic Automation Handbook will guide you along the road to elegant automation. Adopting a pragmatic approach, this book breaks down any automation system into five points, known as the Pentagon of Power. Breaking down a dauntingly complex system into bite- size pieces makes it easy to understand how components function, connect, and communicate to form a complete system. Presenting the fundamental behaviors and functions of Machinery, Feedback Sensors, Amplifiers, Controls, and Operator Interfaces, the Scenic Automation Handbook demystifies automation, reinforcing each concept with practical examples that can be used for experimentation. Automation is accessible - come along and learn how!

This is the first major collection of critical responses to performance lighting and includes contributions from award-winning lighting designers, researchers and artists. Showcasing recent examples of work - with case studies of lighting practices in Britain, Europe, the US and China - combined with theoretical and analytical approaches to practice, this will enrich your understanding of the role and potential of light in performance and related creative practices. This volume explores three core themes and provides a framework for thinking through the role of light in performance: 1. Experience - considers both the audience's experience of light and the ways in which light influences the experience of performers 2. Creativity - examines both the creative, performative capacities of light in performance, as well as the creative practices of lighting designers 3. Meaning - offers an expanded view of performance aesthetics by examining the capacity of light to influence and generate meaning within performance. The case studies are drawn from a wide-array of lighting practice, including: Jennifer Tipton on the role of light as a structural language in performance; Jesper Kongshaug on the lighting of Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens; Lucy Carter on her work in installation and dance; Psyche Chui on the productive fusion of Western lighting techniques with contemporary Chinese opera; Katharine Williams on the role of light in feminist political theatre made by RashDash; and Paule Constable on storytelling with light in a range of productions, including War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Angels in America.

This book explains and provides templates for organizing and managing a prop shop, from pre-production organization to production processes, budgeting, and collaborations with other production areas. It explores how to plan, organize, and maintain a prop shop for safe and efficient production work.

Twenty chapters detailing all of the fundamentals -- everything the aspiring stage technician needs to know to get started in backstage work! All sections highlighted with photographs, illustrations and diagrams. Major topics include: stage and rigging; production staff; properties; sound; lumber, tools and hardware; scenery construction; lighting instruments; control of light and colour; electricity and devices. The what, when and why of all backstage equipment and how to use it to maximum effect with safety, speed and efficiency.

An enthralling journey through time, fashion and theatreland: from hairdressing student in the early 1960s to theatrical wig creator for the biggest shows of our time over five decades - from the West End to Broadway - Box Brownie to Cinemascope. My Name Is Not Wigs is the ultimate read for fans of witty behind-the-curtains memoirs, especially those with a penchant for the bright lights of stage and screen: tears and accolades aplenty! Angela has created wigs for Spitting Image, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, The Graduate, Witches of Eastwick, Jesus Christ Superstar, La Boheme and Mary Poppins to name a few; at institutions such as Madame Tussauds in London and Amsterdam, The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and the Royal National Theatre on more than 100 shows; touring the world; and working alongside many of the biggest names in acting including Joan Collins, Judi Dench, Michael Gambon, Celia Imrie and Ian McKellen. 'A unique backstage story - honest and good-humoured, like the author.' - Sir Ian McKellen 'A glorious cavalcade of theatrical gossip and professional achievement in a department of our profession that largely goes unsung.' - Frances de la Tour 'A wonderful read and so well written with plenty of fascinating stories.' - Sir Michael Gambon

Concert Lighting: Tools, Techniques, Art, and Business Fourth Edition provides readers with an updated look at how to succeed in the complex world of concert lighting design and technology. The authors have reorganized the book into three comprehensive and thoroughly revised sections, covering history, equipment and technology, and design, and containing new information on LED technology, pixel mapping, projection options, media servers, automated lighting, solutions for moving lights, DMX, and Ethernet problems, and designer communication and collaboration. This book also explores the cross-media use of concert lighting techniques in film, video, theatre, and the corporate world, highlighted with advice from master designers such as Bruce Rodgers, Cosmo Wilson, and Sarah Landau. From securing precious contracts to knowing the best equipment to use to design a show, Concert Lighting covers everything a designer needs to know about working in the touring industry.

