Exploring theCollaborative Artistic ProcessCollaborative Artistic Process

in Drama through

JobsJobs &

ProductionProduction skills

©2006 EvaMedia

What are some of the

jobs / careersjobs / careers in theatre?

playwright

• person who writes a play

• also called a dramatist

producer•arranges for funding •hires director &

production staff•sets budget•pays bills & salaries

director• brings together all the

artistic elements of a play

• casts actors

• develops a ‘vision’ for the production

cast

• a group of actors selected to portray characters

crew• a group of people

selected to do the technical work of the production (lighting, sound, props, etc.)

designer• makes sketches,

builds models, describes concepts

• instructs technical crew• collaborates with director

How is a How is a play or film play or film

created?created?

It is a Collaborative Artistic Collaborative Artistic

ProcessProcessthat takes a long time

& a great deal of effort from many people.

First, arrangements must be made for

use of a script.This includes

financial considerations.

royalties

• money paid to playwright or publisher for permission to stage a particular play

script

• printed copy

of a play

Then, the director analyzes the script & casts actors in roles.

Together they begin to rehearse for upcoming

performances.

act

• a major unit or division of a play

scene

• a small sectionof a play within an act

language

• lines in a script • also: words, stage directions,

& movements (body language) used to tell the story

dialogue

• two or more people talking

monologue

• one person speaking

(called a soliloquy in Shakespearean drama)

action

• what happens onstage to hold the attention of the audience

plot

•story•sometimes called ‘action’

conflict

• dramatic opposition (internal or external)

• also called ‘suspense’

theme• message, meaning,

moral or lesson of the story

• basic idea of the play• not the same as plot

character

•a person or an animal

•occasionally, an object or a place

characterization

• putting together all aspects of a character

motivation

• reasons for a character behaving in a certain way

• includes character’s past, present & future

empathy

• the ability to relate to the feelings of another person or character

discovery• a revelation• something that is

revealed about a character or situation in a play

The designers designers & production crew production crew take care of the

show’s physical & technical needs.

spectacle• visual elements:

sets, lights, makeup, costumes, props

• the “look” of the production

designers & crew• design/build sets• hang & focus lights• find or make costumes

& props• design & create sound• create make-up

A tech rehearsal is necessary before the

show opens to the public.

Things like lighting cues must be tested.

During performances, technicians &

stage managers make sure everything runs smoothly.

When the run ends …When the run ends …

strike• to remove props

from the set• to dismantle the set

after the production closes

After the PLANNINGPLANNING, PLAYINGPLAYING (performing)

& RESPONDINGRESPONDING … those involved EVALUATEEVALUATE

to determine whether the show ‘worked.’

But most of the time,the Audiencethe Audience

is the best judge of a show’s success!