Crafting Theatrical Magic

Building Worlds Through Theatre Design

Bryan StantonAuthor

Creating Theatre Magic: An Inclusive Guide to Design and Production is an Open Educational Resource (OER) created to expand access to high-quality, inclusive, and engaging theatre education. Designed for students, educators, and emerging theatre-makers, this resource introduces the foundational concepts of scenic, costume, lighting, sound, media, and props design, alongside accessible backstage practices and production roles.

Written with a commitment to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP), this text centers equity, creativity, and real-world application across all chapters. Whether you're exploring the functions of lighting, building puppets, mixing sound, or crafting renderings using croquis, this book invites you to imagine theatrical storytelling as both an art and a shared act of community.

As an OER, Creating Theatre Magic is freely available and adaptable for classroom use, with the goal of reducing barriers to theatre education and empowering a diverse new generation of designers and technicians.

Connect with the Author

Cover of the book Crafting Theatrical Magic: Building Worlds Through Theatre Design and Production by Bryan Stanton. Illustrations show diverse hands engaging in theatre design tasks: holding fabric swatches, painting a costume sketch, and shining a stage light. A student in a wheelchair works at a drafting table. Faint technical drawings of lights and set pieces appear in the background. The overall color palette blends deep purples, blues, and warm golden tones, evoking creativity, collaboration, and theatrical artistry.

Acknowledgements

This book would not exist without the unwavering love and support of my family.

To my husband, Kevin — thank you for being my anchor, my cheerleader, and my partner through every creative leap and late-night edit.

To JC, Kelvin, Audrey, and Chloe — your laughter, curiosity, and boundless imagination remind me daily why storytelling matters.

My deepest gratitude to Jesse Dreikosen, Michael Brandt, Kate Powers, and Dr. Sarah Campbell. Your mentorship throughout my Master of Fine Arts program shaped not only my understanding of theatre design and production, but also the kind of educator and artist I aspire to be. Your wisdom, generosity, and faith in my work continue to guide me.

To my peer reviewers, Aaron Crosby and Abraham Ramirez — thank you for your insight and diligence in helping ensure this text reflects the evolving practices of contemporary theatre education and design. To the countless theatre educators who inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thought in your students — your dedication sustains our field. You build the stages where future generations discover their voices.

Finally, to everyone who continues to fight for the dignity, safety, and joy of queer and trans youth — thank you. This work is for you.

Metadata

container title
Crafting Theatrical Magic: Building Worlds Through Theatre Design
original title
Crafting Theatrical Magic: Building Worlds Through Theatre Design
publisher
Manifold @CUNY
publisher place
New York, NY
restrictions
Crafting Theatrical Magic: Building Worlds Through Theatre Design by Bryan Stanton is licensed under CC BY NC SA 4.0
rights
Crafting Theatrical Magic: Building Worlds Through Theatre Design by Bryan Stanton is licensed under CC BY NC SA 4.0
rights holder
Bryan Stanton
rights territory
US
version
1