Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2018 - 66

BOOK REVIEWS

ERIKA GUAY, EDITOR

Teaching Introduction to Theatrical
Design: A Process-Based Syllabus
in Costumes, Scenery, and Lighting
By Eric Appleton and Tracey Lyons
New York, Routledge, 2017; 360 pages
Softcover $54.95
Reviewed by Catherine I. Mantooth
Teaching an effective theatre design survey course is a difficult task in higher
education. Where should the class start?
How deeply does the course delve into
the subject? How can a balanced syllabus be achieved with an overwhelming
amount of content? Faculty may have a
mixture of students, some who feel confident creating visual art and some who
have no experience with this type of artistic expression. The new book Teaching Introduction to Theatrical Design:
A Process-Based Syllabus in Costumes,
Scenery, and Lighting offers solutions to
these exact problems. It offers a week-byweek roadmap of best practices and content for Introduction to Theatre Design
courses. I would highly recommend this
book to anyone who teaches introductory-level design courses.
Eric Appleton and Tracey Lyons
create a through-line for the three major areas of theatrical design. They have
also included a short chapter on sound
design, should faculty want to expand
the course beyond costumes, lights,
and scenery. The premise of the book is
that an Introduction to Theatre Design
course must serve all students, not just
the students who have a natural inclination toward design. To achieve this end,
the authors have carefully organized the
book with the general student population in mind. Instead of jumping directly
into scenic design, as many introductory
courses do, the authors recommend
starting off with costume design. Here,
students are exposed to the principles of
design, script analysis, and color theory.
Students will encounter basic drawing
exercises, explore texture, and learn how
to give design presentations. Exploring

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THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

WINTER 2018

these concepts with costumes instead
of scenery saves the students from the
pressure of drafting standards and the
tyranny of tri-scale rulers while they are
developing their artistic sensibilities.
Each section of the book is broken down into the five basic tasks any
designer will encounter in their work:
Analysis, Design Metaphor, Design Elements, Research, and finally, Rendering.
The repetition of this structure helps reinforce best practices. As students work
through the course, they are faced with
larger and more complex assignments;
the next content area, or assignment,
might be intimidating, but scaffolded
structure builds confidence and focuses
on process. I appreciate that each section also addresses design presentations
and portfolio development. Teaching
new designers to give quality presentations is sometimes a frustrating task, so
these sections are a welcome addition.
For new teachers, this book is invaluable because the week-by-week
guide assists with class structure and
syllabus design. In fact, the first appendix includes a syllabus you could put
into effect immediately. In each chapter,
the details of exercises and assignments
are written out; these sections walk the
reader through the logic behind each
assignment and all the way through the
pedagogical process to grading rubrics.
Faculty do not need to reinvent the
wheel; the authors have done that work.
This book is also invaluable for

seasoned full professors. Teaching tips,
quotes, book reviews, and supplies
needed lists are included throughout
the book. I particularly felt drawn to the
teaching tips, as they function as a gentle
reminder that how faculty teach is as important as what is taught. While a professor with an established course may not
want to drastically change the content,
they may find it interesting to see how
other people are teaching the same subject matter. The choice to incorporate
one or two of the exercises found here
would help freshen up a course that has
been taught dozens of times. I also found
great value in all of the book recommendations and have gone on to add a few of
them for my own design library.
Teaching Introduction to Theatrical Design: A Process-Based Syllabus
in Costumes, Scenery, and Lighting is a
full-color book, filled with illustrated examples of how to effectively teach an introductory course in design. The authors
have weighted mastery of the design
process heavier than any specific area of
design. I would highly recommend this
book.
Catherine I. Mantooth is a senior lecturer at Lee University where she teaches
scenic and lighting design. She is currently pursuing her MFA in theatre design at the University of Idaho. Reach
her at cmantooth@leeuniversity.edu.

Digital Costume Design and
Collaboration: Applications in
Academia, Theatre, and Film
By Rafael Jaen
Routledge, New York, 2017; 208 pp.
Softcover $39.95; Hardcover, $140; Ebook
$39.95
Reviewed by Laura Beene
As I prepared for my fall classes this year,
I began my search for a text that would
support a new course we were offering
for the first time: Digital Design. Design-

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2018