Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1994 - 65

* Indicates an official journal of the International
Organization of Scenographers, Technicians, and Architects of
Theatre (OISTAT).
1D&I
ote: The Stage is a handsome new quarterly theatre magazine sponsored by the
Russian Theatre Association and published as a joim Russian-French vemure.
(The periodical has been struggling rhrough its early edirions due ro the recem
economic and political changes in Russia.) While mosr edirorial work is done in

Moscow, priming and production occur in France. The Stage is wrinen by practitioners for practitioners and will cover all aspects of theatrical production from
all corners of Russia. Maior articles are written in Russian with French and
English translation. Future issues may include German translation. For subscriptions and information, contact:
Union of Russian Theatre Artists
Strasrnoi Bd, 10 STD RF
Moscow
Russia, 103031

BOOK REVIEWS
Stage Fright: Health and Safety in the Theater
by Monona Rosso!. Allworth Press, NY, 1991, ISB T 09607118-3X, $12.95 US, 129 pages
As I read through Rossol's informative and well-written book,
I recalled my first image of how health and safety issues were
perceived by my production colleagues in the early '70s. The
picture that comes ro mind is of the famous "Cowboy After
OSHA" drawing in which the gteat American icon of individualism and macho roughness was depicted in an absurd outfit
that combined every conceivable (and some nor so conceivable) safety device know ro the world ro keep the cowpoke
from hurting himself. The message behind this satirical image
was, "You can't possibly do your job if you take all this safety
stuff seriously."
Rossol, who received her undergraduate degtee with honors in chemistry and math from the University of Wisconsin, is
out ro change that thinking, However, she does note, "For
decades, theatre students and apprentices have worked in
schools and shops that lacked proper ventilation and protective devices ... They rarely have been instructed about the roxicity of materials, the hazards of particular tasks, the laws and
regulations that apply ro their work, or getting help from government and private agencies." Her approach in writing this
book was ro wisely treat this broad ropic in as succinct a manner as possible and give the teader more than enough sources
ro follow up on their own. The numerous examples, anecdotes, charts, tables and the extensive bibliography help give
the reader a map ro follow in creating a safer workplace.
However, I was struck by what appeared ro me ro be one
glaring omission in this book: USITT. After reading Stage
Fright, you would never know an organization like USITT
existed or that it had an active Health and Safety Commission
trying ro educate people about making safer theatres. As I say
that, I am nor certain if this fact should be taken as a criticism
of this book, USITT, or both.
Stage Fright is organized around three main sections:
"Before You Begin," "\X1 hat You Can Do," and "The
Hazards." Each section addresses health and safety ropics and
introduces the reader ro the vocabulary of the field. The first
section, "Before You Begin," guides the reader through familiar terrirory such as the inherent safety hazards in production
and performance. Rossol's discussions about attitudes, time
pressures, lack of proper training, and stress all ring true. She
briefly outlines the scope of OSHA and laSH and the services they offer ro workers in the performing arts. Her advice
about establishing a health and safety committee in your theatre seems like a sensible way ro begin changing the overall

attitudes and practices in an arts organization. The section on
safety hazards covers such areas as rigging, lighting and electrical safety, and ladders. The experienced theatre practitioner
will find this section a useful reminder of all the places where
things can go wrong. The final chapter in this section, "Health
Hazards," is a rather depressing listing of many of the symproms and diseases brought on by working with a broad array
of products familiar ro many of us.
Section 2 of the book helps the reader develop strategies
for dealing with the many problem products in the marketplace. Rossol notes that even tracking down the Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on products will still not help
many theatre workers because the products produced by
many small vendors often do not list the components used in
creating the product. It is in this section that the reader learns
the startling fact that for a product ro be classified as "roxic,"
five or more of ten rats fed the substance have ro die in two
weeks. If only four rats die, the product is classified as "nonroxic." Ms. Rossol notes, with a great deal of understatement, "The distinction between roxic and nonroxic ... is not as
great as the average consumet would assume." Teedless ro
say, once you do find our what may be in the products you
are using, taking Rossol's advice ro use safer products seems
prudent. This section also details various types of protective
equipment that should be worn, including respirarors and filtration systems, and the creation of effective ventilation systems. I did find the cartoon insets at the beginning of many
chapters, while humorous at times, a bit roo cutsy. While I
appreciate a bit of gallows humor as much as the next person, in some cases the little sketches come off as being amateurish.
The last section of Stage Fright details the many hazards of
paint, pigments, dyes, solvents, plastics, wood products,
asbesros, theatrical makeup, welding, fog, smoke, and special
effects. Extensive tables list the products and the various hazards associated with long-term use. Whether it is dealing with
the harmful effects of PCP (pentachlorphenal) in wood products, or respirarory distress caused by isocyanate crosslinkers
(from polyurethane casting), Stage Fright gives readers solid
information they can use everyday.
If you work in the theatre, this book should be part of
your library. In fact, I think it should be required reading for
all students enrolled in design and production courses in this
country. I know if I were teaching an introducrory technical
theatre course, I would include this book as part of the core
:r
readings.

WILLIAM]. BYRNES
Oberlin College

T D& T

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S P R I N G

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1994