To maintain the magical essence of the Great White Way, Broadway stagecraft virtuosos have been careful to not reveal too many secrets. But now, Blue-Collar Broadway, written by Timothy R. White, uncovers 130 years' worth of the behind the scenes efforts of those who worked in carpentry, painting, costuming, and lighting to make Broadway the symbol it is today.
White follows the growth of the theatre, beginning with the 1880s to 1910s where scenery, costumes, and lights were built and stored nationally, and then transitioned into local, New York City stage components during the 1920s to 1960s, bringing about a golden age. After the 1960s, decentralization and deindustrialization brought about nationally distributed regional theaters, resulting in a collapse for New York's theatre craft economy. However, new technologies and tourism have now made Broadway a global destination.
Blue-Collar Broadway depicts the history of crafte and trade in American theatre as well as Broadway itself, and also examines the role of theater in urban deindustrialization and small-city redevelopment. The 288-page book goes on sale December 8, 2014.