Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1976 - 53

With the present dearth of books relating to theatrical properties this manual should prove to be helpful - particularly to the
less-experienced technician in a community theatre, high school,
or small college situation. Its usefulness in such a context is enhanced by the fact that the vast majority of the materials recommended are, for the most part, readily available in all but the
smallest communities. On the other hand, the experienced technician will probably find the book too elementary and dated to be
of much value. Although a number of techniques for construction
of frameworks and armatures are still very practicable, many of
the other recommended methods have been superceded by the
use of plastics, celastic, vacu-form, fibre-glass and resins, and the
assorted types of foams, which are usually quicker and easier
(although frequently more expensive).

Stage Properties would have found far greater adoption had it
appeared in the lftJited S\ates eleven years ago at the·time of its
first publication in Great Britain. As it stands now, the book's
greatest value will be to the technician in a low-budget, smalltheatre situation. The door is still wide open for a comprehensive
and up-to-date book on property construction and management
for the professional theatre.
W. Joseph Stell

University of Georgia

THE ARTS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK.
edition.
Alvin H. Reiss
New York, Law-Arts Publishers, Inc., 1974
ISBN 0-88238-050-8
x, 802 p., 514.50

Revised

second

I was very impressed when the first edition of this handbook
appeared in 1970. At that time it was subtitled, "A Guide for
Those Interested in or Involved with the Administration of Cultural Institutions," a designation which was accurate and which
forecast the wide acceptance soon apparent among professionals.
Reiss had been working since 1962 on a four-page newsletter
called ARTS MANAGEMENT which reported "his approach to
problems through case histories," related "his successful experiences in 'how-to' stories and brief tips," interpreted "the changing climate in which he worked in background articles," explored
"his expanding horizons in 'think' pieces," and which summarized
"the key developments in his field in news and round-up stories."
The handbook consisted of selected material from sixty-four
issues of the newsletter which had been published between February 1962 and February 1969.
A carefully organized compendium of practical information, it is shaped to meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's cultural administrators, who will find within it, precedents and ideas to help them resolve the chronic problems inherent in managing an arts organization - how to
raise funds, how to promote programs, how to attract
audiences, or how to organize a board of directors.

bibliography of sorts, and the checklist of articles which appeared during this period serves a similar function. I would strongly suggest that this book be required reading for all Americans
interested in the arts, for if it does not begin to offer solutions
to all the problems THE ARTS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK
affords a perspective of the issues and components involved.
Robert H. Cowden

University of Nebraska/Omaha

THEATRES AND AUDITORIUMS
(Second Edition with Supplement)
by Harold Burris-Meyer and Edward C. Cole
Huntington, New York: Robert E. Krieger Pub. Co., Inc., 1975
ISBN 0-8825-170-0
vii + 475 pp., illus., S22.50
The names and credentials of these two authors need no introduction to the members of USITT. The long and respected
careers of these men encompass practically all aspects of theatre
including, among other things, education, consulting, and production. Both have been recipients of USITT Founders Awards
and Harold Burris-Meyer is in fact one of the founding members
of USITT. Between them they hold memberships in most of
the professional societies and organizations dealing with theatre
and acoustics. Similarly, this book Theatres and Auditoriums,
also needs no introduction_ It has been one of the standard reference works on theatre since the 1950's_
The original edition of this work was published in 1949. It was
written to meet the growing need for information on theatre design and technology necessitated by the ever increasing number of
theatres and performing arts facilities which were being built
farther and farther away from the theatrica I mecca of Broadway.
At that time those responsible for the programming, design and
management of these new faci lities did not always have the practical or technical knowledge of theatre necessary for developing
a successful project since most had had little, if any, prior experience with them. It was to assist these individuals that the book
was first written. The second edition was published in 1964 and
it documented the various developments in theatre planning,
usage, and technology which had occurred in the 15 years since
the first edition. The present edition continues this documentation of the developments in theatre and theatre technology.
It should be noted that this present publication is not a revision of the second edition. It is rather, as stated on the title page,
the "second edition with new supplement." This edition is the
same as the second edition published in 1964, but with an added
80 page Chapter 16, entitled "THEATRES 1964 to 1975." Before looking at this particular section of the book a brief review
of the contents of the original 15 chapters may help to refresh
our memories as to the wealth of information contained in this
publication.

This second edition is both a weeding out and a fleshing out
of the original. Reiss delved into fifteen more issues of his newsletter dating up to February 1973 and managed to come up with
147 more pages bulging with ideas on all aspects of the arts.
The organization of material remains the same attesting to the sensibility of the original concept. The five major sections include
Economics and Sociology with material on fund-raising and
audiences, Arts Organization and Management with a section
on facilities, Public Relations in the Arts and the Community.
In comparing similar sections of the two editions, one finds
that newer material is used to strengthen the concept involved
while older or irrelevant material is deleted.

The purpose of this book is to provide information on the
basics of theatre planning, design, and usage dictated by the
functional requirements of each type of theatre production
or performance_ As such it is extremely useful to theatre owners
to help them understand the complexities inherent in a functioning theatre and allows them to be able to define their needs more
accurately when planning a new facility. It is also indispensible to
the architect designing a theatre since it explains in great detail
the functional relationships and technical requirements of theatres of all types. This information includes technical data on
audience and actor circulation, the basics of lighting, acoustics,
electrical, mechanical, and plumbing services, space and functional
requirements for performers and various production types, stage
machinery, production aspects, etc. It essentially provides design
information for just about every possible area of the theatre from
the lobby to backstage as well as on most everything that fills
in the space between the two. Although the information contained in this book is not new it still is one of the most complete reference works for theatre design and planning.

It is not always the case that revised editions replace or improve their predecessors. Reiss has done a marvelous job in this
respect. The addition of a chronological review of books and
reports which appeared between 1969 and 1973 functions as a

As mentioned above, the only new section of this book is
Chapter 16: "THEATRES 1964 to 1975". This chapter is interesting since it contains more information than the title alone implies.
The chapter is divided roughly into three areas: background on the

Clearly Mr. Reiss conceived of his handbook as a practical
tool, a day-to-day reference work for professional administrators,
but it serves equally as well for students, artists, trustees, businessmen; indeed for anyone who relates to the activities of cultural
organizations.

USITT

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

FALL,1976

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1976