This urgent and provocative study explores contemporary Shakespeare performance to bring a sense of theatre as technology into view. Rather than merely using technologies, the theatre's distinctively intermedial character is essential to its complex technicity; the changing function of gesture and costume, of written documents in the making of performance, of light and sound, and of the interplay of live and recorded acting complicate the sense of theatre as a medium. In a series of probing discussions, Worthen interrogates the interaction of live and mediated acting onstage, the impact of written media from the handwritten scroll to the small-screen app in acting as a techne, the work of Original Practices as an interactive modern theatre technology, the economies of theatrical immersion, and the consequences of an emerging algorithmic theatre, providing a richly theoretical reading of the stakes of theatre as an always-emerging technology.

Looking for a job in the theatre and entertainment industry can be daunting, especially when you are newly entering the work market. How do you take the skills and experience acquired through study and present them to prospective employers in the arts industry? Where does your search begin and what should you consider as you plan your future career steps? What is expected in a portfolio and what should you expect in an interview? This book provides straightforward strategies and practical exercises to turn anxiety into excitement and help you develop the job search skills and materials that will empower you to go after the job you want, and get it. If you are about to graduate or just ready to make a change, this book will teach you how to plan for your career as a designer, technician, or stage manager, and put your best professional persona forward when applying for jobs. Topics include resumes, cover letters, business cards and portfolios that will get you moved to the top of the pile; what to expect at an interview and how to answer any interview question; the how and why of negotiating for your worth; long term career planning, financial implications and much more. Filled with practical advice, examples of letters, resumes, CVs and portfolios, and with guidance from industry professionals, it will equip you to plan and succeed in your job search and career development in the entertainment industry.

Unbuttoned: The Art and Artists of Theatrical Costume Design documents the creative journey of costume creation from concept to performance. Each chapter provides an overview of the process, including designing and shopping; draping, cutting, dyeing, and painting; and beading, sewing, and creating embellishments and accessories. This book features interviews with practitioners from Broadway and regional theatres to opera and ballet companies, offering valuable insights into the costume design profession. Exceptional behind-the-scenes photography illustrates top costume designers and craftspeople at work, along with gorgeous costumes in progress.

Foam Patterning and Construction Techniques: Turning 2D Designs into 3D Shapes explains how to create your theatrical prop, puppet, or costume design using the unique and tricky medium of foam. Step-by-step instructions, photographs, and explanations illustrate how to translate your design from paper to reality by creating custom "skin" patterns, followed by creation of a foam mockup. The book details how to bring your project to life with varied finishing techniques, including using fur and fabric coverings and dying and painting foam. Numerous supplies, tools, and safety procedures and protocols are also covered.

`I consider this book a precious report that permits one to assimilate some of those simple and basic principles which the self-taught at times come to know, yet only after years of groping and errors. The book furnishes information regarding discoveries which the actor can understand in practice, without having to start each time from zero. Thomas Richards has worked with me systematically since 1985. Today he is my essential collaborator in the research dedicated to Art as Vehicle.' - from the Preface by Jerzy Grotowski

Covering every phase of a theatrical production, this fourth edition of Sound and Music for the Theatre traces the process of sound design from initial concept through implementation in actual performances. The book discusses the early evolution of sound design and how it supports the play, from researching sources for music and effects, to negotiating a contract. It shows you how to organize the construction of the sound design elements, how the designer functions in a rehearsal, and how to set up and train an operator to run sound equipment. This instructive information is interspersed with 'war stores' describing real-life problems with solutions that you can apply in your own work, whether you're a sound designer, composer, or sound operator.

Screen plays is a ground-breaking collection that chronicles the rich and surprising history of stage plays produced for the small screen between 1930 and the present. The volume opens with a substantial historical outline of how plays originally written for the theatre have been presented by the BBC and ITV, as well as independent producers and cultural organisations. Subsequent chapters utilise a variety of critical methodologies to analyse a wide range of outside broadcasts from theatres, screen adaptations of existing stage productions, along with original television productions of classic and contemporary drama. Making a compelling case for the centrality of the theatre to British television's past and present, Screen plays opens up new areas of research for all those engaged in theatre, media and adaptation studies. -- .