The Focal Press Toolkit Series
About the Book Series
Regardless of your profession, whether you’re a Stage Manager or Stagehand, The Focal Press Toolkit Series has you covered. With all the insider secrets, paperwork, and day-to-day details that you could ever need for your chosen profession or specialty, these books provide you with a one-stop-shop to ensure a smooth production process.
The Costume Supervisor’s Toolkit: Supervising Theatre Costume Production from First Meeting to Final Performance
2nd Edition
By Rebecca Pride
November 28, 2025
The Costume Supervisor’s Toolkit Second Edition explores the multifaceted array of responsibilities of a Costume Supervisor within a theatrical, opera or dance production company. Delving deeper into the nuances of this craft, Pride's updated exploration provides invaluable insights into the ...
The Wardrobe Supervisor's Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Wardrobe
1st Edition
By Elizabeth Polley
December 16, 2024
The Wardrobe Supervisor’s Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Wardrobe is a complete resource for organizing and streamlining the wardrobe process for any live production, with tips and tricks to quickly and seamlessly dress performers for their next scene. This book offers a foundation for anyone ...
The Stage Manager's Toolkit: Templates and Communication Techniques to Guide Your Theatre Production from First Meeting to Final Performance
4th Edition
By Laurie Kincman
November 27, 2024
The Stage Manager’s Toolkit, Fourth Edition, provides a comprehensive account of the role of the stage manager for live theatre with a focus on both written and verbal communication best practices. The book outlines the duties of the stage manager and assistant stage manager throughout a production...
The Dance and Opera Stage Manager's Toolkit: Protocols, Practical Considerations, and Templates
1st Edition
By Susan Fenty Studham, Michele Kay
September 30, 2024
The Dance and Opera Stage Manager’s Toolkit details unique perspectives and approaches to support stage managers beginning to navigate the fields of dance and opera stage management in live performance. This book demystifies the genre-specific protocols and vocabularies for stage managers who might...
The Voice Coach's Toolkit
1st Edition
By Pamela Prather
March 31, 2023
The Voice Coach's Toolkit identifies the primary professional vocal coaching opportunities and the avenues by which a student or early career coach can navigate the vocation. For purposes of this book, the Voice Coach is defined as someone who coaches the spoken voice in three precise areas: the ...
The Production Manager's Toolkit: Successful Production Management in Theatre and Performing Arts
2nd Edition
By Cary Gillett, Jay Sheehan
March 14, 2023
The Production Manager’s Toolkit Second Edition offers an up-to-date, comprehensive introduction to a theatrical and special event production career for new and aspiring professionals, given by expert voices in the field. The book discusses management techniques, communication skills, and ...
The Literary Manager's Toolkit: A Practical Guide for the Theatre
1st Edition
By Sue Healy
December 26, 2022
The Literary Manager’s Toolkit is a clear and comprehensive guide to the role of the literary manager in theatre and beyond, focusing on the key skills, networks, and processes that underpin a successful career in this and associated roles. This book outlines the tasks and responsibilities of a ...
The Costume Designer's Toolkit: The Process of Creating Effective Design
1st Edition
By Holly Poe Durbin
December 15, 2022
The Costume Designer’s Toolkit explores the wide-ranging skills required to design costumes for live performance in theatre, dance, opera, and themed entertainment. Arranged in chronological order to create a design, each chapter describes tools, strategies, and techniques costume designers use to ...
The Scenic Charge Artist's Toolkit: Tips, Templates, and Techniques for Planning and Running a Successful Paint Shop in the Theatre and Performing Arts
1st Edition
By Jennifer Rose Ivey
December 30, 2021
The Scenic Charge Artist’s Toolkit is a comprehensive guide to managing a theatrical paint shop. This book introduces the many different options available to a scenic charge artist, as well as the fundamental expectations and responsibilities of planning and running a shop. From the pre-production...
The Projection Designer’s Toolkit
1st Edition
By Jeromy Hopgood
December 23, 2021
The Projection Designer’s Toolkit is an insider’s guide to the world of professional projection design, serving as a reference for the planning and execution of each step in the projection design process. The text addresses the design process within the context of a professional projection ...
The Assistant Lighting Designer's Toolkit
2nd Edition
By Anne E. McMills
September 30, 2021
This ground-breaking text returns in its second edition, unlocking the insider secrets and proven, time-tested methods to succeed as a professional assistant lighting designer. This definitive guide outlines, step-by-step, the daily challenges that assistant lighting designers face during every ...
The Lighting Supervisor's Toolkit: Collaboration, Interrogation, and Innovation toward Engineering Brilliant Lighting Designs
1st Edition
By Jason E. Weber
December 30, 2020
The Lighting Supervisor’s Toolkit guides readers through the Lighting Supervisor’s production process with an emphasis on the importance of the collaborative nature of the role. Lifting the veil on a process regularly learned on the job, this book offers a deeper understanding of the role of ...