Production Organization and Management Staff

Introduction to Theater Organization and Brief Job Descriptions

“Theatre folk have always delighted in surrounding the process of putting on plays with an aura of mystery. The tradition stems from the probably accurate belief that a play’s entertainment value increases if the audience thinks that the production spontaneously happens.” -J.M. Gillette

Going from the page to the stage takes planning, time, effort, and a lot of challenging work.

The PRODUCTION TEAM works hard to create a product that is meaningful and artistic but also appears to be seamless.

Good Theatre requires good organization

Every successful production has a strong organizational structure.

Each company’s structure is unique to its own needs but they tend to follow a pattern.

This is specific to this company

The PRODUCTION MEETING or “Prod Meeting” is probably the single most important device for ensuring smooth communication among the various Production Departments.

The production meetings tend to happen once a week to keep everyone on the same page as the production develops

Production Meeting

Usually only the top tiers of the organization attend the production meetings. That being said, it is still a conference of 11-14 people

Typical Production Team is made up of Director, Playwright, Production Manager,

Technical Director, Designers, Prop Master, Stage Manager, and Managing Director

Who attends the Production Meetings?

Every company operates on a different schedule, but the following is a base time line of a production of a professional company

4 weeks of Concept/ Design Meetings and Planning

6 weeks of rehearsals and construction 1 week of Tech and Dress Rehearsals 2 Weeks of performance

Total from concept to closing= 13 Weeks

Production Time line

The Producer is the ultimate authority in the organizational structure of a theatrical production.

The producer secures the rights to the play, leases the theater, hires the director, and production staff, and is the financial backing of the production.

Sometimes this job is the responsibility of a few people who make up a Board of Directors

Producer or Board of Directors

The M.D. deals with all the business aspects of the production.

The are responsible for acquiring and managing funds for contracts, fundraising, ticket sales, publicity, and box office management.

Managing Director

The playwright creates and develops the ideas that evolve into the finished script.

If available the playwright will often help the director explaining their interpretations of plots and characters

Playwright

The director is the artistic manager and inspirational leader of the production team.

The director coordinates the work of the actors, designers, and crews so that the production accurately expresses the production concept.

The director is ultimately responsible for the unified creative interpretation of the play as it is expressed in production

Director

A good stage manager is essential to running a successful production. They keep a production moving forward by anticipating problems and keeping open communication between all departments.

They assist the director during rehearsals and are responsible for all backstage activity after the show opens.

Stage Manager

The scenic designer is responsible for the visual appearance and function of the scenic and property elements in a production

Through research and renderings they convey the concept to the technical director.

Scenic Designer

The scenic artist, under the direction of the Scene Designer, is responsible for the painting of the scenery.

They have to be able to work with many different mediums on a wide range of materials on a large scale.

Scenic Artist

The Property Master is responsible for the design and construction of the various decorative and functional props that are used in a production

Property Master (Prop Master)

In smaller theaters, the T.D., may just be responsible for the construction, transportation, and installation of all scenery and and properties on the stage.

Larger theaters may have multiple venues, simultaneous shows, and multiple crews that report under a T.D.

The T.D. will facilitate communications of the production teams, keep track of construction process, oversee budgets, and manage crews.

Technical Director

The lighting designer is responsible for the design, installation, and operation of the lighting and special electrical effects used in a production

To show where lighting equipment will be placed they create a light plot showing where lights will go in the theatre

Lighting Designer

The Costume Designer is responsible for the visual appearance of the actors.

They create costume renderings to reinforce the directors concept with also giving the audience visual information about a character (age, gender, social class, occupation)

Costume Designer

The sound designer is responsible for the design, recording, equipment set up, and playback of any sound used in a production.

The are also responsible for the reinforcement of sounds made by the actors on stage

Sound Designer

Each department has multiple crews that work together to mount a show

Assistant Stage Managers, Paint Crews, Props Crew, Run Crew, Master Carpenter, Construction Crew, Assistant Designers, Master Electricians, Stage Electricians, Costume Shop Supervisor, Costume Crew, Sound Crew, Box office crew, and House Staff all work under the guidance of the Production Team

Personnel

Take a moment in your notebook to create an organization Box chart for the Quincy High production staff

Be sure to include the following Producer, Director, Designers, Stage Managers,

Box Office, Performers, Run Crew, Construction crew, Technical Directors, Costume Crew, Scenic Artist, and Props Management

Under the job title write in the name(s) of who currently fills those roles. (Teacher, Student, Parent, Administrator)

Challenge