Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2022 - 35

tions based on Carver's discussions with
current professionals in each area. The
Discussion Questions may be a helpful resource
for readers to review the chapters
constructively, and might be helpful for
actual class discussions, quizzes, or exam
questions.
Many images in this third edition are
Stagecraft Fundamentals: Third Edition
By Rita Kogler Carver
Routledge, 2019, 545 pages
Hardcover, $160; Paperback, $62.95; eBook
$62.95
Reviewed by Naoko I. Skala
Educators assigned to teach a stagecraft
class may wonder where to start or how
much they should cover in 16 weeks. Rita
Kogler Carver's Stagecraft Fundamentals
3rd Edition is one of the few textbooks
that reduces that headache for theatre
educators, especially if the department
offers the class for non-theatre majors.
Carver is an award-nominated lighting
designer who has worked for Broadway,
regional theatre, dance, and opera in the
U.S. and Europe.
The book has 20 chapters categorized
into six parts: History and Art, Safety
and Scenery, Rigging and Lighting,
Costume and Makeup, Projections and
Special Effects, and Stage Management
and Careers. In this third edition, Sound
Design is in the Rigging and Lighting
section. Projections are included in the
Special Effects section. Many current
educational theatre productions accept
projection design and technology as that
area plays an increasingly significant role
in telling a story today.
This edition includes Student Learning
Outcomes at the beginning of each
chapter, which helps readers quickly understand
the chapter's goals, and some
instructors might use it to develop their
syllabi. At the end of each chapter are
Emerging Trends and Discussion Quesmore
practical than in previous editions.
For instance, in the earlier editions are examples
of work clothing where a person
poses wearing only two types of clothing
as good or bad examples. In the third
edition are images of multiple good examples,
and the person is also presented
working on a project, with detailed explanations
of why people are advised to wear
certain clothes for specific tasks. These
pictures give students a better understanding
of what to wear and why when
working in the scene shop, which is usually
a challenging part of teaching college
students who are not interested in working
in a scene shop as their career.
In most theatre history classes, theatre
architecture and technologies are
mentioned briefly, but it is usually not
the main topic of the course. In part one
of this book, Carver addresses theatre
history from the perspective of architecture
and technologies, which may help
readers understand how these areas
were developed throughout history. Each
chapter also has " Theatre Traditions " and
comparative quotations that encourage
readers' curiosity; those fun facts or quotations
were usually passed along orally,
providing insights into the production
side of theatre cultures.
Carver uses a conversational writing
style, which may give some readers
pause. However, most theatre design and
technology classes usually provide handson
experience, and the students learn
from reading and writing while working
in a shop on a theatre production.
Carver's writing style is an efficient way
to introduce stagecraft without alienating
readers and to encourage theatre practitioners
in early-career or people who have
no idea what stagecraft is to learn further.
The chapters are edited thoughtfully
and seem more accessible and easier to
follow in this third edition than in previous
editions. For instance, earlier editions
have one highly detailed table of contents.
The third edition also includes a more
generalized table of contents, which may
help readers find big picture topics more
easily. It may also help theatre educators
who use this book to structure and create
their class presentation content and
course organization.
The tone of this book is very welcoming
to anyone interested in the production
side of theatre. Many of today's theatre
educators are required to teach a class for
non-theatre students with an interdisciplinary
approach. Stagecraft Fundamentals
is a resourceful and practical book
for stagecraft class, and this third edition
is the excellent introductory book for theatre
learners and practitioners.
Naoko Skala is a scenic designer, scenic
artist, props artisan, and educator raised
in Japan. She joined The College of Wooster
as an assistant professor of scenic design in
Fall 2020. Skala earned her MFA in scenic
design from Minnesota State University,
Mankato, after earning her BFA in theatre
from Emporia State University in Kansas and
her BA in Japanese literature from Sagami
Women's University in Japan. Learn more at
naokoskala.com
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WINTER 2022 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | 35
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Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2022
