Theatre Lighting Design Books for Newbies

Hi all, I have been involved in theatre and perforing arts for some time now, but mainly in sound and stage crew/management.. I have some experience with lighting design, only what I have picked up on-the-job, I would like to start some more formal lighting design study in the form of reading books and putting my knowledge into practice in the theatre environment. I am looking for suggestions for a good lighting design book/manual for relative newbies that I would be able to use to gain a further knowledge and broaden my skills. Cheers

I suspect I will be the first of an avalanche of people telling you that it's hard to go past Francis Reid's Thew Stage Lighting Handbook. This will sit at your elbow for many years I would suggest. Graham Walters' Stage Lightinf Step by Step isn't bad either. Good luck and press on.

I've found that for theatre production books, you can't go past Kinokuniya in Sydney. They have the best range that I've seen so far. If not try some places like Borders or Readings (they occassionally have them). Try my website, I have some bookstores listed in my links. Try doing a search on Amazon, 'flip' through some of their books, and see what you like. There's lots of books out there, and some may not suit your skills/needs. Once you figure out what book, then you can buy from an Aussie retailer. The Prompt Copy Networking emerging theatre professionals www.thepromptcopy.com Sticky Apple Legs http://stickyapplelegs.artsblogs.com

Hello Gregory I have started a reference section under FAQ's> about theatre> Theatre Lighting and have put some online and book references. Logos is correct in saying Francis Reid is one of the best books, it is now in it's sixth edition. Francis Reid was one of the founders of Strand Electric and has also written books on stage management etc. Frederick Bentham also worked for Strand and has written several lighting books. There is no right or wrong lighting design, but some look a lot better and complement the actors and the stage design. You can effectively light a stage with a single candle if you have a hot permit to use a naked flame, or can use a single 500 watt flood light as a wash but you will not be able to aproximate the mood and image the director wants without making the effort to produce a good lighting design. Don Allen

Turn your back and the lightning wizard, Don Allen, has already begun populating the FAQ with notes. Superb Don! If anyone else would like to make contributions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Don or I. Cheers Grant

I've written a lighting manual if you would like it, it doesnt go into much design detail.

Dr. Ian McGrath's Caretaker of a Vision is a good one. Difficult to find sometimes. Available in paper form or cd-rom.