DESCRIPTIONS OF A-TEAM POSITIONS
(The positions are listed in alphabetical order.)
Choreographer
The role of the Choreographer is to create dance and movement sequences for the musical determined by the Director. The Choreographer incorporates the Director’s artistic vision for the show into the dance and closely collaborates with the Director to ensure that the dance is consistent with the style, themes, and vision of the show.
At Auditions:
The Choreographer comes to the audition prepared with a short dance in the style of the show to teach to the auditioners, typically happening at callbacks. This should reflect the average level of difficulty required of the cast of the show. The choreographer may choose to present another dance, or multiple dances- one for males and one for females; or only a dance for a specific character, if this suits the show and the casting board feels it is necessary and beneficial to casting. In some cases the choreographer and artistic director may decide that a dance portion is not necessary at callbacks at all.
During all
portions of auditions, the Choreographer takes notes. Particularly during the
dance portion, the Choreographer looks for those who are able to learn the
style of dance required in the show. The Choreographer works together with the
rest of the casting board to cast the show.
At Rehearsals: The Choreographer is expected to work with the Rehearsal team prior to the start of each week to plan the rehearsal schedule, and is expected to arrive on time to each rehearsal he/she is conducting. The Choreographer is expected to prepare the dance she/he is scheduled to teach before the rehearsal. The choreographer needs to give notes to the cast after rehearsals/run-throughs about corrections and improvements. The Choreographer should lead a warm-up and stretch for the cast at the start of each dance rehearsal and prior to each run-through.The Choreographer should maintain a dialogue with the Vocal Director and be aware of the vocal requirements to choreograph accordingly. The Choreographer must communicate with the Set Designer and be aware of the set design and stage layout and arrange all dances accordingly.
Tech Week: The Choreographer should lead a stretch and warm-up for the cast prior to each tech rehearsal which requires dancing. They need to communicate with the Costume Designer and, if necessary, the Hair Designer to ensure the costumes and hair styles accommodate dance requirements in the production. During tech week, the Choreographer is responsible for re-staging the actors on stage if need be after seeing the performance space and set/scenic elements.
She/he should be present for each tech rehearsal to give notes to the actors and be available to other A-team members (such as Lighting Designer who may have questions about spacing, etc.).
At Rehearsals: The Choreographer is expected to work with the Rehearsal team prior to the start of each week to plan the rehearsal schedule, and is expected to arrive on time to each rehearsal he/she is conducting. The Choreographer is expected to prepare the dance she/he is scheduled to teach before the rehearsal. The choreographer needs to give notes to the cast after rehearsals/run-throughs about corrections and improvements. The Choreographer should lead a warm-up and stretch for the cast at the start of each dance rehearsal and prior to each run-through.The Choreographer should maintain a dialogue with the Vocal Director and be aware of the vocal requirements to choreograph accordingly. The Choreographer must communicate with the Set Designer and be aware of the set design and stage layout and arrange all dances accordingly.
Tech Week: The Choreographer should lead a stretch and warm-up for the cast prior to each tech rehearsal which requires dancing. They need to communicate with the Costume Designer and, if necessary, the Hair Designer to ensure the costumes and hair styles accommodate dance requirements in the production. During tech week, the Choreographer is responsible for re-staging the actors on stage if need be after seeing the performance space and set/scenic elements.
She/he should be present for each tech rehearsal to give notes to the actors and be available to other A-team members (such as Lighting Designer who may have questions about spacing, etc.).
NOTE: Depending on the choice of musical, the size of the
role of Choreographer position will vary, and may not be deemed necessary for
certain shows.
Costume Designer
During Rehearsal Process:
After
meeting with the director to discuss the vision of the show, the Costume
Designer develops the concepts for the costumes of each character. She/he maintains a dialogue with the director
throughout the process. The Costume
Designer then takes measurements of the actors and purchases/finds/makes the
costume pieces needed for the show.
She/he receives a budget from the Treasurer at the beginning of the
process and works closely with her/him to make purchases within said
budget. The Costume Designer may request
actors bring in articles from their own wardrobe, though this must be asked in
a timely fashion to account for the difficulty of some to go home or send for
clothing from home. The Costume Designer should have all costume pieces before
tech week.
During Tech Week:
The Costume
Designer needs to be present during all of tech week in order to handle any
problems arising. They also need to help
backstage with quick-changes if necessary during run-throughs and performances.
Director
Prior to auditions:
The
Director creates a vision for the production of the show. She/he then chooses the selections for
auditions (along with the Vocal Director for the musical).
