Very little has been published about the profession of theatrical lighting design, and less has been written about the individuals who practice this art. Until recently, the field was not recognized as a craft separate from stage design, and lighting designers were not credited in playbills or programs. Over four hundred individuals who designed lighting are profiled here in biographical sketches, each accompanied by a chronological listing of Broadway credits for lighting, and for scenic and costume design when relevant.

An introduction briefly surveys the lighting design profession and its development on Broadway. Appendixes list winners of the three major awards in the field, and a selective bibliography on lighting design is included. The index provides access from the play title to the designer's name, and, in doing so, indicates every play for which a lighting designer was credited. The frontispiece reproduces a light plot by Jean Rosenthal for Night of the Iguana (1962). This comprehensive volume will be valuable to researchers and professionals in lighting design, stage design, and theatre history generally.