Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1993 - 55

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Civil war Era Etiquette: Martine's
Handbook & Vulgarisms in
Conversation

issuing a number of handsome and reasonably priced reprinrs, mainly concerned
wirh cosrume and sewing. Civil \\'Itlr Era
ETiquette is an imporranr addirion ro rhis
lisr.
Augusr W. Staub
University ofGeO/gia

ered are problems of srage worrhiness and
design of such properries, especially rhe arr
of boldly defining small props. nusual in
\kndocino, C-\.: R.L. Shep, 19
a cosrume rexr is irs very specific discussion abour building props of many rypes.
This excellenr reference work consisrs of
Specific examples of properries and marerials are presenred.
Louis Marrine's Handbook of Etiquette,
1866, and Charles LeFollowing rhe inrroducrion of rhe advanrages
land's Vulgarism in Conversation, 1864, garnished
and disadvanrages of variwirh i1lusrrarions from
ous fabrics for use on rhe
BOOK REVIEWS
Godq's Lady's Book, 1822srage is an exrended dis86, Battles and Leaders oj
cussion of rhe curring
the Civil \\,far, 1893, all
and firring of period cosbound rogerher in a handrumes. As rhe aurhors so
some reprinr. Civil \\'Itlr Era Etiquette is
righrly mainrain, padding, corsering, and
nor only a charming rrip inro nosralgia bur
correcr cur are rhe only ways ro achieve
rhe kind of book which ir should be on rhe
period silhouerre. Simple line drawings as
Designing and Making Stage
well as renderings from medieval rimes ro
Costumes
shelf of every person who has a prerense ro
being an acror, direcror, or hisrorian
by i\todey. Revised edition. New York: Theatre Arts Books.
rhe Belle Epoque guide rhe COHumer
As wirh every book of rhis kind, rhere
1992. ISBN 0- -S30-02l-X. 143 pages, 519.95.
rhrough rhe inrricacies of various irems of
c10rhing which may be unfamiliar ro modare delighrful insighrs inro rhe narure of
rhe human animal and our fierce efforrs ro
Founded in 1932 rhe design group Morern eyes.
mainrain a sense of civiliry- As Louis t-.larley-consisring of Margarer Harris,
Helpful ro rhe small educarional or
rine argues, eriquerre is a form "of suppleSophie Devine, and Elizaberh ~vlonr- communiry rhearre is a chaprer on "The
Basic Cosrume," rhose mosr basic pieces of
menr ro rhe law which enables sociery ro
gomery-made a name for irself designing
prorecr irself againsr offenses rhe law canc10rhing ro acquire for a permanenr
cosrumes and sers. Their designs were used
all over rhe Wesr End and ar rhe Old Vic,
wardrobe from which a cosrumer can builr
nor rouch." Marrine rhen elaborares on
rhis "supplemenr ro rhe law" under various
on Broadway and ar rhe Metropoliran
jusr abour anyrhing for any rime. These
Opera, among orhers. Originally pubropics and pracrices, from conversarion ro
include rhe various perricoars, righrs, and
rhe proper carving of mear, from deporrlished in 1964, rhis new edirion of Design- wool cardigans which wirh judicious addiing and Making Stage Costumes by Michael
menr ar dinner parries ro manners while
rions can serve as a foundarion for many
Mullin remains whar every beginning differenr periods.
rraveling. Each of rhese ropics is given
Finally rhe aurhors have provided an
design book oughr ro be-a feasr for rhe
derailed arrenrion. The proper ways ro
carve 30 differenr curs of mear are presenrillusrrared chaprer on rhe inreracrion of
eyes. Ir is also readable while conraining
ed, and rhe long chaprers on various parpracrical informarion abour every rep of culrural sryles on rhe silhouerre of cosrume. This is parricularly imporranr ro rhe
ries always include procedures for "currhe cosrume design and building process.
ring" rhe inrroduced persons along wirh
The organizarion is logical, beginning srudenr in order ro broaden undersranding
various arrirudes of warmrh.
wirh rhe design process and passing of jusr why parricular c10rhing was worn ar
a parricular rime. \Vhile occasionally a deMarrine's work is rhe major porrion of rhrough ro rhe producrion of rhe cosrume
rhe book. The vulgarisms in conversarion
skerch. The use of color is addressed nor
signer has rhe opporruniry ro creare a roral
is an alphaberical lisring of each word or
only in rhe usual rheorerical ways bur as ir
fanrasy occurring ourside rhe real world,
phrase rogerher wirh rhe "correcr" speech,
is ro be applied depending upon rhe mode
mosr plays are ser in hisrory in some way.
for example: ''Ain't, insread of is nor."
of performance: rhearre or relevision, live
Depending upon rhe demands of rhe scripr,
The leasr useful aspecr of rhis lirrle volrhe designer will have ro deal wirh whar
dance or film. A discussion of how one
ume are rhe illusrrarions, which are simply
mighr be considered less-rhan-desirable
inrerprers characrer and rhe adjusrmenrs
appended wirhour commenr and which
which need ro be made upon dererminamarerials or silhouerres in order ro delineare nor sufficienr in number or variery ro
rion of rhe casr nearh, ries in wirh a discusare characrer. \X/ider knowledge of cui rural
consrirure a resource. t-.lore ro rhe poinr,
sion of srage and cosrume properries. Covhisrory will also be helpful in harmonizing
rhe number of fulsome
one's efforts wirh rhose of
visual references of borh
rhe scene designer.
graphic and phorograph
Liberal use of anecdoSYLVIA HILLYARD, EDITOR
varieries is plenriful and
ral supporr for sraremenrs
easy ro obrain elsewhere.
abour design makes rhe
R. L. Shep has been
reading inreresring bur,

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TD&T

1993 WINTER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1993