"A lucid, well-organized survey of the almost infinite variety of production spaces of western theatre.... Carlson's survey must be admired for its wealth of carefully researched and elegantly articulated information concerning the relation of urban planning, architecture, and interior and exterior theatre embellishment to the social, political, economic and occasionally even aesthetic purposes of those responsible for these 'signifiers.'"—Theatre Journal

In this generously illustrated volume, Marvin Carlson uses models from architectural and urban semiotics to show how a theatre building and its location within a city reflect society's attitudes and concerns.