Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1980 - 29

are introduced to case studies and interviews of three successful arts
administrators: Ruth Higgins, Peter Schneider, and Barry Holden.
The book reads easily like a frank discussion between equals; no
put-downs anywhere--just a calm, confident listing of things to watch
out for. Two of the more interesting chapters deal with "Buildings and
Spaces," and "Marketing, Publicity, and Promotion." They renewed
my personal belief that the mechanics are never as obscure as they
may seem. Common sense and disciplined application will solve almost any problem, or at least put it into its proper perspective. Horwitz then wraps up all this information with a detailed history of MoMing Dance-Theatre Center to illustrate how the pieces fit together in
the real world. By the way, the appendices are great, as is the bibliography!
Robert H. Cowden

San Jose State University

Theatre Lighting Before Electricity by Frederick Penzel. Middletown:
Wesleyan University Press, 1978, ISBN 0-8195-5021-3, x + 180 pp.,
illus., $16.00 cloth.

The author of this work, Frederick Penzel, technical director and
lighting designer at Williams College, has attempted to fill a need with
this recent book, namely to provide a history of theatrical lighting before the advent of electricity. He starts, naturally, at the beginning
and, in the first chapter, brings the reader up to 1660. Obviously he
cannot dwell for long on material before the Renaissance, so he
quickly brings us to that period using the work of Serlio, Ingegnieri,
Sabbatini, Furttenbach, and Jones for his references. Penzel continues with the next period ranging from the Restoration to 1800; here
his references are to the works of Flecknoe, Wilkinson, Hill, Monnet,
Garrick, etc. Chapter three surveys "The Early Uses of Gas" beginning with Jan Baptista van Helmont, the Flemish alchemist born in
1577, who first made use of the word "gas" and tracing, briefly, its
uses through 1817, by which time the gas meter and gasometer had
been developed thus assuring gas production, storage and metering.
The fourth chapter carries gas, as a means of illumination, into the
theatre. Gas was first used to illuminate the exteriors of the buildings,
then the interior public areas and, finally, the stage, so that by the
1817-1818 season the major theatres in London: the Lyceum, Drury
Lane and Covent Garden, were all making use of gas illumination
throughout the house. In the next chapter Mr. Penzel carries us
across the Atlantic and deals with the development of gas illumination
in the United States.
In the sixth chapter, dealing with the impact of this new kind of illumination on the stage, the author discusses some of the ramifications
other than being used as a novelty; he points out how the advent of
gas illumination strangely anticipates the pattern to be followed by the
introduction of electricity in the theatre so much later in the nineteenth
century. At long last, to heighten the illusion, auditoria could be made
darker than the stage, thereby setting the audience and performer farther apart esthetically. The greater intensity of illumination underscored the exaggeration of the actors' style; more of the stage floor
became available to the actor--he wasn't so locked into a limited
space downstage center; because of the greater control of light,
greater illusion could be accomplished; scrims could be used more
subtly than earlier; the new technological advance led to the use of
the cyclorama; a tangential development was the limelight; color media could be used more effectively, etc.
The final chapter deals with the transition from gas to electricity in
the latter half of the century. Two appendices: "The Production & Delivery of Gas" and "Gaslighting Instruments" round out the text. The
whole is concluded with some fifty plates illuminating the foregoing
text, nicely reproduced but with the briefest of captions which occasionally cause some confusion as detail plates may change compass
orientation from the full illustration with no such indication. However,
the book is handsomely laid out; the text, in quite large type, is set to
a relatively narrow measure allowing generous margins.
When all is said and done, it is necessary to point out that, for the
most part, secondary sources have been used as well as such elementary reference works as the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chamber's
Encyclopedia and the Oxford Companion to the Theatre. In fact, it is
only for the nineteenth century that contemporary writings are consulted as source materials. Generally, the organization of the book
suggests that the author is going to follow traditional historical periods
in English theatre whereas, in truth, much material is included concerning theatre lighting practices on the Continent. However, despite

USITT /Summer, 1980

these shortcomings, it must be noted that the author has succeeded
in the goal set out in the preface: "What I have done represents little
more than a beginning, but a beginning that badly needed to be
made."
Arnold Rood

Dowling College

History of Costume by Jeanne Button and Stephen Sbarge. New
York: Stephen Sbarge, 1976, 1200 slides, $2000.00.

The difficulty of searching out suitable slides must be a problem familiar to anyone involved in the teaching of costume history. Often the
only practical solution is to make one's own slides, a not very satisfactory method for amateur photographers. An infinitely more rewarding source of visual material can be found in a unique collection of
1200 slides, His/ory of Costume, beautifully put together by Jeanne
Button and Stephen Sbarge.
The consistently high quality of the collection reveals the expertise
of the authors. Jeanne Button, Associate Professor of Design at the
Yale School of Drama, has been designing and teaching for twentyfive years. This wealth of experience is put to good use in the selection and arrangement of a veritable course in costume history.
Co-author and publisher, Stephen Sbarge, writer, filmmaker and photographer, is also responsible for the excellent photography.
Organization and presentation of the collection allow for easy perusal. Divided into five volumes, each containing a table of contents
and index, the slides rest in individual slipcases, accompanied by
copious notes and documentation. They can be viewed right in the
slipcases or easily removed for projection.
The content covers in comprehensive detail the history of dress in
Western civilization. Beginning with Egypt and other early cultures
(though neglecting the remarkable Cretan civilization), it does full justice to the Gothic, French Burgundian and Italian Renaissance eras.
The collection continues through the Reformation and Elizabethan periods, Baroque and Rococo, and then covers the French Revolution,
the Victorian era, concluding with sparse attention to the early twentieth century. The scope of each volume ranges from undergarments to
jewelry, sparked by many unfamiliar works of art not available to the
average researcher.
History of Costume cannot replace careful individual scholarship
or, for the matter, the professor, yet it can serve as a useful adjunct to
the study of costume history. It would also be extremely useful in the
art and fashion design disciplines. For in-depth study, supplementation must be provided, but as an introduction to the history of dress it
presents a vivid and inspiring experience. Unfortunately, the content
follows many costume books by confining the subject matter almost
totally to aristocratic dress.
The cost at first glance seems to be prohibitive--$2000.0Q-plus
shipping and insurance; on second thought, the cost is reasonable for
the information received. If the price is too steep for personal purchase, the collection could be shared by several departments or acquired by libraries and museums.
The excellence of History of Costume serves to emphasize the generally pitiful state of accessible visual costume reference in the United
States. However, it is a beginning. Perhaps other collections will follow in areas where they are desperately needed-American dress,
for example, or the work of American costume designers.
Lois Z, Garren

Stephen F, Austin University

Will It Make a Theatre by Eldon Elder with Marsha Imhof and Sharon
Lee Ryder. New York: The Off Off Broadway Alliance, Drama Book
Specialists (Distributors), 1979, ISBN 0-933750-00-5, ix, 206 pp.,
illus., $6.95 paper.

Eldon Elder has produced a book which is unusually direct and
concise. Though there are instances when the text is awkwardly inserted between illustrations, the format is clean and the organization
logical and ordered. Crisp graphics, large type face, bold headings,
"guide phrases" by each page number, and a comfortable prose style
make the book quite readable.

Theatre Design & Technology

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