The Stage Management Handbook

Ionazzi (productions, UCLA School of Theatre) offers this textbook for stage managers and stage management classes. It is arranged logically in four parts following the chronology of production. The last section is devoted to organizational behavior, an area not often developed in such texts. An especially useful section is the appendix containing a dozen clear and useful blank forms. Keeping paper flowing smoothly is an art the text emphasizes. The book is readable and provides many examples, with plenty of graphic illustration. Its major drawback is that it does not address the stage manager's professional union responsibilities. It is not as detailed as Lawrence Stern's similar Stage Management (Allyn & Bacon, 1992. 4th ed.), but it contains a good bibliography. This workable introduction to the stage manager's craft is recommended for academic and large public libraries. --Library Journal