Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1985 - 24

BOOK REVI EWS
Building for the Arts: A Guidebook for the Planning of Cultural
Facilities by Catherine R. Brolin, William B. Fleissig, and William R. i\lorrish.
Sallla Fe, N.i\1.: Western Stales Arts Foundalion, 1984. lSBNO-9611710-1-5, 260pp.,
ill., 513.95 paper.
Faced with more demands for assistance
in funding cullural facililY plans and archileclural design compelitions than available
funds could provide, lhe Design Arts Program of lhe alional Endowmelll for lhe
Arts saw lhe need for a guide in planning
and designing an ans facililY. The resull is
BlIilding jor rhe AI'IS which was produced
under a cooperal ive agreemelll bet ween the
Weslern Slales Arts Foundalion and the
Nalional Endowmelll for lhe Ans, and wrillen by members of CITYWEST, an urban
planning and design firm.
In lhe illlroductory chapler the aUlhors
stale, "whether you are a performer or an
ans adminislrator, a palron of lhe arts, an
activist in communilY affairs, or a local
governmelll employee, you will learn whal
kind of resources you need, where 10 look
for lhem, and how 10 produce lhe buildinQ
most suiled lO the needs of ans organiza~
lions, artisls, and lhe communilY." The
COlllelllS of lhe book bear OUI lhat assertion.
II serves as a primer on the complexilies of
organizing, planning, funding, designing,
conslrucling and operaling an arts facililY.
The key word here is "primer." The book
does not altempl to replace professional
planners, archilecls, or specialisl consullalllS, bUI radler to sel forth as many as possible of lhe numerous considerations and
queslions which mUSI be taken into accoulll
al the \'arious slages of planning and construcling an ans facility. Perhaps the
greatest service lhis book provides is lhat il
encourages the reader to conslalllly queslion and re-evaluate all aspects of lhe proposed projecl and to seek professional advice at all levels. From the initial question,
"Should you go ahead or not?" to such
final considerations as security, insurance,
ulilil)' service, elC., lhe book clearly demonSlrates lhal the planning process is a complex but logical series of steps requiring
numerous sources of information and conSlalll re-evaluation of goals and means, and
pro\'ides a link bet ween the layman and the
technical worlds of archileclural design,
polilics, finance, and real estate.
Allhough basic informalion is Qiven
concerning spar ial and lechnical needs of
\'arious types of performing and visual ans
22

Theatre Design & Techl1ol()g~

facililies, lhe book makes no allempI to
pro\'ide the type of specialized detail found
in such sources as Burris-Meyer & Cole's
Thearres and A IIdirorillllls, or even Thearre
Check Lisr, but ralher recommends such
specialized publicalions in one of lhe appendices. Other appendices provide financial
feasibilily worksheels, informal ion on design compelitions and building codes, names
and addresses of ans facililies which can
serve as case studies, and names and addresses of technical assislance and consullalll resources.
This book is particularly useful for lhe
layman and should be placed in the hands
of any person or group thaI is considering
building or renovaling an ans facililY. I!
should be read lhoroughly, consulled conslalllly, and ilS advice-particularly insofar
as seeking lhe help of professionals is concerned-followed as closely as possible.
My only reservation about lhe book is lhat
il fails to specifically recommend seeking
lhe advice of a lhealrical consullalll when
planning a performing ans facility, al[hough il does liSI U.S.ITT. as a source for
consultam recommendations.
C
W. Joseph Stell
UniversilY of Georgia

Space for Dance: A n Architectural
Design Guide by Leslie Armstrong and
Roger Morgan.
ell' York: Publishing
Cenler for Cultural Resources, 1984.
192 pp., ill., 519.50 cloth, 514.50 paper.
The publishers suggesl lhat lhis is a book
which explains how to design, build, or
renovale lheatres for dance. II is lhat and a
greal deal more. While virtually all reference in lhe book is to dance performance,
preparalion and viewing, much of the information offered is equally useful to the planning of any muhiple use lhealre or performance space.
The book is wrillen Wilh lhe clielll in
mind, one who has had limiled exposure
lO lhealre archilecture or technology, and
perhaps even limiled knolliedge of lhe ways
of lhealre praclilioners. Recognizing lhal
possibililY, lhe authors have carefully
avoided lechnical jargon; where lhat is impossible, lerms are carefully and clearlv explained. To funher avoid any confusi~n, a
glossary of lerms pertinelll lO lhe book's inlelllion is included as are lhree very helpful
appcndices.
Each chapter folloll's a prediclable bUI
nonetheless lhoughlfullogic as lhe reader is

USITT SUIlliller 1985

Editor: L. Garren

acquaillled firsl with lhe needs of the dancer
and then Wilh lhe fulfillmelll of those needs.
For example, a clear leXI supponed by good
sketches explains whal son of space is
needed for dance and why, and this is followed by a concise explanalion of lhe appropriale slage forms for dance. A potenlial builder of a lhealre for dance would certainly have to think lwice before building
a thrusl or arena slage afler reading even
this brief stalement. The graphics used here
are lypical of lhe excellelll illustralions
lhroughout lhe book.
Consuitallls will be pleased with lhe frequelll reference to the need for lheir services. It is indeed apparelll lhal this work,
while not slight, does nOI provide all lhe
answers yel il does offer encouragemelll to
the potelllial client. The authors wisely refer lO lhe need for lhe consullant when lhe
planning process moves into lhe areas demanding explicil knowledge and expenise.
Al lhe same lime lhe aUlhors make good use
of addilional sources which will guide lhe
reader in planning for specific needs. BOlh
in the text and in lhe bibliography all manner of informalion is eilher offered or
indicaled.
One of the mOSI thorough discussions in
the book, for obvious reasons, is thaI pertaining to noors for dance slages and rehearsal spaces. Several oplions are offered
and explained with admirable neutrality.
This discussion is typical of lhe allelll ion to
del ail which is found in lhese pages. Such
mallers as lhe circularion of malerials as
well as personnel, the need to serve all the
suppon staff as well as lhe performers and
lhe importance of pleasalll, comfonable rehearsal and dressing rooms are all given
lhoughtful allelllion.
The chaplers on backslage facililies and
lechnical equipmenl are panicularly applicable to the planning of any kind of lhealre and lhe chapter on lhe frolll of lhe
house sefl'es planners for any audience.
Evelllually we are led to a series of case
studies divided illlO examples of relarively
slandard proscenium spaces and a variely of
allernate or "found" spaces. By offering
these examples lhe amhors serve the needs
of planners for dance performance especially well. The descripl ions tend to be posilive bUI we are told thaI lhe examples are
noteworthy and lherefore perhaps nOI deserving of crilical comment. Nevertheless,
some comment on lhe ways in which these
lhealres and spaces mighl have failed could
be useful. The illustrations of allernale
spaces are especially useful in their demon-

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1985