Arts

• Producer


  In a professional stage production, this is the person who takes the play from a mere concept to an actual finished presentation. They choose all the team members and assign them their functions, oversee the casting of the actors and actresses, and decide on major logistical matters.
• Director


  The director instructs and guides the actors as to the delivery of their lines and their positions and movements on stage called "blocking". The director is the overall artistic coordinator of the entire production, with a vision of the desired total effect and impact of the performance.
• Playwright


  For a script intended for stage performance, the writer of the script is more specifically called a playwright. The initial concept or plot may be original, and then developed into a play script, or it may be based on an existing story or another play which the playwright will then adapt to present in a new way.
• Set Designer


  The concept and creation of the physical stage setup is the task of the set designer. They build the set (or sets) that will simulate the world that the play's characters are supposed to live in. The set may be realistic and filled with authentic details, or it may be minimalist, merely suggesting the setting with a few pieces of furniture or props and a simple backdrop.
• Lighting Director


  Lighting is critical in creating the mood of each scene in the play, highlighting a dramatic moment, signalling the entrance of a character, focusing attention on a specific spot on stage, or even providing the blanket of darkness for set and prop changes.
• Costume Designer


  The costume designer studies the general setting (time and place) that the play is meant to take place in, as well as each character in the script, and decides what attire will not only give the audience a clear sense of the setting, but will also express each character's personality and distinct qualities. The actors must look believable in their roles, and much of this is owed to the costume designer.
• Sound Designer


  The sound designer serves a vital role in creating and enhancing the atmosphere of the performance. Sound, in this case, includes music both on stage and as background, which the sound designer may need to source to suit the general time and place of the play, as well as particular scenes. The sound designer works with all these to support the action and interaction taking place on stage, adding detailed notes to the script to serve as a guide for the sound crew during rehearsals and the actual performance.
• Production Manager


  Coordinating all the complex behind-the-scenes details of staging a play is the task of the production manager. They are tasked with overseeing the crews for the sets and props, the sound and music, the lighting, and the costumes, ensuring that all the needed elements, facilities, and equipment are not only available, but are in good working order, properly catalogued and labeled, and safely stored from one rehearsal to the next, up until the time of the performance.
• Technical Director


  The technical director shadows the play's director throughout the entire production process. From the time the director presents his or her vision for the play and issues instructions at every rehearsal, the technical director carefully notes how each actor and every member of the stage, sound, lighting, and costume crews need to be coordinated to bring the director's vision to life, ensuring that every instruction is properly executed.
• Choreographer


  In cases where a play involves dance in certain scenes, a choreographer is included in the production team. They not only plan out all the dance steps to suit the music, but also rehearse the actors until they are able to perform the dance skillfully -while remaining "in character" on stage. Should the play happen to involve fight scenes, the choreographer will likewise program the moves of the opposing sides so these can be executed not only believably, but safely as well.
• Makeup Designer


  As the costume designer deliberates on the characters' main attire, the makeup designer is brought in to plan the hairstyles and makeup to complement the costumes. Thus, the makeup designer works their magic through the wonders of makeup, face and body painting, and hair coloring. Other accessories may be employed, like masks, wigs and hair extensions, headdresses, and even prosthetics to alter certain facial features or body parts.