Making the Scene: A History of Stage Design and Technology in Europe and the United States

As a theatrical designer in New York City who spent days in the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts researching the subject of aesthetic movements in theatrical design and getting almost nowhere, I discovered this spectacular book by researching relevant titles on Amazon.This must be the definitive book on its subject. It seems to cover essentially every aesthetic movement relating to theatrical design on the two continents, lavishly illustrated with drawings and photographs from the Greeks to the present. Brockett and the other authors will discuss competing theories of staging and design when the answers aren't definitively known. Equally interesting, the authors cover in great detail the history of theatrical technology with detailed drawings that make complex technical ideas easy to grasp.Be you teacher or student, this is the book you must have in your library, breathtaking in its scope and clarity, a tour de force. Bravo.

Thank you

The recipient, who spent his entire career as a well known technical designer, absolutely loved this book. Probably one of the best gifts I’ve ever stumbled upon.

This is a book that has long been needed. It brings to life the important work of designers that one never hears about in ordinary theatre histories. For designers this is a very important book.

I had to get this book for my History of the Theater college class, and at first dreaded at the thought that I had to read on average 20-50pgs out of this huge book every week, but was ready to take on the challenge because I truly wanted to learn! I would suggest taking notes(obviously)because there is A LOT of detail and concepts. I had to identify an image,painting, engraving,etc., the era in which it was produced or associated with, the designer, concept, purpose, etc. This book helped a lot in understanding all this and even when my professor assigned us an image that was not in the book, the given details within the book assisted when preparing for the Final exam, which was the basic task of describing whats on the list I just mentioned. The entire collection of images are amazing and loved that they are fully-colored. I think any type of designer would find this book very interesting. It doesn't just describe the designs/designers but also the society surrounding the era of each image: the workers(guilds for example), the common people, Hierarchy, religious influences, etc. Technology as well!I have read 90% of this book, but hope to finish and re-read sections of this book.The book is divided into eras and major historical movements which makes it easier to associate an image to one or the other: SCENIC DESIGN IN ANCIENT GREEK and ROMAN THEATRES, Medieval Scenic Design, THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE, Design in France and the Holy Roman Empire from 1640 to the Early Eighteenth Century, THE INFLUENCE OF Scena por Angolo on EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY DESIGN, NEOCLASSICISM and ROMANTICISM-A Rivalry of Opposites, Realism and Naturalism, Modernism, [American New Stagecraft, Russian Constructivism, Epic Theatre, and the Bauhaus], Post-World War II and the Late Twentieth Century. The capitalized ones are my favorite sections.You can tell the authors of this book went through a lot of research and effort to put this book together.My favorite designers are Torelli, Sabbattini, Sanquirico, Schinkel(Magic Flute), Daguerre, Charles Kean, and Saxe-Meiningen.And Richard Wagner's(and Bruckwald's) Festspielhaus at Bayreauth for concept and Architectural design. :)

Great book.

great book, quite a handful of information and history on stage design, including technical details. the book is not a pictures only, it actually has a lot of good info.

Great quality book, fast shipping. 10/10!

Great research. Essential book for theatre professional.