Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2022 - 34

BOOK REVIEWS CATHERINE MANTOOTH, EDITOR
In Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician
& Technician, of lighting power
systems for different productions-from
film sets to theatre shows. By touching on
lighting instruments that are common in
both areas such as HMIs in film production
and LED moving head fixtures in
concert production, Cadena reminds the
reader of the wide application of electrical
safety. A highly respected consultant, electrician,
educator, and designer, Cadena is
author of other books for the entertainment
world, including Automated Lighting:
The Art and Science of Moving Light,
Lighting Design for Modern Houses of
Worship, and Focus on Lighting Technology.
As
this is the third edition of this
book, Cadena is doing well by keeping
industry workers up to date on which
equipment is being used and which is not.
While power systems are not like fashion
trends, electrical knowledge must be kept
current for safety's sake, and Cadena's
updates to the 2009 version of this book
recognize this fact.
The strength of this book lies in its
clarity on subject matter that can be easily
misunderstood. Cadena begins the book
with the basic theory behind electric current,
circuits, and types of power. He uses
the classic analogy of comparing electricity
to water, and he relies on this heavily
throughout the first chapter as he recognizes
it as the metaphor that aided him
most. This is not revolutionary information,
but it is essential for understanding
the building blocks of information that follow
in each chapter.
After covering the basic lessons of
electricity, Cadena explores the physical
equipment used to power production
gear. The chapters become denser as
Cadena unpacks three-phase loads as
well as resistive, capacitive, and inductive
loads. This is the point in the book where
the readers may be less concerned with
absorbing every morsel of information
but will rather bookmark and highlight information
that will be key in their production
processes so that they can re-read the
chapters later as they pertain to projects.
The compilation of information within the
book makes it an excellent reference for
productions that have unique or complex
power situations. Technicians no longer
must seek out multiple books to solve
various electrical problems because this
book condenses all the information in
one place. However, pulling out this book
in the middle of a load-in may not make
the best impression. Utilizing this book as
a reference in pre-production processes
would be the most ideal.
Each chapter includes quiz questions
that challenge the reader to apply the lessons
in each chapter, and rightly so given
the importance of correctly calculating
power loads, which could mean saving
someone's life. Chapter 7 dives into the
calculations of three-phase power (one
of the most used power types in production)
in simple terms and also with the
full-fledged math applied. Mathematicians
of multiple levels should be able to
walk away from the chapter with at least
the ability to calculate loads for their rigs,
though it might take several readings for
new technicians to get the hang of the
numbers and theory. Simply reading the
chapter is not enough. The applicability
of the lessons is noteworthy as it seeks to
teach and not simply feed information. Cadena
smartly uses real-world production
situations in his examples so that readers
can easily understand the applicability
of what he is teaching, which makes the
work less tedious for those who are not as
number-oriented as others. Still, reading
this book in bite-sized pieces is the best
approach for the average technician, and
especially for students and those new to
the industry.
Throughout the book, Cadena emphasizes
the importance of safety. An entire
chapter is devoted to the subject. In
fact, his introduction to the book tells stories
of harmful electrocution in productions
that occurred because of the crew's
ignorance of proper electrical etiquette.
This introduction emphasizes the importance
of safety when handling gear and
creating power systems for shows. The
average crew member has likely experienced
the laissez-faire attitudes that many
of their coworkers have in show venues.
34 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | WINTER 2022
There is often the assumption that " everything
will work itself out, " so gear is
plugged in wherever there is an outlet and
the only system check is looking at the distro
to see if the little green indicator light
is on. It is a miracle that more accidents
have not occurred. A simple reading of
this book will surely assist in diminishing
electrical hazards on shows. Cadena
smartly walks through safe operating procedures
for each piece of equipment in
addition to exploring the ins and outs of
how each piece of equipment works.
Perhaps the most valuable chapter
to the book, specifically for the entertainment
technician, is the last chapter called
" Show Prep, Setup, and Monitoring. "
This is the heart of the practical application
of each chapter's lessons. Cadena
walks the reader through an entire production
process of calculating, planning,
and executing safe electrical systems
for a production. Consider reading this
chapter first to evaluate your level of understanding
of production lighting power
systems, then start at the beginning of the
book and re-read this chapter at the end.
You will be amazed at how little you understood
before, and how important the
small details are in electrical safety, from
color-coding cables to holding thorough
safety meetings.
The practical lessons in this book are
the most easily digested and helpful for
those pursuing careers in the technical
entertainment field. This book is highly
recommended for technicians already in
or entering the industry as well as students
and teachers of entertainment production.
Emily
Miller is recent graduate of Lee
University where she double majored in
theatre and studio production. She has designed
lighting for Lee Theatre, served on the Lee
University Tech Crew as the lighting/media
student supervisor, and was selected for ETC's
Fred Foster's Student Mentorship Program
in 2021. She is currently working as the tour
lighting director for Lawrence the Band.
Contact/portfolio: Emily-Miller.me
http://www.Emily-Miller.me
Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2022

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