Technical Theatre

Technical Theatre in context

Theatre Roles The jobs Behind The Scenes

DirectorA director’s main role is to oversee and orchestrate the creation of a theatre production (a play, an opera, a musical, or a devised piece of work) by bringing together each different aspect of the show. The director must make sure that the production is of a high quality and that each theatre art comes together as a whole to ensure that the outcome is what they have all envisaged.

ChoreographerThe choreographer’s role is to create and stage all of the dancing and movement within a show. They must communicate with other people int he production team in order to create a visual that will incorporate and co-ordinate with all of the technical aspects of the show, such as set and lighting as well as acting. The choreographer must also ensure that the dancers are trained up to standard and maintain this standard for the entire run of the show.

ProducerThe producer of the show must oversee all aspects of the production. One of their largest roles is to raise or provide financial backing for the production and oversee where this is spent. The producer must also hire the managerial staff of the production, such as the director, choreographer, writer and composer. As the producer oversees the entire production, they must also hire legal staff to represent it due to liabilities which may be involved.

Scenic DesignerThe scenic designer must read the script multiple times prior to production so that they may get a feeling of the set that is required. They will then liaison with the director, choreographer and producer in order to design a set that will work effectively with all aspects of the production. It is important that the set works well within its performance space, whether a proscenium arch theatre or touring production of open air theatre, so that the audience is connected with the events unfolding onstage.

Lighting DesignerThe Lighting Designer must read the script and envisage the type of lighting each scene requires before going through it with the director in order to see the ways in which the lighting can be used to enhance the mood and atmosphere of the production. Then, the Lighting Designer must liaison with the Scenic Designer to see the ways in which the set will be effected and incorporated by the lighting so that the production has the desired look of the director as well as allowing them to attend rehearsals in order to create a lighting plot that will not be effected by the set and work well with the movement of the actors.

Sound DesignerThe Sound Designer must read the script to find out the required sound effects and music required for the production and work with the director in order to develop the ways in which the sound will effect the audience during the production. In order to to this they must consider pitch, volume, quality, direction and duration. The Sound Designer must also make a cue sheet that sound technicians will use in order to run the show.

Costume DesignerThe Costume Designer’s role is incredibly important as costumes can convey a variety of things. As well as reinforcing the mood and atmosphere of the production (e.g. the Victorian era or a classic Greek tragedy) the costumes can also portray relationships between characters or the development and ageing of a character. The Costume Designer must also include any personal accessories for each character before creating designs. They will then oversee the visualisation and creation of the costumes so that they enhance the production as well as coordination with the set and lighting.

Property MasterThe Property Master often bridges the gap between the Set and Costumes of a show as they must design and coordinate props to be used by the actors that will both work with the set as well as conveying the personality and motives of each character. Some productions may require for props to be made and others may require that they are sourced. The Property Master also utilises a script in order to coordinate and execute the full running of the show as each prop is required by each character

Stage ManagerThe Stage Manager oversees the overall running of the production and their work begins from the outset. One of the first tasks of the Stage Manager is to schedule and run rehearsals and write down the blocking of each actor’s moves in ‘the book’ - a bible-type copy of the script. The Stage Manager represents the director during performances and ensures that the show runs smoothly and as it was envisaged by the director as well as coordinating all of the technical aspects of the show. A job the is usually done by the Depute Stage Manager is calling the cues for a show.

Master Carpenter

The Master Carpenter’s role is to take the designs of Scenic Designer and turn them into a hard set. They must ensure that the set meets all the requirements of the show as well as the health and safety requirements that will make certain that nobody will get hurt from the set during rehearsals or performances. The carpenter is also usually on hand to make any small adjustments of the set or create anything that will assist in the overall running of the show - such as props storage shelves.

Master Electrician

The Master Electrician is responsible for making sure that all of the lights are correctly placed according to the designs of the Lighting Designer. They must ensure that all of the lights are focused correctly and in full working condition before each performance and take appropriate action for any that are not. Allocating gels as well as correctly and safely cabling lights is also an important role of the Master Electrician.

Health & Safety THEATRE LEGISLATION

NoiseNoise levels should be monitored so that they do not damage the hearing of members of the audience of of the production. Noise should also be treated cautiously as to not cause noise pollution amongst the outside world. FireFire exits must be marked clearly and never obstructed for the audience and all members of the production. A fire safety notice must be broadcast before each production so that the audience is informed in case of a fire. Relevant fire prevention measures must always be in place and all members of cast and crew must be informed of where to find these and what to do in case of a fire during performance or rehearsal. AlcoholNormal Alcohol licensing laws apply to theatres licensed to sell alcohol. Any member of the audience posing a threat or disturbance to the production or others around them should be removed. No member of cast or crew should consume alcohol prior to or during any performance. Hazardous SubstancesAll Hazardous Substances must be handled by only those trained to do so and stored appropriately - in a secure container in a locked environment. AudiencesAuditoriums must never be filled beyond legal capacity. All audiences must be informed of health and safety protocol prior to each performance. Disabled access is legally required in performance spaces and theatres must be able to assist the needs of all. PyrotechnicsOnly those that have been properly trained should set up and operate pyrotechnics. They should never be directed at any person and must be locked away when not being used.

