This eagerly awaited text from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology Physics of Theatre Project provides a firm conceptual grounding in physics principles along with a clear guide of how to apply those concepts to numerous common theatrical situations. How much power do you need to drive a wagon or skid? Why do we use design factors and where do those values come from? How does a rake affect the moving scenery installed on it? The Physics of Theatre: Mechanics is a first step to understanding why the machines in theatre work the way they do.

The first half of the book uses...