Technical Theatre

When you go to a play, the opera, the ballet, or even a concert you notice the people on the stage performing. You may also notice the lighting effects, audio effects, costuming, makeup, and the set the performers are on. All of these things are part of the world of technical theatre.

Technical Theatre encompasses all of the different areas that go into making a staged production. There are 6 traditional diciplines within the broad category of technical theatre, they are: Carpentry, lighting, properties, rigging, costuming, and audio. All of these area work together in a production to establish the place, time period, and mood of the production. If successful the audience will not even notice many of the technical elements of the show, instead they will come away having enjoyed the show. However, if one of the areas is incomplete or of a lesser quality than the rest the entire production can suffer. Since many of the areas rely on the others for support it is important that everyone works together as a team. For example, if the lighting designer uses a lot of blue in their design and the costume designer or the scenic designer uses a lot of yellow, the result will be that the costumes or the set will appear greenish, and this can change the mood of the scene.

People in Technical Theatre

To put on a play it takes many people, doing many different jobs. When they work together as a team the result can be very impressive.

The directors are the people in charge of the production. While not specifically a technical position, the director is still important In a theatrical production the coordinates the artistic efforts of the different designers and actors into one unified vision. The Technical Director (or TD) works with the director and designers to make sure the different designs are carried out as best as possible. This person coordinates the efforts of the different departments, and often oversees the construction of the set.

The designers are the people that make the artistic descions in their respective fields. The scenic designer designs the sets for the different scenes. The lighting designer designs how the playing area and the actors will be lit. The sound designer chooses or makes the different sound effects that will play during the show, as well as determining who gets microphones, and how much amplification will be necessary. The costume designer designs the clothes that the people will wear, they often design, or work closely with the designers of, the hair and makeup as well.

The crew heads are responsible for coordinating the efforts of the different crews of stagehands working under them in the implementation of the designers' work. The master carpenter directs the stagehands that construct the set. They will also coordinate the people that move the set during scene changes. The scenic charge is the person that oversees the painting of the set. The master electrician makes sure that the lighting instruments get placed where the designer needs them. They also oversee the people operating the lighting control board and any follow spots. The audio engineer oversees the placment of speakers; during the show they will oversee the operator of the sound boards and make sure that the performers that need them have working microphones. The costumer will coordinate the making of the costumes and the fitting them on the performers. The properties (or props) master will gather and make the items that the actors will handle during the performance. They are also in charge of "set dressings" such as tables and chairs that the actors will interact with.

The stagehands are the people that do the labor. These people are divided into several crews. The carpenters build the set, and move set pieces during the show. The painters paint the set the colors the designer specified. The electricians put the lights in the correct place, run the cables to power them, and operate the control board and any followspots. The audio crew will place speakers and microphones as well as run the cables to power them. In addition, they will operate the sound mixers. The stitchers will sew and mend the costumes and the dressers will help the actors get into them. The props crew will make sure the items the actors need are where they are supposed to be, and repair them if they get broken. The props crew is usually responsible for keeping the stage clean and tidy as well.

Set design and Construction

The design of a set for a production, often times, is one of the first steps taken by director and designer. This is due to several issues. First, the set is one of the few parts of the technical theatre which is specifically dictated by the script. How many people must be on stage? How many different entrances must be accommodated? Where do those entrances lead? Each of these questions (and others) must be addressed with the set design. Secondly, the directors must have the set design prior to blocking the play so that the performers are blocked intentionally around the set pieces which will exist.

As with all design elements, the first step in creating a set design is to read the script several times. The minimum number of times a designer should read the script is three before beginning work on a set design. The first time through, the designer should read it for the story line and enjoyment.

The second time through, the designer should begin gathering a better feel for the story. Where does the story take place? Are there any major set pieces that must be included? What entrances and exits must exist? How much space must be allowed for the number of characters on stage at any given time?

The third time through the script, the designer should begin writing down specifics about the space. In coordination with the director, choices must be made about where off-stage locations exist, where will the more intense beats or moments take place on stage, and general traffic patterns throughout the space.

Following this third reading, most designers will create a series of sketches...at least one per location...for the director to review. These sketches should include not only the set but also stage props and furniture and possibly tentative actor locations for major points in the story. After getting the director's approval of the sketches, scale drawings must be made. These should include not just an overhead view of each scene but also front elevations of the scenes and, where necessary for construction, specific cut-away designs of complicated set pieces. From these scale drawings, many designers will then create scale models so that the directors and designers have three-dimensional models to work from both for the sake of blocking and also building the set pieces.

All of these design steps should also include the lighting designer and scenic designer (in charge of providing the coloring scheme for the sets...sometimes the scenic and set designer is the same person) so that the design schemes for all of the elements are complementary.