Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1975 - 34

Spectacle. It seems rather apparent that each chapter
is intended to relate to a specific historical design
project as the student works his way through the text
during the course of a year. From the learner's point
of view, the clarification and the step-by-step approach to the discussion of historical style should be
a great help. Each chapter is representative and does
touch on the considerations that need to be given to
each historic period, but there is some lack of depth.
It seems appropriate at this point to relate this to the
type of course for which the book might be used. />,n
instructor teaching costume design in a professional
program will have no difficulty supplying the needed
depth. Courses in non-professional programs will
probably not miss the depth.
The last section of the book is a brief outline of
historic costume. The author makes it perfectly clear
that the section is intended only as a background for
the student. I can readily imagine many costume
teachers in non-professional programs using it as is,
and supplementing the volume with, perhaps, a
minimum of visual materials. I can not fail to point
out that the line drawings of the typically costumed
couples leave much to be desired as illustrative
examples. Russell has included a list of recommended sources for each historic period, as a
research guide for the student. The "Glossary of
Terms" for historic costume, and generous Bibliographies for both historic costume and additional
readings are quite ample. The book concludes with a
hefty forty page index.
In conclusion, I recommend the book for use as a
text for an introductory course in costume design.
Even though it is the only book available which deals
with the full topic of design in the format most often
used in college courses, Stage Costume Design does
the job well.
Robert Lewis Smith
C. W. Post College

SHAKESPEARE'S SECOND GLOBE: THE
MISSING MONUMENT
C. Walter Hodges
London, Oxford University Press, 1973
100 pp., illus.
$9.00
Those who might be tempted to make firstglance comparisons between C. Walter Hodges'
attractive children's book, Shakespeare's Theatre,
and his latest, Shakespeare's Second Globe, will
be surprised to discover in the latter VOlume a
more scholarly. investigative and speculative
writer who has set out to draw up accurate and
historically justifiable plans for an anticipated
reconstruction of the second Globe Theatre on. or

near. its Southwark site. The need which prompted Hodges to embark upon this task lies in the
fact that Shakespeare's is the only important
period of dramatic history for which there is no extant example of theatre architecture - thus, the
missing monument.
Hodges was further induced to look into the
Globe controversy because of the existence of a
single contemporary pictorial document. The
basis of Hodges' study is a "long view" etching of
London made by the Bohemian artist. Wenceslaus
Hollar. and published in 1647. In order to build his
speculations on the firmest foundations, Hodges
takes considerable pains to establish the
credibility and reliability of Hollar as a visual
reporter and in his description of Hollar's work,
Hodges - a skilled artist himself - displays an
expert understanding of the processes and
techniques used by the 17th century artist.
Having established the authority of Hollar's
picture. Hodges proceeds to work from the sketch
of the Globe, mislabeled the "Beere bayting
house," which it contains. Hodges projects the
outline of Hollar's building into two diagrammatical plans through which he makes a very convincing graphic case about the size, shape and
proportions of Shakespeare's second theatre. He
further demonstrates his conversance with the
construction and eng i neeri ng aspects of
Elizabethan buildings as he first describes, then
carries on to solve the questions which arise from
the Hollar drawing's depiction of the theatre's
superstruc"ture and lantern. In a following chapter,
Hodges treats the interior where he extends the
logic of his overall approach to such areas as the
stage, the tiring house house facade, the heavens,
the public entrances and the standing space.
The uncompromising spirit of Hodges' investigation is somewhat dampened in the final
chapter when he indicates how the reconstructed
building might be adapted to the expectations and
needs of modern day users. The book is otherwise
textually and visually very satisfying. It is generous
in format and well illustrated with historic material
as well as Hodges' clearly and simply laid out
diagrams and skillful pen and ink renderings.
Brian Arnott

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THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

SUMMER. 1975

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