The book is written for anyone who works in a theatre of any kind or size, but is geared for the educational theatres, which number in the thousands throughout the country. It is also strongly recommended for school insurance carriers and attorneys, safety and building inspectors, fire inspectors, risk managers, and parent teacher associations.
It presents a series of day-to-day risk management guidelines and is a must-read for parents, school administrators, boards of directors, and personnel who oversee school performing arts programs. It is strictly an awareness book, pointing out the hazards and risks to those individuals who, by law, are elected, hired, or appointed to operate school districts and their performing arts programs, in a healthy and safe environment.
The author, with his experience in education and entertainment, points out common risks and hazards in school theaters as well as recommended practices for reducing these risks. With chapters on fire prevention, the safe use of pyrotechnics, fog, chemicals, and machinery in classrooms and shops, and much more, the author provides educators with a broad overview of the requirements for operating safe school theater programs. This book identifies areas that most performing arts personnel and administrators might not ordinarily think of as dangerous or hazardous, such as aging or less than modern equipment.
This book’s material may be startling to some, but the hope is that it will be a major wakeup call to all those who work in and administer the performing arts activities. The hope is also that this book will motivate major re-thinking and changes regarding health and safety practices in the performing arts at all educational levels. This volume provides readers with over 400 pages of pertinent health and safety information, photos pointing out hazardous conditions and recommended practices, and is a call to action to protect and save students and instructors in the performing arts, world-wide.
