Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2019 - 59

in London and has clearly spent his share
of time teaching novice carpenters. The
work progresses as a student would be
shepherded-from the basics of tool use
to general competency in the construction of typical scenery elements.
The third and fourth chapters constitute the second act of the book. The
scene having now been set, and quickly,
too, Tweed covers the essentials of tools
and materials in steps, along with the
essentials of good workmanship. "As a
professional carpenter in the workshop
environment, there is a universal code of
practice that is expected of you, but is not
often taught to you, and which is learned
largely from experience," Tweed writes.
While this is a technical skills book,
the human element is never forgotten.
Tweed's sense of humor is his most effective tool on this front.
Having laid out the essential skills,
the primary tools, and the common materials, the third act of the book employs
them all in increasingly complex projects.
The author breaks down projects into
recipe-like steps. Whereas some earlier
chapters lacked some important images-the concept of developing surfaces in
drawings, such as with raked decks, gets
no drawing-each of the projects here
are well complemented with accompanying pictures. The projects focus on the
most common elements of scenery: flats,
stairs, doors and windows, platforms,
and typical architectural details. We all
know that no one book will capture all
scenery. Scenery is quite often designed
to be unique and unprecedented. However, were a student able to efficiently and
accurately complete each of the 10 projects in this book, we no longer would call
them a student, but rather a professional
scenic carpenter.
There are quibbles, of course. While
a traditional mortise-and-tenon flat is project number two, the Broadway-style flat
hardly even gets mentioned. Of course,
nearly every other book on scenic construction seems to focus far too much on
the Broadway flat, so in the larger context
the exclusion is perhaps more refreshing than galling. Still, it is an essential

method of construction and deserves, at
a minimum, a picture in a book on how
to build scenery. There are other omissions that range from the radial arm saw
to pocket-screw joinery. Some of these
feel rather regional. In general, however,
reading a U.K. book from a U.S. perspective was more rewarding than off-putting.
(This is true in general of British books on
stagecraft, of which there are many excellent works, several of which Tweed references.) Using the metric system versus
American customary units shows itself
to be more of a brouhaha than a serious
impediment. This sort of superficial difference actually highlights the more essential and common truths. Some new
terms have to be learned, such as rostrum
and arising, but not so many as to tip the
scales from interesting to annoying. The
biggest omission is the almost total neglect of metalworking. Tweed is clearly a

skilled woodworker, but the truth remains
that metalwork has become an essential
component of modern scenery. Modern
practice demands that scenic carpenters
need to know the basics of metalwork.
Scenic Construction for the Stage
is not a textbook attempting to wrap its
arms around the entire act of producing theatre. Rather, Tweed has written a
worthwhile, focused description of how
to build scenery well. It should serve all
those who do the same, spread out across
the world as they are, whether it is their
first week or 40th year in the shop.
Ben Clark is a project manager and technical designer with ShowMotion Inc., an
entertainment-based contracting company primarily working in the Broadway
market. He has previously worked as a
fabricator for regional theatres, television,
universities, and summer stock theatres.

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Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2019

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