In Memoriam: Ralph Pine, Theatre Book Publisher

Noted theatre book publisher Ralph Jonathan Pine has died, Lighting&Sound America has learned. He was 79.

Pine was born in Paterson, New Jersey on April 30, 1939. He attended Rutgers and Boston Universities before graduating from Emerson College in 1961. He earned a master-of-arts degree from University of California, Los Angeles, 1963. He pursued careers as a writer, director, and theatrical agent before founding Drama Book Publishers 1967. He was also president of Razzmatazz Rags Ltd., and general partner in Props and Practicals, a New York-based business.

According to a statement on Facebook, Drama Book Publishers published many groundbreaking works, including a critical study of Edward Albee's work, as well as studies of representations in entertainment of blacks, gays, and Native Americans. Other early notable works included Producing on Broadway and From Option to Opening, by Donald C. Farber; Women in Theatre: Compassion and Hope, by Karen Malpede; A Sense of Direction: Some Observations on the Art of Directing, by William Ball; Theatre Management and Production in America, by Stephen Langley; and Freeing the Natural Voice, by the noted vocal coach Kristin Linklater. Each of these became a classic text in its field. The company also published a wide range of books that became vital resources for costume designers. Stage Lighting Design: The Art, The Craft, The Life, by lighting designer, producer, and theatre consultant Richard Pilbrow.

In 2013, Quite Specific Media joined with Silman-James Press, where it continued to develop new books, recent examples of which include Digital Costume Design & Rendering, by Annie Cleveland; Production Stage Management for Broadway: From Ideas to Opening Night & Beyond, by Peter Lawrence; and Color and Light: Navigating Color Mixing in the Midst of an LED Revolution, A Handbook for Lighting Designers, by Clifton Taylor.

An ebullient, nattily dressed personality with a fund of stories based on his many show business experiences, Pine was a member of the Players Club, American Theatre Association, and USITT. His survivors include his wife Patricia MacKay, the former editor and publisher of Theatre Crafts and Lighting Dimensions magazines and a founder of the trade show LDI.