Now Reading: The Perfect Stage Crew

I happened across it in the school library last week while poking about for interesting metal art topics. (Paper required for class, not much info yet.) It was along side a rather large volume on stage lighting but, my schedule being what it is, I opted for the thinner volume.

Kaluta, John. The Perfect Stage Crew: The Compleat Technical Guide for High School, College, and Community Theater. New York: Allworth Press, 2003

This is your crash course in everything for theater crew - useful information one can actually find when needed and put into practise. His writing style...well, choice quote time:

   I'm a teacher, but I'm not an English teacher. So I've used italics and grammar in a personal, creative way to indicate imphasis and to change the stress or point of a sentence. My editor has fixed most of these, but if you catch a poorly written phrase just let it go. I'm very sensitive about my writing, so please don't write in with corrections unless you just hafta. Just read the line again, with a different inflection, like they taught you in drama class. When confused, try reading passages aloud. This is best done in public, in a muttering voice. At least people will leave you alone. If you read the book over and over again, everything will eventually make sense.
   Actually, that might not be true. You're going to have to read it, then try the technique a few times, then maybe it'll make sense.

I would characterize it as accessible. It's increadibly useful, yet entertaining at the same time, and in such a way that the entertainment doesn't get in the way of things. (In fact, it's mostly on topic anyhow and serves to underscore and reinforce stuff.) The other key to the usefullness is that Kaluta focuses on actually doing things, not just telling you how it should be done. No hobby horse of tradition and nomenclature here, just experience.

I'm getting my own copy.