Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1992 - 62

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Places ofPeiformance: The Semiotics ofTheatre Architecture
by Marvin Carlson. "haca: Cornell Universi(y Press,
1989. ISBN 0-80 14-2254-X, 212 pp.. I05-i1L, S36.95.

imporranr ro know rhar Marc Chagall
was upser because his murals for rhe
lobby of rhe new opera house in Lincoln
Cenrer were mishung opposire rhe way
he had planned rhem, and how Rudolf
Bing persuaded Chagall rhey were berrer
placed rhar way? Carlson gives no semi-

group wanrs ro srarr a new culr-acriviry,
based upon inrellecrual rheory, ere., rhey
consrrucr a new jargon or language
which only rhe cognoscenri undersrand.
In Places ofPerfOrmance, Carlson is wriring down ro readers beyond his corerie.
His sryle reminds me of a former graduare srudenr's commenr
rhar Edward Gordon
Craig's wrirings were rhe
"esoreric con volu rions
of rhe overly esrheric."
This is especially rrue in
Carlson's inrroducrion
and conclusion. And
picking up such Fosreresque elocurions
as "srreerscapes and ci ryscapes" for srreer
and urban scenes may be chic among arr
hisrorians bur rhey do lirrle ro help srudenrs who have a hard enough rime
reading simple English. Carlson musr
remember Professor's famous dicrums
abour lirerary sryle (which he surely
became acquainred wirh during his
renure ar Cornell): "Be clear; be concise;
and never use rwo words where one will
do. "

One of rhe more recenr offshoors of rhe
ongoing arrack upon rhe rradirional
merhodology of rhearre
research is rhe preoccupari on wirh semiorics (a
manipularion of linguisBOOK REVIEWS
rics and semanrics). Marvin Carlson is one of irs
chief proponenrs. In his
laresr book Carlson has
applied semioric reasoning (which Weboric explanarion for rhis or for why
srer's dicrionary defines as "rhe srudy
Reinhardr's use of a grove of rrees in a
berween signs and symbols and whar
producrion of A Midsummer Night's
rhey represenr") ro hisrorical and conDream were in facr "synechochic elemenrs of rhe foresr."
remporary rhearre spaces which Carlson
calls "places of performance."
As a "Iosr colony" reviewer I have
Carlson bases his rarionale in parr
rwo major quarrels wirh rhis work. In
upon Umberro Eco's semioric rheory
his preoccuparion wirh rhe European
rhar cerrain archirecrural objecrs may be
rhearre ( have you ever seen so many
considered as signs wirh a dualiry of foreign periodicals referred ro in a modmeanings: rhe firsr creared by rhe raison
ern rexr on rhearre by people you have
d'etre of rhe objecr and rhe second by
never heard of-and probably will never
rhe cui rural ambiance of rhe sociery rhar
hear of again?), Carlson ignores any sericreared ir. The rexr represenrs a series of ous discussion, eirher realisrically or
Orville K. Larson
essays enrirled "Ciry as Thearre"
semiorically, abour rhe archirecrure of
Proftssor Emeritus
(medieval churches and marker places),
American and Canadian rhearres, parKent State University
"The Jewel in rhe Casker" (rhe Renaisricularly rhose builr on universiry and
sance rhearre in rhe Prince's enclave),
college campuses afrer World War II,
"The Urban Hub" (rhearres as urban
such as rhe Krannerr Cenrer on rhe Unimonumenrs in rhe ciry's cenrer), and
versiry of Illinois campus. And why does
The Audio Dictionary
"Facade Thearres" (rhose siruared in a
Carlson ignore so complerely a major
Second Edition, Re\'ised and Expanded by Glenn D.
commercial disrricr). The lasr rwo chaphappening in rwenrierh cenrury rhearre
White; Seanle: Universi(y of Washingron Press, 1991.
rers relare ro "Inrerior Spaces" and
archirecrure, besr explained in rhe conISB 0-295-97088-X, (paper), 426 pp., 80 line draw"Inrerior Decorarions." Carlson has
ings, appendixes, S19.95.
rexr of rhe Fesrival Thearre in Srrarford,
rried ro explain rhe semioric roles of Onrario, and irs counrerparr, rhe
rhese various rhearres.
Gurhrie in Minneapolis? Are rhere no
This is an updare of whar many consider
He has also incorporared inro his
ro be rhe mosr likely winner of rhe "If I
signs, symbols or semiorics ro be found
survey a grear deal of rhe currenr conin rhese wonderful rhearres? The culrurcould have only one book on audio"
cern wirh rhe rhearre's role in whar
al ambiance of rhe Fesrival Thearre
award. I agree. I've boughr several audio
urban archirecrs call ciry planning. Carlrranslares every year inro abour $11 milhandbooks and encyclopedias of sound
son has provided a grear deal of inreresrlion for rhe people of Srrarford.
over rhe years and Whire's is one of my
ing informarion only peripherally relaBeyond rhis, ir is necessary ro comrwo favorires. Thar is due nor so much
rive ro rhearre hisrory. Don'r expecr, for
menr upon Carlson's wriring sryle in rhis
ro irs being rhe leasr expensive book in
example, ro find our anyrhing abour
book. Ir's a rruism rhar whenever a
my audio library, bur page for page, I
how rhearres or rheir
undersrand more of The
sragehouses opera red as
Audio Dictional) rhan
"places of performance."
rhe orhers. Irs definiSYLVIA HILLYARD, EDITOR
In all fairness ro Carlson,
rions are acrually miniair is nor rhar kind of a
rure essays and discusbook; yer is ir really
sions rhar lead more ro

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1992 FAll

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1992