The Art of Theatrical Sound Design is a textbook which emphasizes the artistry of the 'why' behind the decisions made by sound designers, as well as practical advice on how to achieve that artistry through technology.

The book is structured with an initial brief discussion of the history of sound design, through which students will understand the long line of artists that have come before them and how technology has added to the advancement of the field. This is followed by an overview of the theory of how sound works in order to understand how sound affects the human body, leading to detailed exercises on how to create these tangible sound waves that can be used in production, before continuing towards showing how to apply these skills to a script and how to use these tools to keep the design cohesive.

Including audio examples and permeated throughout with terminology developed at DePaul University - in which action words are used to describe specific sound - The Art of Theatrical Sound Design is a key textbook for anyone seeking to understand the nature of sound and how to apply it on stage.

Introduction
Chapter One: Brief History of Sound Design
Chapter Two: Basic Overview of Sound Theory
Chapter Three: How Sound is Perceived and Manipulated
Chapter Four: Exercises: Punctuation, Repetition, Dynamics, Time, Ambiance, Tension, Natural vs. Abstract, Themes
Chapter Five: Working with Text
Chapter Six: Communication and the Collaborative Process
Chapter Seven: Cohesion and Convention
Chapter Eight: Spatial Design
Conclusion