Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2021 - 58

BOOK REVIEWS

CATHERINE MANTOOTH, EDITOR

steps of preparing for a productive creative collaboration. One considers the
task, sets a common intention, matches
that intention and task with a method
of communication that best suits it, and
then builds an organization. Rife with
specifics and examples, this section
contains a lot of tactics and strategies
that are concrete and able to be implemented practically. In discussing communication, he tells of working with a
stage manager who was having trouble
calling the visual and musical cues Niermann was setting. Once he shifted his
communication method to detailed time
cues in the music, everything began to
work perfectly. When returning to the
same gig the following year, Niermann's
new colleague found the time cues impossible to work with, preferring the
structure of visual cues. The matching of intention (timing cues) with the

method of communication (numbers vs.
visuals) becomes part of the effort in the
T-I-M-O technique, putting a responsibility on the part of the communicator. A
bit later, he lays out a step-by-step guide
to implementing this technique in a hypothetical booking of a rock band into
a jazz club, and the explanation is both
simple and eye-opening. His detailed
discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of various forms of communication contain a wealth of insight on the
best tools to navigate the collaborative
process.
Anchoring all these techniques is
Niermann's " bag of experiences " -a vast
library of real-world stories he can draw
upon that move his work from nebulous
leadership advice to practical examples
of how his collaborative precepts can
help a process. Whether it is designing
organizational charts and reporting re-

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58 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | WINTER 2021

sponsibilities, or hydrating while touring, there is a well labeled and concise
connection to a real-world example.
These snippets reinforce his ideas even
as they keep the book massively entertaining.
Collaborating Backstage feels like
an extremely satisfying sit-down with a
master raconteur and teacher. Never didactic or abstract, it's a fascinating book
that provides a buffet of ideas on how
to improve our collaboration across all
facets of the events we create. Like all
books of its kind, not every idea will appeal to everyone, but this is an excellent
addition to any bookshelf on leadership,
collaboration, and people skills.
Mark Fossen, MFA, is a director, actor, and
adjunct assistant professor of theatre. For
more information, visit http://markfossen.
info.

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Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2021