ElectricalAll electricals must be PAT tested before use and regularly thereafter. Any cabling must be properly stored and any trip hazards clearly marked and covered. MechanicalsMembers of the cast must be well informed and rehearsed with any moving scenery such that accidents are avoided as much as possible. ExitsAll exits must be clearly marked and lit in case of emergency. No exit should be blocked. Lifting and CarryingIt is a legal obligation to reduce the amount and severity of manual handling at work as much as possible. Alternate methods of transportation and set up should be used whenever possible, but when not manual handling should be done by those trained. Working at HeightWorking at Height should be avoided as much as possible when in the theatre. However, when it cannot be avoided, pre-existing walkways and safety measures must be utilised such that injury is prevented as far as can be. ChildrenChildren must never work beyond the legal limit. They should be given breaks often and must be watched at all times, especially when there are concerns for health and safety. Performing RightsPerforming Rights must be bought and agreed well in advance of the beginning of rehearsals. No run should go beyond the agreement with the licensor. CopyrightNo photography or video recordings of any productions should be taken or distributed by any members of the audience.

Performance SPACES

Theatre in the RoundTheatre in the Round is when the audience is seated all around the acting area. This is a particularly effective performance space for plays or dance performances. This space can be difficult for acting, particularly intense scenes, as the actor will always have their back to some members of the audience. Additionally, this needs to be lit from above as any light stands would block the sight lines of some members of the audience. However, there have been some very effective examples of this such as a recent London production of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ at the Young Vic. ThrustThrust is when the audience is seated on three sides of the acting area. This performance space is very useful for dance performances. Thrust stages often promote audience involvement Often, there are very few scene changes as a thrust stage remains very exposed. There is a thrust stage in StarKid’s production of ‘The Trail to Oregon’. Proscenium ArchProscenium Arch is when the stage is within an enclosing arch. This performance space is ideal for most kind of performances, particularly plays and musicals. The stage allows all technical aspects to be well hidden from the audience. However, in some buildings, limited wing-space can make it difficult to store large sets. An example of this is the Edinburgh Playhouse. AvenueAvenue is when the audience is seated on two sides of the acting area. This can be very useful for plays requiring a lot of movement such as running back and forth, or dance performances. Due to the exposed nature, however, scene changes are either very obvious or very limited. The Aero Theatre has used an avenue style. PromenadePromenade is when the audience follow the action of foot, moving from place to place. When the audience must walk large amounts as the venues are far apart they can become tired and restless. This also makes it difficult to take any technical aspects along, such as lighting desks etc. which can make the production very costly. A company that uses this is A Younger Theatre.

Case Study ‘Grease’

I have chosen to do a technical study on an excerpt of the script from ‘Grease’. I found that the script does not require an excessive amount of notation as the props are rather limited and the large lighting displays are usually during musical numbers such as ‘Greased Lightning’. The excerpt I chose was the transition from ‘Those Magic Changes’ into the Pyjama Party. I have also included a basic costume plot that could be adhered to when performing the show.

Technical Review In time o’ strife

The National Theatre of Scotland’s production of In Time O’ Strife was a production I found incredibly interesting in every aspect, from beginning to end. A reworked version of Joe Corrie’s play based on the General Strike in 1926, director Graham Mclaren created an incredibly intense atmosphere throughout the entire performance. As we entered the auditorium, there were already musicians playing a variety of folk-punk songs so when the play did actually begin it made it rather difficult to realise it had done so. The rather relaxed beginning to the play was very much different to the style of performance that I am used to but it made me all the more interested in what was about to unfold on the stage. However, what I found to be the most interesting feature of the play that had the greatest impact upon me was how some rather quiet scenes were juxtaposed with a sudden roar of almost deafening punk-rock music accompanied by incredibly intense choreography that seemed to prematurely let out some of the rage of the characters. I found these segments that split the scenes very memorable and thought provoking and they provided much discussion after the performance. The single set of the show - a community hall - I found an interesting decision from the director. Although it created a greater sense of solidarity between the characters at the beginning of the play, as the rift grew greater between the miners and scenes typically based in the home became more frequent, the set seemed unfitting and merely like an empty shell. In terms of stage management, I found the technologies used - both within the context of the play and within the presentation of the set - to be very interesting. The use of a television to display news reports brought a rather modern twist to the play and related it more

to the miners strikes of the 1980s rather than the 1920s. Furthermore, the technologies within the lighting such as the custom LED faux fluorescent tube lights added to the overall sense of atmosphere as they made subtle changes of colour according to the mood at that specific time. The basis of the 2014 production - Joe Corrie’s poem ‘I Am the Common Man’ is one of many poems written by Corrie during the General Strike and its influence upon the play as a whole was apparent. Personally, I feel that prior knowledge and reading of the poem allowed me to understand the play more than I would have had I not read it. Although an interesting and heavily politically motivated drama, I felt that despite the inclusion of intensely choreographed and visually stimulating scenes the play could feel rather slow at many times.