All production staff members must attend all production staff (prostaff) meetings, at least 10 hours of Build Week, the entirety of Load-In, and the entirety of Strike, except in the case of a conflict that has been cleared with the Production Managers. Depending on the production, multiple Head Designers may be selected for a position (co's). All Head Designers are expected to be cooperative and communicative with the Production Managers, their co-designers, their assistants, and the director/stage management. If designers have assistants, it is important that they include them in all aspects of the production process so that they may contribute and learn as much as possible. All production staff members must also CC both Production Managers on all emails regarding the production, as well as keep the Production Managers updated about any verbal communication regarding the production, especially any communication with Dale Simon, the Director of the production, or any professional designers that ACT may hire.
A note on being in the cast and the prostaff of a production at the same time: This is technically allowed except for the Assistant Director, Stage Managers (head and assistants), and the Board Operators, but it is generally recommended that everyone who wants to participate in the production choose either cast or crew for each show. For this reason, only the Assistant Director, Stage Managers, Tech Directors, Set Designers, and Assistant Production Managers will be chosen before auditions. Applications for the rest of the prostaff positions will be accepted until shortly after the cast has been determined, so that anyone who auditioned but is not cast in the production still has an opportunity to be part of the production.
A note on being in the cast and the prostaff of a production at the same time: This is technically allowed except for the Assistant Director, Stage Managers (head and assistants), and the Board Operators, but it is generally recommended that everyone who wants to participate in the production choose either cast or crew for each show. For this reason, only the Assistant Director, Stage Managers, Tech Directors, Set Designers, and Assistant Production Managers will be chosen before auditions. Applications for the rest of the prostaff positions will be accepted until shortly after the cast has been determined, so that anyone who auditioned but is not cast in the production still has an opportunity to be part of the production.
Positions
Assistant Director – This position is for those who would like to gain directing experience by working with the Director. The Assistant Director must attend all rehearsals. Responsibilities include taking notes during rehearsals and working closely with both the Director and Stage Management, and may include facilitating warm-up activities for actors, researching dramaturgy for the play, and otherwise assisting the Director in any way that s/he requires.
Assistant Production Manager – This position is designed to train those who would like to be Production Managers in the future. Responsibilities include taking attendance and minutes at all production staff meetings, writing and sending emails on behalf of the Production Managers, actively learning as much as possible, and otherwise assisting the Production Managers in any way that they require. Stage Manager – This position is for someone who has stage management experience, either as an ASM for a major production or as a Stage Manager for a Murder Mystery or One Act. The Stage Manager must attend all rehearsals and performances, except in the case of conflicts that have been cleared by the Production Managers. Responsibilities include working with the Director to create a rehearsal schedule; taking notes on blocking and lines during rehearsals; creating a list of light and sound cues with the Light and Sound Designers in time for the cue-to-cue; calling all cues during tech rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and performances; and setting all props and movable set pieces before and after each dress rehearsal and performance. The Stage Manager is the bridge between the cast, director, and production staff, and therefore must have excellent organizational and communication skills. Assistant Stage Management – This position is for anyone who might want to be a Stage Manager in the future, or who enjoys stage management but does not want to be the head Stage Manager. Responsibilities include attending all rehearsals and performances; following along in the script and taking notes during rehearsals; filling out a rehearsal report for each rehearsal and emailing the report to the entire cast, production staff, and Dale; and generally helping the Stage Manager with any and all tasks related to stage managing during the rehearsal and production process. ASMs are expected to handle any backstage work during rehearsals and performances. Master Carpenter – This position is for someone who has experience with most, if not all, of the power tools in the Kendall shop and has experience with building sets or similar things. Responsibilities include organizing and attending all of Build Week, Load-In, and Strike; working with the Set Designer(s) to ensure that the set design is reasonable; calculating and ordering the necessary lumber and other building materials for the set; and delegating responsibilities to other production staff members throughout the entire set-building process. Communication with Dale is especially important for this position in order to make sure that all safety needs and concerns are met. Set Designer – Responsible for designing the set, putting the design into set design software such as Vector Works, working with the Tech Directors to be sure that the set design is reasonable, decorating the set with any furniture/paint/wall hangings that are needed, and returning any rented set decorations after the final performance. Communication with Dale is especially important for this position in order to make sure that all safety needs and concerns are met. |
Lighting Designer – Responsible for designing lights and special effects, hanging and focusing lights as needed, and programming light cues. Communication with Dale is especially important for this position in order to make sure that all safety needs and concerns are met.
Props Master – Responsible for getting and/or making the props necessary for the production, and for returning any rented props after the final performance. Hair/Makeup Designer – Responsible for designing hair styles and makeup for all characters; acquiring any special hair, wig, or makeup products; and doing hair and makeup for all actors before all dress rehearsals and performances. Costume Designer – Responsible for designing, fitting, getting costumes for all actors, and returning any rented costumes after the final performance. Note: Once costumes are purchased, they belong to ACT and may not be given away without the Production Managers' consent.
Program Designer – This person is responsible for gathering short biographies from the cast and production staff, a note from the Director, and anything else that should be included in the production's program, designing the program, and having the programs printed in time for opening night. Build Crew – Anyone is welcome to help with the set during Build Week, Load-In, and/or Strike. It may be useful to attend production staff meetings ahead of time, but it is not required. Ushers – Shortly before opening night, the House Manager will send an email to the ACT general membership asking for a certain number of Ushers for each performance. Ushers must be present at least an hour and fifteen minutes before the show starts, must dress professionally (no jeans), and may be given responsibilities such as selling concessions, holding doors open, ripping tickets, or anything else the House Manager requires Other Assistants (Tech, Set, Sound, Lights, Props, Costumes, Hair/Makeup) – These positions are designed to train those who would like to be lead designers in the future. Responsibilities include communicating with and learning from the lead designers as much as possible, and generally assisting the lead designers in any way that they require. |