I'm proud to announce the publication of the  Second Edition of my introductory theatrical design textbook, The Art of Theatrical Design: Elements of Visual Composition, Methods and Practice, by Routledge Press, in April 2022.
Reviews - [The Art of Theatrical Design]… is one of the best, most comprehensive looks at theatrical design that I have come across. It is a perfect book for a beginning designer; chock full of new terms, information, exercises, examples, and illustrations.

-Craig Choma, Associate Professor of Theatre, Knox College



The Art of Theatrical Design: Elements of Visual Composition, Methods, and Practice, Second Edition, contains an in-depth discussion of design elements and principles for costume, set, lighting, sound, projection, properties, and makeup designs.


This textbook details the skills necessary to create effective, evocative, and engaging theatrical designs that support a play contextually, thematically, and visually. It covers key concepts such as content, context, genre, style, play structure, and format and the demands and limitations of various theatrical spaces. The book also discusses essential principles, including collaboration, inspiration, conceptualization, script analysis, conducting effective research, building a visual library, developing an individual design process, and the role of the critique in collaboration. This second edition includes:


  • A new chapter on properties management and design.
  • A new chapter on makeup design.
  • A new chapter on digital rendering, with evaluations of multiple programs, overviews of file types and uses, and basic tutorials in Adobe® Photoshop® and Procreate.
  • An expanded and revised chapter on traditional rendering, with the inclusion of new media, including watercolor, gouache, and mixed media, and updated exercises and tutorials.
  • Revised and expanded chapters on individual design areas, including additional practices for conceptualization and collaboration, with new exercises for skill development.
  • Additional exercises in all elements and principles of design chapters for investigation of each design principle and skill development.
  • Revised and updated content throughout the text, reflecting current pedagogy and practices.

This book gives students in theatrical design, introduction to design, and stagecraft courses the grounding in core design principles they need to approach design challenges and make design decisions in both assigned class projects and realized productions.
The Art of Theatrical Design provides access to additional online resources, including step-by-step video tutorials of the exercises featured in the book.
Copies may be purchased directly from Routledge or on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.