Technical Theatre Handbook*
One of the major goals of this book is to provide a fairly complete introduction to most aspects of technical theatre. This introduction is given mainly in a general sense, but is supplemented with specifics relating to theatre at WPI. This treatment of the topics can provide an inexperienced person an excellent base of knowledge from which to start working on productions. It is important to remember, though, that the book is not meant to replace actual experience. Most areas of technical theatre require a fair degree of work to achieve proficiency. In other words, reading the lighting chapter isn't going to replace spending lots of hours working with experienced lighting designers or master electricians. However, each chapter of the book is intended to introduce the basic goals, equipment, vocabulary and design theory for each area of technical theatre. Therefore, it is highly recommended that people working in any technical theatre for the first time read through most of the book, paying closest attention to the areas in which they will work.
In addition to being a "newbie guide" to technical theatre, this book is also a valuable reference to relatively experienced techs. Several issues of safety are covered, which are extremely important, and often ignored. It is hoped that this book will be read by most people involved with any technical theatre, and as a result, the overall awareness of safety issues will increase. ...
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* Reproduced from the American Association of Community Theatres (AACT) website