Crammed with practical guidance for constructing stage scenery, this volume explores variations in theaters and options for tailoring sets, from building scale models to erecting finished sets.

A practical book which describes how prop makers can create interesting and unusual stage props out of a variety of materials, such as papier mache, plaster, fibreglass and polystyrene. It is aimed at community, school and college drama societies.

Drawing on the expertise of theater specialists in many technical fields, this helpful manual offers a range of special effects that are safe, economical, and suited to both amateur and professional productions.

Filled with dozens of photos, illustrations, and technical diagrams, Todd Muffatti’s Creative and Successful High School Set Design guides theatre teachers through the preparation and design steps necessary to build an appropriate and effective stage set. Using his 40-year career as a professional set designer and university professor, Muffatti shares tips from his creative process and offers practical ideas about how to approach and accomplish imaginative set designs for high school theatre. Creative and Successful High School Set Design discusses the spatial relationship of the auditorium and stage, the factors to be considered when choosing a script, and the research necessary to arrive at a proper visual metaphor for a production. Muffatti covers many design style options and creative approaches that don’t require extensive building expertise, large amounts of time, or great expense. He shows how a small stock of basic scenery can be used to creatively serve multiple set designs with minimal additions. Muffatti outlines the skills involved in the design process — from sketching and drafting, to set dressing and model building — and provides illustrations to offer further guidance. Creative and Successful High School Set Design instills in high school drama teachers the imaginative, practical, and safe set designing habits that will help lift their students’ dramatic performances to their highest levels of achievement.

In Stage Design - A Practical Guide Gary Thorne, a freelance theatre set and costume designer, introduces the concept of art and design for performance, drawing on his considerable experience in a wide variety of theatres. The book begins from first principles, and assumes no prior knowledge of the subject. Each chapter contains clear, concise text and informative illustrations; and concludes with practical exercises to, ensure that the reader has got the most out of the book, and stimulating exploration in both two and three dimensions. The book includes examples of the author's work and that of others in the field, illustrating the methods adopted and practised in theatre schools and the more innovative theatre companies.