This book profiles scenic designers who worked on Broadway between the 1915-16 and 1989-90 theatre seasons. The more than 900 biographies provide information about the designer's backgrounds and professional credits. The profiles (approximately 200 words each) are followed by a chronological list of Broadway credits--in scenic design, followed by lighting design and costume design credits. The introduction outlines the profession in the twentieth century on Broadway and the development of American design from the "New Stagecraft." The appendixes cover four major awards that have acknowledged the contributions of scenic designers, among others, to the Broadway stage--The Tony, Maharam, Donaldson, and American Theatre Wing Awards. The index alphabetically lists each play followed by the designer's name when that information is available. A selected bibliography is included, as are 12 renderings, the designers' original work, as illustrations. These illustrations span the history of the American theatre in the twentieth century, beginning with The Man Who Married A Dumb Wife, designed by Robert Edmond Jones in 1915, and generally regarded as the beginning of the modern era on Broadway. The most recent design included is Grand Hotel, the musical, designed by Tony Walton in 1989 which was nominated for a Tony Award for outstanding scenic design.

As long as plays have been presented, choices have been made about the environment in which they occur, the garments the performers wear, and how to focus the audience's attention. Designers, then, have been instrumental in shaping the history of theater. But before designers were routinely listed in playbills, they could only be identified through other sources, including press releases, reviews, news articles, contracts, and personal papers. This reference provides alphabetically arranged entries for the more than 2,300 scenery, costume, and lighting designers who worked on Broadway in the 20th century. It begins with the 1899-1900 season and ends with the 2000-2001 season.

Each entry includes a brief biography and a list of the designer's credits. The emphasis is on individuals rather than companies, but some small businesses formed by designers have been retained as examples. Appendices list the winners of major design awards, and the volume includes a selected bibliography. The extensive index cites the more than 10,000 plays produced on Broadway in the 20th century. While not a narrative history, this reference is nonetheless a comprehensive chronicle of theatrical design on Broadway.

Very little has been published about the profession of theatrical lighting design, and less has been written about the individuals who practice this art. Until recently, the field was not recognized as a craft separate from stage design, and lighting designers were not credited in playbills or programs. Over four hundred individuals who designed lighting are profiled here in biographical sketches, each accompanied by a chronological listing of Broadway credits for lighting, and for scenic and costume design when relevant. An introduction briefly surveys the lighting design profession and its development on Broadway. Appendixes list winners of the three major awards in the field, and a selective bibliography on lighting design is included. The index provides access from the play title to the designer's name, and, in doing so, indicates every play for which a lighting designer was credited. The frontispiece reproduces a light plot by Jean Rosenthal for Night of the Iguana (1962). This comprehensive volume will be valuable to researchers and professionals in lighting design, stage design, and theatre history generally.