During auditions:
The
Director is a member of the casting board, specifically focusing on show
benefit. The Director works with the
rest of the casting board over the course of auditions to cast the show.
During rehearsal process:
The
Director attends Artistic Team meetings regularly and communicates with A Team
members to ensure the design elements are consistent with the vision throughout
the process. The Director also makes the weekly schedule with the rehearsal
team, prepares blocking and works with actors to stage the play, and is a
constant presence at rehearsals. The
Director also writes a note for the program that offers clarification about the
vision and/or provides other information she/he feels the audience should know.
During Tech week:
The Director is present for all of tech week, giving
the actors notes on the run-throughs.
The Director also continues
to work with the Artistic team to ensure all elements of the production come
together within the vision.
Dramaturg
The
Dramaturg delves into the text of the play, and serves as a resource for the
cast and artistic team in terms of context and interpretations of the text.
The
Dramaturg researches the historical and cultural elements of the play and
organizes a presentation for the cast.
The Dramaturg also maintains a dialogue with the director, answering
questions and helping to decipher the entirety of the written play. The Dramaturg should be a regular presence at
rehearsals in order to address questions arising over the course of the
process. The Dramaturg also writes a
note for the program that provides the audience with the historical context and
current relevance of the play.
Hair and Make-up Designer
During rehearsal process:
The Hair
and Make-up Designer meets with the director early in the process to discuss
the Director's vision and begin to think of the hair and make-up requirements
for each character. She/he receives a
budget from the Treasurer at the beginning of the process and works closely
with her/him to make purchases within said budget. All hair and make-up implements must be
purchased before tech week. The Hair and
Make-up Designer should inform the cast as soon as possible of cosmetics needed
and what they may/may not do with their hair in the weeks leading up to the
show.
During Tech week:
During
tech week, the Hair and Make-up Designer explains to the cast the make-up
application (diagrams that can be posted in dressing rooms are very
helpful). She/he helps with the hair and
make-up of cast members requiring particular attention before dress rehearsals
and shows. The Hair and Make-up Designer
also helps with any make-up changes backstage if necessary (for example, the
aging of a character over the course of the play). During tech week, the Hair and Make-up
Designer should be watching run-throughs of the show (unless she/he is doing
changes backstage) in order to make adjustments upon seeing the Hair and
Make-up in stage lighting and with costumes.
Lighting Designer
The Lighting Designer
collaborates with the Director and the other visual designers to establish the
setting, mood, and atmosphere of the play.
The Lighting Designer should be comfortable with all equipment related to
lighting (the lights, board, booms, gels, etc.) and is responsible for the
equipment during tech week and the shows.
The Lighting Designer should maintain communication with the Director
and Set Designer to plan out their design ideas to be consistent with the
vision and complement the set pieces.
The Lighting Designer must attend artistic team meetings and attend some
rehearsals prior to tech week.
At the
beginning of tech week, the LD orchestrates the hanging and focusing of lights
and should be comfortable utilizing a Fine Arts Center crew of up to seven
people. The Lighting Designer also runs
the cue-to-cue with the Stage Manager, and works with the SM to establish cue
placement.
The
Lighting Designer position requires a strong understanding of lighting concepts,
such as warm/cool washes, side lighting, ground lighting, specials, gobos,
etc. The LD receives a budget from the
Treasurer at the beginning of the process and works closely with her/him to
make necessary purchases within the budget.
The LD needs to be comfortable finding any items to be purchased from
outside companies if need be.
For
alternate space shows, lighting capabilities will vary dependent upon the
limitations and resources with in the space.
The Lighting Designer will need to be able to adapt and be willing to
operate with alternative forms of lighting (such as trees) in the event that
the show takes place in a non-theater space. Questions regarding the space may
be directed to the executive board (umtheatreguild@gmail.com).
Prior to scene shop hours
While in scene shop
During tech week
The
Master Carpenter coordinates the integration of the set pieces into the space
and manages the construction of it, specifically during Load-In. Upon completion of this, the Master Carpenter
stays through the remainder of tech week to ensure safety and the stability of
the set. After the last performance the Master Carpenter orchestrates the
disassembly and removal of the set from the space (Load-Out) by utilizing
present cast, crew, and Guild members the Tech Director delegates to assist.
Props Master/
Mistress
The Props Master is in charge of acquiring and organizing
all of the props used in the show.
During rehearsal process:
The Props
Master needs to meet with the Director early in the process to discuss the
vision and ensure the props are consistent with it. She/he also must create a list of props by
reading through the script and consulting with the Director and Stage
Management about what is necessary.
