Library & Learning Commons: Lighting Design: Lighting Reference

Digital Resources

Selected Lighting Ebooks

A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting Third Edition by Steven Louis Shelley
ISBN: 9780415812672
Publication Date: 2013
Combining theory and application, A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting provides a comprehensive analysis of lighting systems along with examples and illustrations of the technical tools and methods used in the industry.
Designing with Light by Michael Gillette; Michael McNamara
ISBN: 9780367000691
Publication Date: 2019
The new 7th edition is fully updated to include current information on the technology of stage lighting: lighting fixtures, lamps, cabling, dimmers, control boards, as well as electrical theory. Readers will learn how designed light is used to enhance the audience's understanding and enjoyment of a production. The book includes specific information on drafting the light plot, explores the challenges of designing for different stage configurations, and provides examples of lighting designs for dramas, musicals, and dance. It also features comments and thoughts from active designers from both mainstream theatrical productions and related industries.
Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician by Richard Cadena
ISBN: 9780415714839
Publication Date: 2014
Covers the fundamentals of electricity, power distribution, and electrical safety, and also explains the latest developments in technology for the live entertainment professional and aspiring professional.
The Assistant Lighting Designer's Toolkit by Anne E. McMills
ISBN: 9780415711210
Publication Date: 2021
Covers insider-secrets used to succeed as a professional assistant lighting designer (ALD) - whether choosing assisting as a career or while transitioning to another. This book outlines, step-by-step, the challenges the ALD faces during every phase of production.
Stage Lighting by Richard Dunham
ISBN: 1138672173
Publication Date: 2015
Begins with an examination of the nature of light, perception, and color, then leads into a conversation of stage lighting equipment and technicians. Lamps, luminaries, controls/dimming, and electricity form the basis of these chapters. The book also provides a detailed explanation and overview of the lighting design process for the theatre and several other traditional forms of entertainment.

NOTE: The 2019 edition of this title is available as in print at the library.

Stage Lighting Handbook by Francis Reid
ISBN: 9781135868147
Publication Date: 2013
Explains the process of designing lighting for all forms of stage production and describes the equipment used.

Lighting Databases + Web Resources

Theatrical Lighting Database - NYPL
Contains actual plots, focus charts, and cue sheets from four landmark productions digitized from the collections of the New York Public Library.

Physical Materials in the Library

Searching the Library Collections

Materials in the library are organized by subject. Browsing the shelves of the library in-person can help you discover new work, materials, inspiration, and connections. Listed below are general call number ranges for lighting and theatre at UNCSA Library:

PN 2085-2091 - Theatre > Stage and Accessories
QC350-467 - Optics, Light
TH7700-7975 - Illumination, Lighting
TK4125-4399 - Electric Lighting
TK7800-8360 - Electronics

You can search our digital and in-library collections simultaneously by title, author, subject, or keyword via LibrarySearch. Click Advanced Search for additional search criteria (like material type, language, year, etc.).

Selected Print Books

Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician by Richard Cadena
Call Number: TK152 .C2185 2014 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 9780415714839
Publication Date: 2014
Covers the application of electricity for the theatre, concert stage, television studio, and other production environments. Includes the fundamentals of electricity, power distribution, and electrical safety, as well as the latest developments in technology for the live entertainment professional and aspiring professional.
Show Networks and Control Systems (Formerly Control Systems for Live Entertainment) by John Huntington
Call Number: TK7881.9 .H86 2012 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 9780615655901
Publication Date: 2012
With a combined focus on computers, networks, control systems, art and practice, this book offers an in-depth examination of the control and networking technology used in lighting, lasers, sound, stage machinery, animatronics, special effects, and pyrotechnics for concerts, theme parks, theatre, themed-retail, cruise ships, museums, interactive performing arts, and special events.
A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting by Steven Louis Shelley
Call Number: PN2091.E4 S52 2009
ISBN: 9780415812009
Publication Date: 2009
Combining theory and application, A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting provides a comprehensive analysis of lighting systems along with examples and illustrations of the technical tools and methods used in the industry.
Color and Light by Clifton Taylor
Call Number: QC496.8 .T39 2019 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 9781935247197
Publication Date: 2019
Color & Light is an essential practical guide to how color works in light. Written by UNCSA faculty Clifton Taylor, this book discusses how to see color, how to construct effective lighting palettes, and how to make use of both color filters and color-mixing LED fixtures to create compositions that work well with scenery and costumes to tell compelling stories.
Play Directing by Francis Hodge; Michael McLain
Call Number: PN2053 .H6 1994 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 9780205571246
Publication Date: 1994
Play Directing describes the various roles a director plays from selection and analysis of the play, to working with actors and designers to bring the production to life.
The Assistant Lighting Designer's Toolkit by Anne E. McMills
Call Number: PN2091.E4 M385 2017 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 9780415711210
Publication Date: 2017
Covers insider-secrets used to succeed as a professional assistant lighting designer (ALD) - whether choosing assisting as a career or while transitioning to another. This book outlines, step-by-step, the challenges the ALD faces during every phase of production.
Stage Lighting: The Fundamentals by Richard Dunham
Call Number: PN2091.E4 D87 2019 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 1138672173
Publication Date: 2019
Begins with an examination of the nature of light, perception, and color, then leads into a conversation of stage lighting equipment and technicians. Lamps, luminaries, controls/dimming, and electricity form the basis of these chapters. The book also provides a detailed explanation and overview of the lighting design process for the theatre and several other traditional forms of entertainment.
Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans
Call Number: GV1787 .H58 2010 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 9781400060603
Publication Date: 2010
Traces the evolution of technique, choreography, and performance in ballet with vivid descriptions of dances and the artists who made them.
A History of Opera by Carolyn Abbate; Roger Parker
Call Number: ML1700 .A22 2012 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 9780393057218
Publication Date: 2012
Covers many works by the greatest opera composers, from Monteverdi, Handel, and Mozart to Verdi and Wagner, to Strauss, Puccini, Berg, and Britten. Lively discussions of opera's social, political, and literary backgrounds, its economic circumstances, and the almost continual polemics that have accompanied its development through the centuries.
The Magic of Light by Jean E. Rosenthal; Lael Wertenbaker
Call Number: PN2091.E4 R68 - Stacks (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 0316931209
Publication Date: 1972
Seminal work on Rosenthal's work as a lighting designer.