Theatre Roles

In my inquiry I am mainly focusing on the directors of two productions however there are many more people are involved in this process. I am focusing on the creative side. To truly understand the idea of collaboration between these departments and how they relate with each other I thought I would write this blog to give an idea of what their separate jobs entail. This is based on the creative roles within the theatre that I work in. Sometimes the individual responsibilities vary depending on the theatre/production etc. but here is a brief overview. Some are self explanatory but wanted to show that all are involved.

A) Personnel
• Director – 'A person who is in charge of an activity, department, or organization'.
It is the director's role to create the vision for the whole production and communicate it to everybody involved. Final decisions will be made by them. When staging the production it is the director who tells people where to stand, how to react etc. They are the head collaborator and bring everything and everyone together.
Often the director of a dance production is also the choreographer. The choreographer creates the steps to music needed for the various artists to perform and rehearses them during the rehearsal period.

• Conductor - A person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir.
It is their role to rehearse the orchestra and choir, and communicate the set tempos of the music. They can also be responsible for arranging the music in the necessary format. They will collaborate with the director/choreographer on the tempo adjustments and the artists on the stage take the music cues from them.

• Designer-  A person who plans the look or workings of something prior to it being made, by preparing drawings or plans.
There are often numerous designers involved in any one production. It is their role to create the visual idea for their respective department (ie. lighting, set and costume). They are also responsible for making sure it does not hinder the artists on stage. For example the costumes are not too long, the set is not in the way, the lighting does not restrict the eyesight. They will collaborate a lot with the director in bringing ideas forward to aid the vision.

• Dancer- A person who dances or whose profession is dancing.
It is their role to learn the steps the choreographer gives and perform them. Sometimes they are needed to act in scenes. They are usually taught the choreography in the studio and have a set period of studio rehearsals. They then come together with the other personnel closer to the premiere for stage rehearsals. This is where everything is set in the stage space - all personnel involved.

• Singer- A person who sings, especially professionally.
It is their role to learn the songs and perform them. Sometimes they too are needed to act in scenes. They are given the music and have to learn the lyrics. The conductor rehearses them in the studio then alike the dancers, in stage rehearsals their movement within the space is set.

• Actor/Actress - A person whose profession is acting on the stage. 
Their role is to learn the lines, interpret their character and perform it. Sometimes they are needed to sing and dance also. They too begin with studio rehearsals and come together with everybody closer to the show. This is when they learn entrances and exits from wings etc.

• Instrumentalist - A player of a musical instrument
Their  play the instruments that make up the orchestra. They have to learn the music, the dynamics necessary and perform them. Usually during the last couple of weeks leading up to the premiere, they come together with the artists onstage to run everything through and make the changes necessary.

• Dresser - A person whose job is to look after theatrical costumes and help actors to dress.
They are a member of the costume department and their role is to bring all the costumes for the productions to the dressing rooms and help dress the artists. They are also accountable for minor adjustments needed. If there is a wardrobe malfunction onstage they will be the people to solve it.

B) Departments

• Ballet- The ballet company have their own ballet productions (i.e Gatsby) but are also involved in other productions that may have dance numbers in them, such as the musicals and operas. They have their own Artistic Director who usually chooses and brings in the directors for specific shows. They also have ballet masters/mistresses who give ballet class to the dancers each morning and rehearse them before for the show.

• Choir- The choir are involved in any production that needs singing. This will always include the operas and musicals, sometimes drama pieces and they have been known to be used in the dance productions in the background as extra bodies to help fill the stage. They sometimes have a choir master who will rehearse them but the conductor is the overall head of music.

• Drama- The Drama department alike the ballet also have their own productions. They too are needed sometimes for the musicals and operas. Especially those of them who can sing too. They are usually character roles in these productions. It is the drama department that we (the ballet company) collaborate with the least as often their shows are very different from ours.

• Costumes- The costume department makes all the costumes necessary for the production being created. They have different sections. The fitting rooms is where the artists have their costumes personally measured and where they make the costumes from scratch. The storage is where they store all of the costumes previously used in shows and where the dressers for each show put the costumes after being used.

• Set & Props - The set and prop department are in charge of buying, making and bringing all the necessary props for the production and creating the set. Large pieces of scenery are produced and painted all under the direction of the set designer.

• Stage Crew- They are the people 'behind the curtain' who are in charge of setting the stage prior to a show or rehearsal, moving scenery during the show, putting props in the necessary places and making sure the stage itself is safe to work on.

There are obviously many more roles involved but these are the main creative ones involved. Without the collaboration between all of them most productions would not happen and certainly not to the standard of which they do.