Props or stand-in props should be integrated at rehearsals as early as
possible. She/he receives a budget from the Treasurer at the beginning of the
process and works closely with her/him to make purchases within said
budget. Purchases must be made before
tech week. The Props Master must also
communicate with the Set/Scenic team to be clear on whose responsibility it is
to take care of all objects on stage.
During Tech week:
The
Props Master creates an organized prop table and manages it during the
run-throughs and shows.
Scenic Artist
Before Scene Shop:
The Scenic
Artist meets with the director and set designer. She/he then begins to take the director's
vision and set designer's plans and translate them into the scenic design
elements. These include the painting of
set pieces, acquiring non-constructed pieces (namely furniture), and any other
visual aspects of the set requiring the Scenic Artist's skills. The Scenic Artist also must meet with the
props master to decide which objects fall under the responsibility of each. The Scenic Artist also works closest with the
set designer and master carpenter over the course of the project in order to
create a satisfying artistic design in safe and educational environment. She/he receives a budget from the Treasurer
at the beginning of the process and works closely with her/him to make
purchases within said budget. Purchases
must be made before the scheduled scene shop hours.
During scene shop hours:
During
scene shop, the Scenic Artist uses the time and resources (after discussion
with the master carpenter) to paint the set and tend to any other scenic
matters. She/he should delegate as many
tasks as possible to the cast and crew present, demonstrating and guiding them
through the necessary activities.
During tech week:
The Scenic
Artist must be present for the duration of tech week in order to handle any
scenic problems arising during the technical run-throughs.
At the beginning of the process:
The first
thing the Set Designer needs to do is meet with the director and discuss the
vision for the show. She/he then
translates the director's ideas into drawings/sketches. Providing the director with options is
preferable. Upon receiving feedback (at
various stages in the design process), the Set Designer finalizes the full
design within the first two weeks of the rehearsal process. She/he must work with the master carpenter to
ensure all aspects of the set are within the Theatre Guild's capabilities and
to discuss the means of constructing and painting it. The Set Designer also must meet with the
Treasurer to confirm the plans can be carried out within the budget.
During Scene Shop/remainder of process:
Sound Designer
During the process:
During Tech Week:
During rehearsal:
The Stage Manager's primary responsibility is to keep
things organized and the actors on task.
Early in the process, the Stage Manager makes a contact sheet with the
information of everyone involved (typically the cast, rehearsal team, and
possibly E-Board) and distribute it so that everyone can get in touch with each
other. She/he also makes sure everyone
is at rehearsal on time, and contacts those who aren’t (additionally, keeping track
of those who are habitually late and decide, with the director and producer,
when it reaches the point where it is a problem that needs to be
addressed). The SM works with the
Director (as well as the choreographer, music director, and vocal director if
the musical) to create the rehearsal schedule each week. She/he keeps track of
the actor’s conflicts and makes sure the rehearsal schedule doesn’t conflict
with them.
Once the cast is off-book, the Stage Manager is on book
for them, giving them their lines when they call for them and keeping notes on
lines that they miss or mess up. She/he
also keeps track of blocking once it is finalized. The Stage Manager is also in charge of the ASMs
(Assistant Stage Managers). She/he needs to be sure to find a satisfying
balance between utilizing the ASMs to help get things done and ensuring they
are learning the various components of the Stage Management position.
During Tech Week:
The Stage Manager works with the Tech Director to make
sure that time is used efficiently for the entirety of the week. At the beginning of tech week, the Stage
Manager decides on cue placement with the Lighting and Sound Designers and the
Director (if necessary). The SM also
needs to time the rehearsals to yield an accurate run time for the show. During run-throughs and performances, she/he
is on headset with the ASMs and light/sound board operators. The Stage Manager calls lighting/sound cues,
transitions, and communicates with the ASMs to ensure the actors and stage are
ready at all times.
Technical Director
The Tech Director is responsible for
overseeing Tech week, beginning the weekend prior to a performance (load-in)
and lasting until the completion of load-out.
Responsibilities include working with the rehearsal team and producer to
create an effective schedule for Tech Week. This usually includes a paper tech
for the lighting designer, sound designer, and stage manager to run their cues
before involving the entire cast. Time generally must be included for load-in,
light hang and focus, cue to cue, rehearsal, dress rehearsal, etc. It is the responsibility of the Tech Director
to ensure that everyone involved knows the schedule and follows it. The TD is
expected to attend all a-team meetings, production services meetings, dress
rehearsals and performances. The TD is also responsible for organizing load-in
and load-out. This includes assigning all guild members in attendance to
specific tasks, and overseeing the loading in/out processes. The Tech Director
should be comfortable working with the FAC crew.
No comments:
Post a Comment