Stage Manager (SM)
- has an overall responsibility for the entire stage.
Deputy Stage Manager (DSM)
- sit in prompt corner.
- prompt sound, lighting and all scene changes.
- in charge of all cues.
- they follow 'the book'.
- have to attend rehearsals.
- calls audience into the auditorium.
Assistant Stage Manager (ASM)
- will usually run the wings.
- they will be in charge of set, props and performing scene changes.
A more detailed summary of Deputy Stage Managers (DSM):
I have always been interested in what Deputy Stage Managers do as it always seemed to me that they actually have a lot more pressure on their shoulders than a Stage Manager does.
During Rehearsals, DSM’s are responsible for maintaining the day’s schedule and to inform anyone involved in the production/performance of any changes. They are also responsible for making note of the time that each person involved in the performance leaves the theatre each night. They must inform the library staff when people get to the theatre, as well as when they leave. Before a rehearsal, they must prepare the stage by turning on the lights and contacting actors and crew members who are late. They must follow the script during rehearsals as the main job for a DSM on the night will be ‘following the book’ so it’s important that they know the performance extensively. Any changes to the script that happen in rehearsals will be written into the script by the DSM, and they must cue the actors after they are off book. As you can see, DSM’s have a very important job and have to do a lot of things.
When it comes to actual performances, Deputy Stage Managers are just as busy. They are responsible for the half hour backstage call which is sent out 35 minutes before the advertised start of the show. If there are any actors missing at this point, it is the DSM’s job to get the understudies on standby and to call the actors to see if they are going to make it or not. DSM’s let the actors know in advance what time they need to come in to get their hair, make up and costume done. They need to ensure all staff are in the correct places- this includes all lighting and sound crew members. They must maintain a sign-in sheet for actors and crews to sign on performance nights and must ensure all actors are in place to make their entrances on time. They must ensure all crew headsets have batteries and are working before the performance, although DSM’s use two types of communication- a switchboard as well as the headsets, just in case the headsets fail to work. DSM’s are in charge of giving lighting and sound cues to the rest of the crew. DSM’s are pretty much in charge of ensuring EVERYONE is in the right place at the right time. They are also responsible for tidying up the backstage area after each performance and getting it ready for the next one. DSM’s are the last people to leave the theatre (apart from the security personnel) and must inform the security personnel when everyone has left the theatre so that they can ‘lock up’.
References:
Costume Design Department:
Costume Designers work very closely with the Director of the show to ensure that the garments and pieces look exactly how the Director has envisioned. The aim of being a Costume Designer is to design costume that complements the vision of the play. They have to ensure that they stick to the budget, and often have to source materials off their own accord. This might involve:
- going shopping in high street shops for accessories and clothes which could include jewellery, hats or gloves.
making something new from scratch from design to the final piece.
- adapting existing pieces of costume so they can be used in a new play.
Costume Designers are also responsible for taking measurements of the performers and must over-see last minute costume changes so that all costume is ready for the dress rehearsal.
There are several ‘specialist’ roles within each Costume Design Department and they are the following:
Wardrobe Supervisors: Wardrobe Supervisors are in charge of handling the records which show what is already in stock. They also assist with sourcing items of costume.
Tailors and Dressmakers: Both of these roles involve making new garments. The chances are that these workers would have undertaken an apprenticeship in the clothing industry and used this skills to get into theatre.
Cutters: Cutters are assistants to the dressmakers. They cut out the patterns that are then sewn together to make costumes.
Milliners: Milliners specialise in hats and are in charge of making headwear.
Dyers: These workers ‘break down’ costume to give it an old, worn look. For example, costumes can be rubbed with sandpaper or soap to make the garment look worn or greasy.
Dressers: Dressers help the performers into their costume whilst having to make quick changes. People without much experience can undertake this role, although this job is usually used by those who have done theatre training and want to move up the ladder into qualified wardrobe work.
Susan Hilferty- Costume Designer for WICKED
Susan Hilferty won a Tony Award for best costume design for the hit musical WICKED. One thing I have learnt from researching this woman is that a passionate Costume Designer will always have a ‘vision’ of what they want the show to look like. In an interview, she stated that ‘A costume designer is a story teller’ and I believe this shows just how important Costume Design is when it comes to theatre.
It’s clear that Susan did a lot of background research into WICKED as, in an interview, she mentions that she found that the book was written in the early 20th century- Edwardian times. She decided to use a ‘Twisted Edwardian’ style for the costumes and made the choice to make every costume slightly ‘off balance’ as if ‘the centre of gravity works in a different way’ in OZ. Originality is something that Susan clearly wanted WICKED to have and this is emphasised by the fact that the costumes are haute couture; every costume is made for a particularly character who is played by a particular actress in a particular way. This requires a lot of skill and time. In fact, one of Elphaba’s dresses took 40-60 hours of stitching to put together.
Overall, I think it’s very important for a Costume Designer to have a ‘vision’. Susan makes it clear that researching the contextual factors of a play is vital as it allows you to explore the ‘real’ world of the play and makes it a lot easier to find that ‘vision’. Costume Design is a tough job as it takes a lot of time to put together a complex costume- for example, Elphaba’s black dress that Hilferty created. However, the rewards are huge- especially for those who design Tony Award winning costumes.
References:
Director:
Directors are responsible for bringing all elements of a show together to create an artistic and entertaining production. They use script, set, lighting and sound but spend most of their time working with the actors. Directors need to be decisive in their decision making but must be open to collaboration and inspiration from other members of the team- which could include costume designers, sound, lighting ect. They must meet the highest standards possible within the budget they have been given.
Directors are responsible for holding auditions as they are in charge of casting. Once the Production has been casted, the Director must lead rehearsals and block the show. They also meet with Musical Directors and Artistic Directors.
It is helpful for an aspiring Director to have experiences in school or community productions as this is fantastic experience. Assisting amateur productions will enable them to break into the industry and gain jobs as an assistant director. As an Assistant Director, they will gain a reputation and will have a better chance of becoming a Director. Many other directors will gain a Bachelor's Degree Program in Theatre.
Joe Mantello- Director Of Wicked
Joe Mantello is an incredibly successful Director who first came to fame through his work in Wicked.
Joe Mantello has won two Tony Awards- in 2003 as Best Director (for a Play) for "Take Me Out." and in 2004 as Best Director (Musical) for a revival of "Assassins." He has also done work as an actor
Directing credits include: Other Desert Cities; The Pride; Pal Joey; 9 to 5 the Musical; November; The Receptionist; The Ritz; Three Days of Rain; The Odd Couple; Glengarry Glen Ross; Laugh Whore; Assassins (Tony Award); Take Me Out (Tony Award); Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Design for Living; The Vagina Monologues; bash; Love! Valour! Compassion!; Proposals; The Mineola Twins; Corpus Christ; Mizlansky/Zilinsky; Blue Window; God's Heart; The Santaland Diaries; Snakebit; Three Hotels and Imagining Brad.
References:
http://education-portal.com/articles/Theater_Director_Job_Description_Duties_and_Requirements.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0544079/
http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/creative/wickedCreative_JOEMANTELLO.asp
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