Theatrical Model Making

Theatrical Model Making: Creating Effective Models for Theatrical Designers and Miniaturists studies the processes of fabricating models by hand, digitally, and using computer-aided drafting software.

This how-to guide explores the pros and cons of analog, computer fabricated, and 3D digital models. The book covers a variety of tools, ranging from craft knives to laser cutters, a wide range of materials, and detailed processes with step-by-step directions and images that can be adapted for any scale model. By looking at both traditional hand-built models and the use of 3D digital software and machines, this book provides miniaturists with the knowledge they need to produce the most accurate and detailed models. Readers will find valuable tricks, tips, and resources to create everything from custom furniture to architecture, including suggestions for plant-based materials.

From novice to expert, scenic design and scenography students and professionals alike will find Theatrical Model Making an invaluable resource in their toolkit.

Michelle A. Bisbee is the Associate Professor of Scenic Design, Properties, and Scenic Art at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She holds an MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Arizona and a BFA in Technical Theatre from Kent State University. Michelle has cultivated a strong passion and skills in all areas of scenic design, taking particular interest in model building (both digital and analogue), scenic painting, and properties design. She has worked for companies such as Cirque du Soleil (Las Vegas, NV), the Utah Shakespearean Festival (Cedar City, UT), and as staff Assistant Properties and Painter for University Productions at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI). She has taught at Kent State University (Kent, OH), University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD), and Trinity University (San Antonio, TX). Her recent credits as Scenic Designer include Hawai‘i Opera Theatre (Honolulu, HI), Lyric Repertory Company (Logan, UT), Mānoa Valley Theatre (Honolulu, HI), and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.