An evergreen list of suggested reading, compiled by Jules Fisher for the Broadway Lighting Master Classes, updated with recent publications and with suggestions from other designers... An essential list for anyone interested in lighting.
Recent Publications:
• Color & Light: Navigating Color Mixing in the Midst of an LED Revolution, a Handbook for Lighting Designers by Clifton Taylor, Quite Specific Media Group Ltd, 2019 (Book Marks: Color & Light reviewed by Brandon Stirling Baker)
• The Morse Code: Decoding the Career of Iconic Lighting Designer Peter Morse, by Vickie Claiborne & Peter Morse, Routledge, 2025 (Book Marks: The Morse Code Reviewed By Jeff Ravitz)
Related: Live Design's Book Marks
• Lighting Design Beyond Theatre: A Process for the Evolving Entertainment Industry, by Allen Branton & Sharon Huizinga, Focal Press, 2025 (Lighting Beyond Theatre reviewed by Jeff Ravitz)
• Theatre Lighting Design: Conversations on the Art, Craft and Life by Emma Chapman & Rob Halliday, Methuen Drama, 2024
• What Is Lighting Design? A Genealogy of People and Ideas by Michael Chybowski, Focal Press, 2024 (Book Marks: What Is Lighting Design reviewed by Steve Woods)
• Toward Good Lighting For The Stage by Marcus Doshi, Routledge, 2022 (Book Marks: Toward Good Lighting For The Stage reviewed by Ethan Steimel)
• Lighting For Televised Live Events: Making Your Production Look Great For The Eye And The Camera by Jeff Ravitz and Jim Moody, Routledge, 2021
• Concert Design: The Road, The Craft, The Industry by Seth Jackson, Routledge, 2020
The Classics:
• Josef Svoboda Scenographer by Helena Albertova, 2008
• A Natural History of the Senses, Diane Akerman, (chapter on vision), Published by Vintage, 1991
• The Secret of Theatrical Space by Josef Svoboda. Published by Applause Theatre Books.
• Stage Lighting Design by Richard Pilbrow. Published by Design Press.
• Projected Scenery: A Technical Manual, Thomas Wilfred. Art Institute of Light, W. Nyack, NY
• Light In Art, Edited by Thomas B. Hess & John Ashberry. Collier Books, 1969.
• The Art of Light & Color, Tom Douglas Jones. Published by Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1972.
• Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger Van Oech.
• A Kick in the Seat of the Pants by Roger Van Oech.
• Silence, John Cage. (suggested by Beverly Emmons).
• Architectural Interior Systems, Flynn, Segal & Gary R. Steffy. (Particularly chapter #1).
• A Syllabus of Stage Lighting, Stanley McCandless.
• A Method of Lighting the Stage, Stanley McCandless.
• On The Art of The Theatre, Edward Gordon Craig.
• Music and the Art of the Theatre, Adolphe Appia.
• Visual Illusions, Their Causes, Characteristics & Applications, M. Luckiesh. (Dover).
• The Universe of Light, Sir William Bragg, 1933. (Dover, reprint 1959).
• Color, A Guide to the Basic Facts & Concepts, R.W. Burnham, Hanes, Bartleson, 1963.
• The Emotional Significance of Color Preference, Faber Birren. Light, Color & Environment, 1952.
• Theory of Colours, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe.
• Eye and Brain, R.L. Gregory. 1970 The Intelligent Eye. McGraw Hill books.
• The Intelligent Eye, R.L. Gregory. Published by McGraw Hill books.
• The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley. Harper & Row.
• Color And Its Application, Matthew Luckiesh. Von Nostrand Company, 1921.
• Optiks, Sir Isaac Newton. McGraw Hill, 1931.
• Color – Music., A. Wallace Rimmington. (Historical).
• Lighting for Color & Form, Rollo Gillespie Williams. Pittman Publishing Co. 1954.
• Visions in Light (film & video). American Film Institute, 1992.
• The Interaction of Color, Josef Albers. Yale University Press. (Suggested by Nick Cernavitch).
• The Nature of Light and Color in the Open Air, M. Minnaert. Dover Publication, 1954.
• Lighting the Stage: Art and Practice, Willard F. Bellman. 1967.
• The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron. (Suggested by Peggy Eisenhauer).
• Different Light, Lewis Lee Photography. Published by Vari* Lite.
• Light on the Subject, David Hayes. Published by Limelight Editions, N.Y. 1988.
• The Fire within the Eye, David Park. Princeton University Press 1997.
• Conceptual Blockbusting, A Guide to Better Ideas, James L. Adams, Perseus Books.
• The Magic of Light , Jean Rosenthal & Lael Wortenbaker. Published by Little Brown & Co. 1972.
• Mariano Fortuny, Guillermo de Osoma. Published by Zoli. 1980.
• Light Fantastic, The Art and Design of Stage Lighting, Published by Prestel. 1999.
• Ways of Seeing, John Berger (suggested by Brian MacDevitt).
• Masters of Light, Dennis Schaefer & Larry Saluato. Published by University of California Press.
• Live Movies: A Field Guide to New Media for the Performing Arts. Edited by: Kirby Malone and Gail Scott White (c) 2006 Multimedia Performance Studio
• Interaction of Color, J. Albers, Yale University Press, 2006
• Introduction to Color, Ralph K Evans. New York: John Wilet and Sons, 1948
• Perception and Light as Formgivers for Architecture, William M.C. Lam, McGraw Hill, 1977
• An Introduction to Theatre Design by Stephen Di Benedetto
• Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was: The Lighting & Stage Design of Andi Watson by Christopher Scoates
• Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing by Margaret S. Livingstone
• Creativity, The Perfect Crime, by Philippe Petit, Riverhead Hardcover, May 15, 2014
• Inge Druckrey: Teaching to See” by Edward Tufte on Vimeo. The video is available for your viewing pleasure at http://vimeo.com/45232468