Technical Theater for Nontechnical People, 2nd Edition Paperback – April 1, 2004

If, like me, you have worked in theater a few years but never went to school for it or had anyone sit down and tell you "this is this and that is that" then this book is for you!!! It might even be for you if you have a background since every situation in theater is worked out to accommodate each theater!! It is an incredible resource for who does typically does what but he also lets you know that "typical" and "theater" goes together however you need it to go together for your production.For me, knowing what is known out there among long-time theater workers and professionals has been fantastic to learn. Now I at least feel like I am speaking the same language! :) Also, it was encouraging to find out that what we thought maybe we were doing wrong is actually a thing!! lol!!!Also, the author's conversational style of writing really helps!! If this was overly technical or dry I would have returned it. However, because it is so helpful and so easy to read, I plan on buying more for my fellow producers so that we all know the same stuff and can reference our own copy!!So if you have started working in theater, are thinking of starting a theater or think that maybe a career in the theater world sounds fun and interesting then I highly recommend this book!!

Simply put, this is the most helpful book on the technical side of theater I have ever read. Mr. Campbell is a rare individual. Although a technician, he has written a sympathetic and yet extremely informative book on lighting, sound, stage terminology, etc. The amount of really usefull information in the book is astounding. I am a high school drama teacher, and I think this book should be in the library of every theater teacher and theater student. No other book I've read so clearly explains the essentials one needs to know about the technical craft of theater. If you are a person who doesn't want a book where the author is trying to show what an expert he or she is and what an idiot you are, then Drew Campbell's book is just the one for you. He is an expert who understands his job is to help those of us who aren't. Bravo for this book. I hope Mr. Campbell keeps writing on theater. We can use his knowledge, wit, and empathy. Five stars for this book, and a few thrown in for the actor with glass in his butt telling jokes on the way to the hospital. Thanks for a great book.

This is a good resource book for those having to teach a technical theatre class but who have little to no technical theatre experience themselves. I will be using some of the books info for my Drama I classes where I teach not only the acting side of theatre, but also touch on the technical side as well. the book is laid out in an easy to understand format that can be utilized by teachers.

I found this to be an excellent treatise on what it takes from a tecnical standpoint to mount a successful show. I've been involved with Community Theater for over 40 years and I learned a few new tricks of the trade.The community theater company I'm involved with now has recently merged with a local art gallery to create a center for the arts. The paid staff has little to no theatrical experience yet has to interact with not only our local members but potential touring groups, local bands, etc. I am recommending to the executive director that the entire staff be required to read the book as part of their asscending the learning curve related to theatrical productions.

This book is a perfect introduction for those who don't know much about the technical sides of theater. If you've read other theater books and found the authors a bit arrogant, this guy is no exception. He does however understand that the audience is not well versed in theater, hence they are reading his book. The author does a wonderful job of explaining all aspects of technical theater so that the common person can understand it a bit better. The goal of the book is to make the reader not look like a complete idiot around professionals and actually teach them something about theater. Goal achieved.

My theater teacher provided the 4 tech people in my class (including me) with this book. I never thought a 'text book' could be so interesting. It's a great read and we all understand the stage vocabulary much better. We've started using technical terms between ourselves and our parents are stunned that we are using such high vocabulary. I'm at the high school level now, and we get so much more done when using what we have learned from this book. I highly recommend it for any tech theater student or teacher. It gets 5 stars and 2 thumbs up from me.

I love this book. The title seems a little misleading though since it comes off as though it is for people not in technical theatre. Anyone working in whichever technical department should read this book. This should be required reading for people just getting into technical theatre although even if you have been in theatre for a number of years, it should be very useful still. It is very detailed with so many facets of theatre which is why it will probably be my first go-to book about anything that I need to find.

This book was brilliant! I'm studying to become a teacher in Texas which requires one to take a content exam over theatre. I needed to brush up on my tech (especially lighting and sound), and this was the perfect book to do it! Drew Campbell writes in a very relatable fashion, and makes jokes along the way. I would highly recommend it!

Arrived right on time and as advertised. Thanks!

This book has been a godsend for my studies at Uni. For an assignment we had to set up own theatre company, then we had to create and stage a show. This book gave us all the information we could ever have needed for creating a viable theatre company as well as showing us how to create a lighting design and how to pitch an idea for funding.

Near the beginning of the book, it gives the advice to take a camera, don't forget the film and flash, and refers to one-hour photo processing. I haven't seen film or photo processing for a decade. There is a lot of good information in the book however, as some aspects of theater are timeless. Highly recommended for those new to theater, or small community theater groups.