Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1981 - 49

Metalworking for the Designer and Technician by Douglas C. Taylor. New York: Drama Book Specialists (publishers), 1979, ISBN 0910482-86-1, 132 pp., illus., $13.95(1) paper.
Metalworking, in its current state in the theatre, suffers from a
rather peculiar condition. While the use of metals has gained wide acceptance in the vocabulary of modern stagecraft, the art and science
of metalworking remains mystifyingly inaccessible to many technicians. Although "traditional" stage technology and an economy that
once favored lumber products may be one source of the problem, the
absence of an accessible resource of the "hows and whys" of metalworking as it related to our profession has been a significant factor as
well.
To date, inquisitive technicians have had to acquaint themselves
with metalworking practice via a quantity of technical manuals whose
orientation and verbiage could perplex the most well-intentioned novice. Clearly, an introductory source was needed to make the task at
hand approachable, in order that the manuals could function as supplements to specific techniques. Douglas C. Taylor's Metalworking for
the Designer and Technician is the introductory source. It plainly demystifies the realm of metalworking.
An important key word to Taylor's approach lies within the title itself. By approaching readers in both design and technical areas, he
assiduously avoids a dryly technical point of view. The introduction
and first chapter set a colloquially informal tone which acquaints the
reader with the visual and structural possibilities inherent in metalsoriented design and construction. The ensuing chapters covering materials, equipment and shaping and fastening methods are all aimed at
a moderately sophisticated, craft-oriented readership. The "overview" nature of the text does not intend to answer all questions that
might arise, nor does it suggest that it can. Taylor carefully provides
just enough information for the reader to become "intelligently informed" about various processes. Safety orientation and practice in
various techniques is thoroughly stressed.
Metalworking for the Designer and Technician is copiously illustrated with photographs and sketches that re-emphasize the design
and craft aspects of metalworking. Taylor has written an attractive
and eminently readable text that should significantly contribute to the
level of technical training and metals "literacy" in the coming years.

Steve Pollock

Introducing...KLIEGUGHTS'V for the 80's!

The new generation of KlIEGUGHTS'
you insisted we design.

.C)
CD
.-

The 1550 series of 1000 Watt
KLlEGLIGHTS"\ provides rapid lamp
alignmen . interchangeable lens
ubes. a unique four-way ro a ing
shu er assembly and Improved
hermal dynamics for longer
lamp life These axial plano-convex
ellipsoidal spotlights are available
with fields of 12. 20. 30. 40. and 55 Kliegl Bios
for tOial lighting flexibility. ~~~~2;;,,;r,;,AC~~
Accessories include drop,in iris* "e"Yor<
1 '0
2·2-7B6-7~7.
po ern holder and color frame. 'eex "
9
Write or call for our free literature.

The best choice is always Kliegl!

I
leg

SUNY Stony Brook

[

How to Run a Small Box Office by Kirsten Beck. New York: Drama
Book Specialists (Publishers), 1980, ISBN 0-933750-01-3, 96 pp.,
illus., $4.95 (I).
In these days of increased accountability for subsidized theatres of
all kinds, arts administrators have become even more aware of the necessity for efficient, accurate box office operations. Most large
theatres have found the funding to provide for the complexities of box
office management, but small Off Off Broadway (OOB) houses face
particular problems due to money and staff limitations that restrict the
time available for maintaining an adequate system. Kirsten Beck has
taken some of the difficulty and mystery out of this accountability dilemma by writing a compact, concise guide to box office procedures
for theatres of 100 seats or less. She has designed her book for use
in OOB theatres, but its contents can just as easily be applied to community and university performance organizations with houses of limited size.
Reasons for developing an auditable box office system may seem
obvious to most theatre managers, but the means of achieving necessary accountability can appear forbidding in their complexity. Beck
provides a fresh approach based on her experience with a number of
OOB theatres. She begins by examining the requirements of New
York State funding sources (perhaps the toughest in the country) and
applying her observations to basic box office procedures. Included in
her book are examples of the kinds of tickets theatres can use to establish an audit system and the addresses of reputable ticket companies that specialize in producing inexpensive, auditable tickets for
small operations. Security vs. cost factors are clearly described so
that the reader can weigh the pros and cons of a variety of ticket formats that might be useful in particular situations. In every case, her

(Continued on page 50
USITT /Summer, 1981

J!!
.c
C)

)

[3o
@

Scenic Paints, Lighting, Tools, Special effects.
Draperies on Quotation
Large Stocks

Immediat~

Shipment

Write On Your Letterhead For Complete Catalog

MUTUAL HARDWARE CORP.
5-45 49th AVE., 1.1.c., N.Y. 11101 (212) 361-2480

Theatre Design & Technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1981