Brad Arsenaux

							Theatre People

   Chapter 12
          The Playwright
sources of inspiration vary. Their world
 view and range of interests influence
   their choice of subjects. Working
methods vary widely and mechanics of
writing (structural patterns, form, style)
              vary as well.
           Dramatists Guild

      The most recognizable professional
organization for playwrights. Anyone who has
written a play can join The Dramatists Guild as
             an associate member.
       Some Familiar Initials

    ASCAP: American Society of Composers,
    Authors, and Publishers is a union which
primarily represents people who write music and
 lyrics, including those who write musicals and
                      operas.
  TCG: Theatre Communications Group works
directly with the national Endowment for the Arts
     and publishes lots of theatrical literature
      including The Dramatists Sourcebook.
          The Dramaturg

•in Europe, the dramaturg is traced to
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, 18th century
German playwright and critic. He became
an in house critic for the Hamburg National
Theatre in 1767.

•Offered advice on play selection
   Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
•Critiqued the company’s productions
•Published a journal intended to influence
public taste
•These functions became standard in
many theaters in Europe
•Dramaturgy is a relatively recent addition
to theater in USA (past 30 years)
   The Production Dramaturg

• Works closely with the director
• Works with designers
• Works with other production team
  members
• Works with publicity and outreach
  personnel
• Works with audience.
           The Dramaturg
• Additional Responsibilities: Often the
  dramaturg has some responsibility for
  educating the audience and ay have some
  responsibility for the printed program.
  They may also prepare auxiliary materials
  for educational outreach programs and
  may conduct “talk back” sessions between
  theatre personnel and audiences following
  performances.
There are 6 key design elements present in
  most productions:
• Scenic
• Costume
• Makeup
• Lighting
• Sound
• Properties (props).
          Theatrical Terms
• Production team: The entire behind the
  scenes artists who combine forces to bring
  the play to life.

• Production Meeting: when a director
  meets with the designers for their play to
  discuss ideas for the show & how to bring
  the play to life.
           Scenic Designer
• member of the production team
  responsible for creating the physical world
  of the play. They design the sets for the
  play.
          Tools of the Trade
• Rendering: a preliminary design sketch.

• Computer Assisted Drawings: known as CAD for
  short, these are renderings created by using
  software which helps to shorten the length of
  time & lessen the amount of materials needed to
  render a design.
•
  Swatches: small pieces of fabric used as
  samples by the costume designer to show the
  rest f the production team what they are
  planning to use in the play.
                  Plots:
• the working drawings necessary to aid the
  various crews in the execution of the
  designs. These are a schematic way of
  indicating and enumerating the elements
  that will be needed.
        Function of Scene Design

•   Defines a performance space.
•   Creates a floor plan.
•   Characterizes the acting space visually.
•   Makes a strong interpretation statement.
•   Creates a mood and atmosphere.
•   Functions in conjunction with other design
    and production elements.
      Basic Scenery Elements:
• Soft Scenery Units: made of unframed cloth, suspended.

• Drops: may enclose setting; may be painted with scenes.

• Draperies: may mask the sides of the stage, may be
  painted and hung to create stylized backgrounds.

• Scrim: specialized curtain made of gauze, opaque when
  lighted from front; transparent when lighted from behind.

