Introduction to Theatre

Theatre Hierarchy and Production Team Duties

Theatre Hierarchy

     Theatre must observe a  strict hierarchy in order to function smoothly.  The collaboration between artists and the group  creation of a single art form is both complicated and stressful.  It is best to know who to ask questions and who to report to when engaging in a group collaborative.  The below is the most commonly found and observed order of production hierarchy.

Producer  or Board of Trusties (the money)

Production Manager (the constant for the theatre company)

The Director / The Technical Director

Stage Manager                                    Scene Designer  / Master Carpenter / Paint Charge   

Deck Chiefs                                        Lighting Designer / Master Electrician / Board Operator

Running Crew                                     Costume Designer / Head Stitcher  / Wardrobe Manager

Actors                                                 Sound Designer / Board Operator

                                                            Properties Designer / Properties Mistress or Master

Production Position Job Descriptions

Stage Manager – to organize in a production bible all the cues for a production, to call the show and maintain the shows integrity during the run.  To manage the actors and assist the director in the rehearsal and  organization of the rehearsal schedule.

Scene Designer – lead designer for the production, decides color pallet, time period and production style of the show.  Creates a visual metaphor that reflects the  protagonist’s view of the world of the play.

Master Carpenter – manages the scene shop and oversees the construction of all the scenic units.

Paint Charge – responsible for painting the production according to the scene designers specifics .

Lighting Designer – works closely with the scene designer and the director to light the show, create mood and atmosphere, control the audiences focus and create pacing for the production that drives the momentum of the story.

Master Electrician – in charge of executing the lighting designers light plot and design.

Light Board Operator – runs the light board, executing cues when called by the stage manager, during the show.                                                           

Costume Designer -    works closely with the director, design crew and the actors to design costumes that           help bring the characters to life, fulfill story telling requirements for audience understanding and facilitate required actor movement.     

Head Stitcher – oversees the costume shop and creates the costumes according to the costume designers specifics.

Wardrobe Manager – maintains the costumes during the run of a production, mends them, has them cleaned.

Sound Designer – responsible for designing the audio for a production including music, effects, scene change cover, and any sound enhancement the show requires, sound is the heart of a production, sound designs controls the audiences emotional response and the message of a production.

Sound Board Operator – operates the sound board, balances the audio enhancement and executes cues when called during the run of the show.

Properties Designer – creates all the parts of the set that are not considered scene design, including blood effects, stage weaponry, animals and food.      The properties provide the actors with objects to interact with , those interactions tell the audience more about the character then the dialogue, lighting and scene design alone can.

Properties Mistress or Master – creates a table with outlines of hand props on it off stage, organizes and dresses the properties needed on stage and runs the properties needs for the production.

Deck Chief- a captain of the running crew of either side of the stage.

Running Crew – technicians trained to quickly and silently change scenery and properties on stage during the production.

Vocabulary

Collaboration – the art of working together to create.

Show Bible – the stage managers fully annotated book of  scene change cues, lighting cues, sound cues and costume or property cues.

Floor Plan – an overview of set design in scale.

Front Elevation – a front view of the set design.

Paint Elevations – detailed paintings of each  set design element.

Light Plot – an overview of the stage divided into lighting areas with assigned instruments, color, channel and dimmer information.

Light Area – a 6 to 8 foot circle of stage space lit by instruments.

Cue – a set signal that initiates a planned action.

Properties List – a list of all practical, scenic and hand properties needed to run the production.

Properties Table – a paper covered table off stage with outlines and lables of the hand props needed for the run of the show.

Practical – a working stage prop (lamp, water pump, oven eye ect.)