It's 9 a.m. and your to-do list is a mile long. Before you tackle it, your partner criticizes you, and your teen greets you with an eye roll. Meanwhile, you see a news clip about war or politics that ...

For theater designer Joe Ragey, the job of preparing a new show begins months before the actors get to the stage. “I do a lot of research — all I possibly can — just so I know what has been done ...