• Cyclorama: (The CYC) any arrangement of curtain that
  surround the stage area on three sides.
       Basic Scenery Design
• Flat: a frame of wood covered by a
  stretched canvas. The canvas is then
  painted to create the illusion of a wall,
  window, fireplace, etc.
•
  Floor plan: a scale drawing showing the
  set when viewed from above,
          Costume Designer
• Costume Designer: member of the production
  team who designs the costumes for all the
  actors in a production.
• Rehearsal Costumes: basic clothing elements
  the costumer provides if the actor is unfamiliar
  with moving in them. These help the actor to
  look natural in their actual costume when the
  play is performed.
• Costume plates: full colored renderings which
  show the shape of the costume, what fabrics are
  to be used & the specific cut of these fabrics.
         Costume Designer
• Dress Parade: When all of the actors try
  on their costumes and wear them in front
  of the director and the designer. At this
  point, the two will determine what changes
  need to be made before the play opens.
          Makeup Designer
• member of the design team who is in
  charge of clarifying or modifying the
  actors’ physical features for a production.
  The designer works very closely with the
  costume designer.
           Makeup Designer
• Straight Makeup: makeup that doesn’t alter the
  actor’s appearance, its function is to better
  define the actor’s features.
• Corrective makeup: makeup used to “correct”
  certain natural flaws in an actor’s face, for
  example a broken nose or overly sunken
  cheeks.
• Character Makeup: a broad term for any
  makeup done to transform the actor’s natural
  features into those which the character must
  have.
          Makeup Designer
• Makeup Plot: a chart showing the basic
  makeup information for each character:
  foundation, color, shadows and highlights,
  & special features (wigs, prosthetics, etc.).
  The plot will also show if there are any
  changes in a character’s makeup over the
  course of a show.
           Lighting Designer
• a member of the design team responsible
  for creating all of the lighting to be used in
  a play.
           Lighting Designer
• Gels: think sheets of tinted plastic, which
  are placed in front of the lamp, to change
  the color of light coming out of an
  instrument.

• Gobos: Metal cutouts with patterns in them
  which are placed in front of the light, like a
  gel. The gobo will cause the light to throw
  shadows onto the stage.
           Lighting Designer
• Lighting plot: a modified version of the scenic
  designer’s ground plan. The lighting designer
  draws exactly where each lighting instrument will
  be positioned for the play, & where the light from
  that instrument will be focused.

• Cue sheet: a listing of exactly when in the play
  each lighting change occurs. The cue sheet also
  explains what each change is.
          Sound Designer
• member of the design team who creates
  and/or finds all of the sound for a
  production.
             Sound Designer
• Canned Sound: the slang term for effects and/or
  music which is pre-recorded & then played over
  speakers for the audience.

• Live sound: sound cues, effects, or music that
  are created in real time on stage. Live sound is
  not prerecorded.

• Sound Plot: a chart or list of all of the sound
  cues in a show. It also tells exactly what each
  sound is used for .
           Rehearsal Props
• simple, functional items or objects carried,
  held or used by the actors which gives the
  performers something to work with and get
  used to while rehearsing the plays.
                 Producer
• the person responsible for securing the
  necessary funding to pay for the play's
  production. Sometimes, the producer will
  pay for the production costs himself, but
  usually he must acquire additional
  backers. In certain instances, the producer
  isn't a person at all; it is an organization of
  some kind.
         Production manager
• the person who is responsible for seeing
  to it that the visions of the producer &
  director are realized to the fullest possible
  potential. They must coordinate all of the
  various elements of the production, from
  design to stage management to
  performers to publicity to box office &
  everything in between.
          Assistant Director
• a title which means many things. The
  assistant director may simply take notes
  for the director, or may be asked to serve
  as a second pair of eyes for the director.
  Sometimes, if the assistant director is
  lucky, they will get the opportunity to work
  directly with the actors in an artistic
  manner.
          Movement Experts
• Choreographer: director of dance and
  stage movement.

• Fight Choreographer: someone who is
  skilled, trained, & most likely certified in
  the art of stage combat.
           Musical Director
• an artist employed for musical theatre. The
  musical director teaches the songs to the
  cast and serves as the bridge between
  orchestra & actor. It is not unusual to see
  the musical director serving as the
  conductor for a production
           Stage Manager
• without a doubt, one of the most important
  positions in any theatre anywhere. A stage
  manager micromanages the rehearsal &
  performance process. She/He must be
  extremely well organized, observant, able
  to multi-task & a people person.
          Technical Director
• Person who usually supervises the
  construction of the set. He also serves as
  a resource & a reference regarding a
  theatre's technical capacities for lighting
  and sound. It is ultimately their
  responsibility to see to it that all of the
  technical needs of a production are met &
  that all technical aspects of the
  performance operate smoothly and safely.
  (TD)
           House Manager
• person whose primary duty is to take care
  of the audience. She works only when a
  play is in public performance. She
  oversees the ushers, keeps track of the
  tickets taken at the door, & is personally
  responsible for keeping order in the
  theatre audience.