Theatre Midterm

Actor / Performer

A person, male or female, who performs a role in a play or an entertainment.

Director

The primary visionary and unifying force behind a theatrical production, the director is responsible for shaping every aspect of the final performance—from the actors' performances to the setting and design choices.

Choreographer

A theatrical choreographer creates the dance elements in a play or musical, and often teaches them to actors, singers, and dancers.

Dance / Movement

Theatrical dance, also called performance or concert dance, is intended primarily as a spectacle, usually a performance upon a stage by virtuoso dancers.

Intimacy Choreographer

An intimacy professional is a choreographer, an advocate for actors, and a liaison between actors and production for scenes that involve nudity/hyper-exposed work, simulated sex acts, and intimate physical contact. Intimacy Director or Choreographer is the designation typically used for theatre and live performance.

Fight Choreographer

Fight Directors can also be referred to as Fighting Directors, or Fight Choreographers and they are experts at making a fight look realistic while ensuring it is safe for the Actors and other participants.

Composer

A theatre Composer writes original music to help tell a story or convey atmosphere and emotions. They may write music for voices and instruments to perform, or it may involve electronic and digital tools. For traditional plays, a Composer would write the music that underscores the production.

Sound Designer

The Sound Designer is responsible for obtaining all sound effects, whether recorded or live for a specific production. He/She is also responsible for setting up the sound playback equipment and must make sure the board operator is properly trained. Sound Design is an artistic component of the production.

Costume Designer

Experts in fashion history, practical clothes making, and theatrical design, costume designers plan and supervise the creation of the costumes and outfits worn by characters in a play or opera.

Lighting Designer

The Lighting Designer is responsible for the design, installation, and operation of the lighting and special electrical effects used in the production.

Musical Director

Director of Music. Working closely with other members of a show's creative team, music directors oversee all musical aspects of a musical theater or opera production, including casting performers, hiring the orchestra, rehearsing singers and orchestra members, and conducting the orchestra in performance.

Playwright

A playwright is someone who writes plays. Playwrights are also known as dramatists. Just as a poet writes poems, a playwright writes plays. If the spelling of playwright looks odd, that's because wright is a word for a craftsperson or someone who builds things (like a shipwright builds ships).

Set Designer

The set designer, also known as the scenic designer, is responsible for designing the scenery—and more broadly, the artificial environment —in which a stage, television, or film performance takes place.

Props Designer

A properties, or prop, designer creates, buys or finds all of the theatrical property—props—for a production. Props are defined as anything portable onstage that does not count as a costume. Everything from food eaten onstage to curtains and other set dressing counts as a prop.

Stage Manager

Stage managers facilitate communication across all creative and technical departments; act as a right hand to the director; oversee sets, props, lights, and sound; and call all technical cues during performances.

Technical Director

In the theater world, a technical director is a resident technical expert who supervises the activites of all technical departments—from lighting to carpentry—and oversees the use and maintenance of theater equipment.

Production Manager

A flexible problem-solver, the production manager is responsible for overseeing the broad budget and schedule of a theatrical production. This generally includes finding creative ways to keep costs low, hiring and scheduling crew members, and resolving any issues that threaten to slow progress towards opening night.

Build Crews

This crew is under the direct supervision of the Technical Director and Asst. Technical Director and is responsible for building and rigging any scenery and properties used on stage.

Carpenter

In theatre, a carpenter is a stagehand who builds sets and stage elements.

Scenic Artists

Scenic artists paint backdrops, murals and prop pieces for theatre, TV and film productions. They take the designs and ideas provided by a production or set designer and create the set pieces, which could be anything from a cityscape to a wall decorated in period style.

Props

'Prop' is short for 'property' and is any object used in a performance that isn't part of the set or worn by an actor.

Lights

Stage lighting is an art form. It's used to illuminate a performance venue and make an impact on an event, giving visual direction and shaping the environment.

Master Electrician

The Master Electrician is similar to being the technical director for the Lighting Designer. The M. E. is responsible for insuring the realization of the light plot. He/she is responsible for hanging and circuiting the lighting units according to the plot.

Rigger

A rigger is one who works on ropes, booms, lifts, hoists and the like for a stage production, film, or television show.

Costumes

Costume informs the audience about a character, their social position, personality, and contributes to the creation of the world of a play. For many actors, putting on their costume is an important part of getting into character before going on stage. It can affect their posture and how they move.

Cutters

Member of the costume team that supervises the construction of costumes that are made from patterns. They are also responsible for creating the patterns from the Costume Designers' sketches / designs.

Drapers

A draper usually works on fashion designs or costumes for theater and films. Typically, a draper works with the sketches of a fashion or costume designer, creating the outfits by draping the clothing over a form. You then oversee the necessary cutting and sewing.

Sewers

One who sews is generally called a “sewer”.

Hair & Wig

A Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Artist ensures that Performers have suitable make-up and hairstyles for a performance.

Run Crews

Are members of the technical crew who supervise and operate ("run") the various technical aspects of the production during a performance.

Set Operators

They are in charge of moving scenery, special effects such as trap doors or helping actors "fly," keeping track of props, and even operating lighting and sound systems.

Set Shift

A movement of scenery by stagehands to change a stage setting between scenes.

A1

In live event production, the A1 is the primary audio engineer and is responsible for the technical design of the sound system (PA, mics, wireless and more) as well as the live sound mixing for the show.

A2

An A2 is a stagehand who is responsible for the upkeep, acquisition, and use of microphones, backstage monitors, communication systems, and the audio system. There are typically one or two people with this job title associated with any major theatrical production making use of such audio elements.

Board Operators

Once performances begin, the lighting board operator, or “board op,” is responsible for making sure lighting equipment is working, and running the cues during the show. Often, the lighting board programmer and lighting board operator are the same person.

General Manager

The general manager oversees the budget and timeline for a theatrical production, and hires many members of the core production team.

Financial Director

Responsible for preparing reports, maintaining our accounting software (Xero) and ensuring that payments and receipts are monitored and actioned as appropriate to support the work of the theatre.

Development Director

The Director of Development will work closely with the Artistic Director, the Board and staff to plan and execute a strategic fundraising program that encompasses membership integrated into annual giving, major gifts, foundation and government grants, corporate sponsorships, special events and blended campaigns.

Marketing Director

The MARKETING DIRECTOR is in charge of the promotion and representation of the production, public image, and branding of the theatre organization or show.

Publicist

Most small theatre companies have a publicity person, whose job is to heighten awareness of individual productions, in order to sell as many tickets as possible.

Photographer

Theatre Photographer is responsible for creating images that fulfil two functions. First, during the rehearsal period, the Photographer must take shots that can be used for publicity purposes before the show opens.

Front of House

The part of the theater that is used by the audience. For example, a theater's lobby, box office, and refreshment stand are front-of-house areas.

Box Office Manager

A Box Office Manager oversees the ticket sales at a venue, supervising a team of Box Office Assistants with the support of an Assistant Manager. They work closely with the Theatre Manager in responding to the audience, answering customer queries in person and also over the telephone and online.

House Manager

The house manager is responsible for ensuring that the theater is clean and orderly before each performance. They are also responsible for the safe passage and conduct of the audience during the entire time that the audience is on the premises of the theater.

Ushers

An usher is someone with the job of helping people find their seats. At the movies, ushers take your tickets and tell you where to go. At some theaters and sports venues, the ushers might actually take you to your seat — they usher you there.