The production roles in theatre, including director, producer, dramaturg, stage manager, designers (set, costume, lighting, sound), and the relationships between them

What this dot point is asking

NESA expects you to know the major production roles in theatre, what each does, and how the roles interact. Strong answers can name responsibilities specifically and engage with the working relationships between roles.

The answer

The artistic chain

The artistic chain of a theatre production runs roughly:

Artistic director (of a company) sets the season and chooses which plays are produced and which directors are commissioned. Major companies (Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, Melbourne Theatre Company, National Theatre London) have artistic directors with substantial public profiles.

Director (of a specific production) holds the artistic vision for one production. Selected by the artistic director (or by the company in smaller operations). The director makes the artistic decisions across the production.

Producer (of a specific production) manages the resources, schedule, finances and contracts. