Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2013 - 80

book

review

spot-on good design practice.
Part Three, Data Communication and Networking, introduces us to communication and data standards. Of special note is his
section on Ethernet, which, in my opinion, brings great clarity to
this often misunderstood, yet essential method for interconnection. He then expands this into two more chapters that deal with
TCP/IP, LANs, and the myriad of advanced networking topics that
can trip up even seasoned professionals. Huntington's presentation of these topics is particularly outstanding.
Part Four, Standards and Protocols, covers the main industry standards and protocols-such as DMX512, MIDI, SMPTE,
and a brief introduction to Open Sound Control (OSC).
Part Five, Show Control, brings it all together-and we are
reunited with the now fully meaningful term show control. Here
the term show control is seen not as a single prescribed method,
but as an approach framed by guiding principles. His instructive
real-life scenarios are designed to underscore his theme; each
leads to several possible solutions. The educator who chooses to
use Huntington's book as a classroom text will find that it stimulates creative discussion.

Three minor misses
I think this book falls a bit short in explaining general electrical theory, especially as it relates to interfacing. This is apparent
when he describes transistor interfaces. Admittedly, this could
easily fill an entire book or semester course in electrical engineering, but an expansion here would function at the same level
as the rest of the book.
I see a potential big future for OSC. It barely gets five pages,
and although it is currently not a widely adopted professional standard, the same could have been said about MIDI in the not-toodistant past. I believe OSC is a very accessible format that young
designers can easily grasp and implement as a show control paradigm by translating it in and out to existing control standards.
And finally, I would have liked to have seen full examples
from real, actualized shows! I understand that could have entailed certain legal and trade-secret limitations, but I missed the
direct grounding to reality that this would have provided.

Modern classic reboot
Show Networks and Control Systems is more than just a timely
update to the venerable Control Systems for Live Entertainment;
it is a modern reassessment that truly reflects current trends and
practices in the themed entertainment industries. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in, or of course directly
involved with, themed entertainment design. This outstanding
work has become the primary textbook for my graduate courses
in show control for themed entertainment. It fluidly straddles the
line between textbook and reference manual and fills a very important niche in our industry.

theatre design

& technology

w i n t e r 2013

Michael K. Hooker has designed sound ranging from
Broadway and regional theatre, to numerous themed
entertainment attractions. He served five years with Walt
Disney Imagineering as senior media designer, where he
worked on three of their newest international theme parks.
He is currently professor of drama and head of the sound
design program at the University of California, Irvine. He
is also a former USITT Sound Commissioner and currently
the Vice-Commissioner of Sound Education. He served as
chair of the 2012 USITT Sound Lab.

An Introduction to Theatre Design
By Stephen Di Benedetto; London, New York, Routledge, 2012.
222 pp. Cloth, $120. Paper, $50.95.
Reviewed by Tom
Burch
I must begin by saying
that I wish that Stephen
Di Benedetto's An Introduction to Theatre
Design had come out
a few months before
it did. In my newlyacquired teaching position I'm expected to
teach an Intro to Stage
Design course for non-designers, and, by and large, this book
is a solid initial exploration of the basic processes and roles involved in designing for the stage. While I have some misgivings
and points of concern, I do think it has a lot to offer the uninitiated student of stage design, especially at the high school and
early college levels.
There are many structural flourishes that Di Benedetto, who
teaches theatre history and theory at the University of Miami, uses
that make it particularly appealing. Each chapter begins with a
list of Key Topics detailing primary information covered and a list
of Examples, a compendium of images and realized professional
designs that he uses to illustrate the Key Topics. At the end of several chapters, there are what he calls Case Studies, in which he
discusses in more detail one to three realized productions. There
are also quotes from a substantial array of professional designers peppered throughout each chapter that give a professional's
perspective on the subjects at hand. I really appreciated that a
lot of legwork was done to incorporate and point out contemporary design. This is exemplified by the fact that images from
War Horse dominate the cover, and the first design discussed in
Chapter 1 is Todd Rosenthal's set for August: Osage County.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2013