Tracing the Rise of the Professional Scenic Designer with Dr. David Bisaha

A conversation with Dr. David Bisaha, author of American Scenic Design and Freelance Professionalism

There are many roles in the modern theatre that we might assume have always existed more or less as they are now. But there’s a history behind many of the positions we take for granted — including the job of scenic designer.

Dr. David Bisaha’s book American Scenic Design and Freelance Professionalism explores how scenic designers established their own distinct role in American theatre, differentiating themselves from other workers such as scene painters and carpenters, and staking a claim to professional status that we now consider self-evident.