Carnegie Mellon Libraries: Drama: Set and Scene Design/General Technical

 

Set and Scene Design

A selection of Reference resources at Hunt Library and on the World Wide Web. For related resources within this Drama Resource Guide try other links in Theater Arts.

 

General

Backstage Book Shoppe (Rufus Productions, Huntington, NY)
An online bookstore for scenery, lighting, sound, technical production, costume, props, special effects, management and more.

Justin's Drama and Theatre Links: Set Design

Stoddard, Richard. Stage Scenery, Machinery and Lighting: A Guide to Information Sources. Book Tower, Detroit, MI : Gale Research Company, 1977. (International scope).
FA-REF-4 Z5784 .S8 S79

Databases

Try these databases first:

Other databases that may be useful

Biography

Biographical Information Online (Carnegie Mellon Libraries)

Available to Carnegie Mellon users.
Databases indexing or containing full-text documents of historical and contemporary information on persons across all disciplines.

Lacy, Robin Thurlow. A Biographical Dictionary of Scenographers: 500 B.C. to 1900. A.D. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1990
FA-REF-4 PN2096 .A1 L33 1990

Mikotowicz, Thomas J. Theatrical Designers: An International Biographical Dictionary. New York, Westport and London: Greenwood Press, 1992.
FA-REF-4 PN2096 .A1 AM54 1992

Good general bibliography and further reading for each biographical entry.
Appendices: Chronological List of Designers 84 B.C.- 1970's; Designers Listed by Country of Birth; Periodicals and Theatre Collections.

Dictionaries/Encyclopedias

Campbell, Gordon, ed. Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006
FA-REF-4 NK28 .G76 2006 (2 vols.)

Harling, Robert, ed. Studio Dictionary of Design & Decoration. New York: Viking Press, 1973.
FA-REF-4 NK1165 .S78 1973

Lounsbury, Warren C. Theatre Backstage from A to Z. Seattle, University of Washington Press, 1999.
FA-REF-4 PN2091 .M3 L68 1999
A dictionary of terms regarding technical aspects of lighting and scenery.

Technical

The Entertainment Sourcebook. Association of Theatrical Artists and Craftspeople. New York : Applause.
FA-REF-4 PN2091 .S8 N43 2005, 2007
A directory of resources for equipment, supplies, stage machinery, props and costume.

The Character Shop
A special effects company specializing in animatronics, makeup effects, puppets, and robotics - they created the Budweiser Frogs! Site includes glossary of special effects terms.

Computer Scenographics Studio (Darwin Reid Payne, Wake Forest University)
The author of The Scenographic Imagination; Theory and Craft of the Scenographic Model; Computer Scenographics offers an illustrated tour and analysis of computer generated scenography; includes a "Research Library" for gathering information for scenographic projects.

Glerum, Jay O. Stage Rigging Handbook. 2nd ed. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 1997.
FA-REF-4 PN2091 .M3 G54 1997

Izenour, George C. Theater Technology. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996. 2nd edition
FA-REF-4 NA6821 .I947 1996
Addresses technical aspects of theater architecture, stage machinery, lighting and sets.

Izenour, George C.Theater Design. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996. 2nd ed.
FA-REF-4 NA6821 .I94 1996
Addresses theater architecture and acoustics.

Knots on the Web (Peter Suber)
More than you ever wanted to know about knots.

Sweet, Harvey. Handbook of Scenery, Properties and Lighting. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1989.
FA-REF-4 PN2091 .S8 S86 1989 2 Vols.

Parker, Wilford Oren. Scene Design and Stage Lighting. 8th ed. Belmont, Calif. : Wadsworth, 2003
FA-REF-4 PN2091 .S8 P3 2003

Images

AP Images
Image database available to the Carnegie Mellon community containing high resolution images taken by Associated Press photographers. Searching examples of set design will be rather hit or miss since this is an archive of news photographs, e.g. searching 'set design' will only turn up a few images, but try typing in the name of a play for varied results.

The International Theatre Design Archive (United States Institute for Theatre Technology; Southern Illinois University)
Photographs and drawings of scenes, costume and lighting designs for about thirty well-known plays.

New York Theatre, 1919-1961 [microform] : 26,000 photographs from the Vandamm Collection in The New York Public Library, Library and Museum of the Performing Arts. Teaneck, N.Y. : Somerset House ; Cambridge [England] : Chadwyck-Healey, 1980.
MFICHE-3 792 N532 (Hunt Library, 3rd floor)
Includes captioned photographs of 900 stage productions.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre: Virtual Tour (Click on Theatre button,and go to Box Office)
Interactive panoramic views of the stage, galleries and yard.

Atkinson, W. Patrick, compiler. Theatrical Design in the Twentieth Century: An Index to Photographic Reproductions of Scenic Designs. Westport, Conn. and London: Greenwood Press, 1996.
FA-REF-4 PN2091 .S8 T47 1996

 

Organizations

ESTA (Entertainment Services & Technology Association)
"ESTA is a non-profit trade association representing the North American entertainment technology industry."

IATSE (The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC)
The labor union representing technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, film and television production.

OISTAT (The International Organization of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians)
An organization which maintains an international exchange of the knowledge and ractice of the following disciplines: Scenography, Theatre Architecture and Technology together with their relevant and related areas of theatrical technical development.

The Theatre Design & Technical Jobs Page (Patrick Hudson)
Job postings in the technical, design, management, administration, touring and educational fields. A nice feature is a posting and expiration date on all listings. Updated frequently.

United Scenic Artists Local 829
Information of interest to the members of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades.

USITT (The United States Institute for Theatre Technology)
An association of design, production, and technology professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry. Includes classified ads and links to other sites.

Research Tips

Browse the library catalog (Cameo)

Try beginning your search on any of the following broad subject terms or keywords

  • Installation and Art
  • Stage Setting and Scenery
  • Set Designers
  • Scene Painting
  • Show Windows
  • Stage History
  • Stage Lighting
  • Stage Machinery
  • Stage Props
  • Stage Management
  • Theater Architecture
  • Theater Pictorial Works
  • Theaters Design and Construction
  • Theaters Special Effects
  • Theater Production and Direction

Browse the stacks

Browse Journals
Check these journals first:

  • American Theatre
  • TD&T (Theatre Design and Technology)
  • Theatre Crafts

When in doubt, ask a librarian for help.

 

 

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  October 24, 2008 -- http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/Arts/Drama/dramsets
  Mo Dawley, Art and Drama Librarian; Liaison Librarian to the Schools of Art and Drama., md2z@andrew.cmu.edu
  © 2008 Carnegie Mellon Libraries