The Perfect Stage Crew: The Complete Technical Guide for High School, College, and Community Theater

Here is a must-have book for anyone producing a stage show without a Broadway-sized budget. Written by a technical theater veteran, The Perfect Stage Crew explains the pitfalls to avoid and provides solutions to the most common—and the most complex—stage performance problems, even for theaters with a lack of resources. An invaluable guide for middle and high school theaters, college theaters, and community theaters, The Perfect Stage Crew teaches readers how to:

Stock, organize, and store the essential backstage supplies
Conceptualize, design, and build sets
Manage a stage crew effectively
Paint scenery and backdrops
Test, design, and hang lighting
Operate and repair sound equipment
Set cues
Promote your show

This expanded second edition covers up-to-date technology, including for use with recording, sound, and lighting. Chapters also cover such crucial topics as running technical rehearsals, gathering props, and creating and selling tickets. Theater groups that need to learn the nuts and bolts of putting a show together will discover how to turn backstage workers into The Perfect Stage Crew.

Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

John Kaluta is a public high school teacher who has overseen dozens of school and community theater productions. During the last twenty-five years, he has served as a technical director, museum artist, carpenter, television studio equipment installer, pyrotechnics operator, lighting designer, set designer, and rock tour "roadie." He lives in Beltsville, Maryland.