Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1991 - 46

yet again.
In each of the seven chaptets Larson
discusses the anists he considets
imponant to the movement. Since many
of the same designets are discussed in
each chapter there is some repetition, and
occasionally material seems to belong to
an earlier or later time. Then, too, the
plan necessarily interrupts the flow of
each designer's development while we
catch up with all the others. Despite such
jolts, most of the time there is a strong
narrative feeling to the whole. Even the
repetition has the advantage of
emphasizing the accomplishments Larson
considers most important.
In an aftetword Larson concludes:
"The new stagecraft movement in the
American theatre ... was principally the
work of four men: Roben Edmond Jones,
Lee Simonson, Donald Oenslager and Jo
Mielziner." Their special aesthetic is the
subject of his last chapter.
In the history of scene design the
theory of self abnegation-the idea that
the scene designer was the handmaiden of
the playwright and/or director was as
revolutionary as it was uniquely American: the philosophy of a group of artists
so fervenrly commirred to their art that
the work became more important than
self. The very nature of the scene
designer's an, as they envisioned it,
particularly its eclecticism, discouraged
the formation of individual styles among
designers, at the willing expeme ofego.
Larson obviously feels a great love for
Jones (whom he never met); he respected
Simonson and admired Oenslager; yet he
selects Jo Mielziner as the one designer
who "reached the ultimate refinement of
the new stagecraft designer's arr."
So ends the text of American Scene
Design from 1915 to 1960, but there is a
great deal more to the book. Larson has
included a photographic gallery of new
stagecraft designers. There is a folio of
scene designs with a separate color
section.
Altogether there are just a litde under
300 photographs in the book. The folio is
followed by a chronology of American
scene designers between 1915 and 1%0,
arranged first by artist and then by year,
listing each design in order. Larson has
also included Roben Edmond Jones' light
plot for the famous (notorious)
production of Macbeth. otes all appear
at the end of the book. There is a select
bibliography in two pans: the first
arranged alphabetically by source, rhe
second by artist. An index appears
valuable to one just beginning to work
with the material.
As in all first editions there are
44

1991

SUMMER

TD&T

occasional misplacements, omissions or
mistakes. The ones sporred have been
shared with the author so that future
editions can be even better.
This book should prove valuable to
srudents of theaue for years to come, and
it should be one of the necessary books in
the library of every theatre artist.
-Daniel Hannon
Southwest Texas State University

***
Period Costume for Stage and Screen
by Jean Hunnisett
New York: Drama Book Publishers, 1988. ISBN 0-04«0086 I, 191 pp., ill.

One of the more curious quirks in
costuming is that for a profession whose
subject marrer spans the entire history of
the world, there are so few texts which aid
in its understanding. Of the texts that do
exist, most are either so broadly based that
a period will be condensed into two
silhouerres and as many pages or so
specialized that they offer period
construction without history, history
without construction, or a detailed
explanation of all the materials used in a
period (none of which have existed in the
last 150 years.) As such, new books in the
area of costuming almost always receive a
royal welcome-then the inspection.
From my first glance through Jean
Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage and
Screen, I was excited. Though the book
only covers cosrume from 1800 - 1909, it
focuses on interpretation of fashion plates
and designs from the currer's point of
view so as to be able to be true to a
designer's intent. Ms. Hunniserr, principal
currer for the Glyndebourne Festival
Opera, is of the philosophy that those
who construct costumes share with the
designer the responsibility for knowledge
of the period.
Part One begins with Ms. Hunniserr
explaining the workings of a costume
shop and how a cutter translates a design
from paper to reality. She then continues
by offering exercises in draping a bodice
mock-up (toile). While her instructions
are clear and supponed by a series of stepby-step photographs, they hardly provide
a thorough enough understanding for a
student to be able to drape other firred
shapes.
The First Part continues by explaining
sewing techniques that are peculiar to
costuming (boning, cartridge pleating,
ete.) but it is clear that this "beginner's
book" assumes a substantial knowledge of
clothing consuuction.

Pan one concludes with a section on
fitting techniques on bodices, once again
nicely supponed by two step-by-step
photo series of bodice fillings and a final
section on corset construction and
fittings.
Each subsequent chapter begins with a
section which summarizes the period,
followed by several scale patterns offering
a range of bodice, sleeve, and skin cuts.
These are accompanied by construction
notes which include both period construction and more practical modern
methods for use on stage. Ms. Hunniserr
then discusses these parrerns and
construction techniques by citing
examples from fashion plates and cosrume
renderings. Of particular value are her
sections on busrles, crinolines and corsets.
She pays great arrention not only to the
cut and assembly of underpinnings, but
to firring techniques as well. Here, the
clarity of her construction notes far
surpasses orah Waugh's Corsets and
Crinolines, her perspective being less "why
we wear these" and more on "how we
make these."
The book's main inconsistency lies in
its billing as a text for beginners while
assuming the reader's knowledge of
clothing construction. Unfortunately,
there are very few of us in academia who
are lucky enough to confront a beginning
cosruming class in which srudents have
any such measurable knowledge. While
this does nor invalidate Period Costume for
Stage and Screen as a text, I find it more
appropriate as an instructional supplement for an intermediate patternmaking
class (ideally as a companion book to
Hillhouse and Mansfield's Dress Design)
or as a reference for professionals and
advanced srudents.
Throughout, while giving period
construction methods their due, Ms.
Hunniserr asserts that modern construction or a combination of period and
modern techniques best serve the needs of
the theatrical costumer. She gives many
clear examples of this throughout the text,
ofren in the form of her "Mandy Hint"
section. The parrerns and drawings are
clear and concise. All these combine to
make Period Costume for Stage and Screen
a very accessible book.
It is sad that Ms. Hunniserr's book
focuses only on the 19th century as it a
century in which we have a fairly wide
range of reference available. I would like
to see this become the first in a series of
such books dating back through the last
millennium.
-Paula Higgins
California State University, Northridge
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1991
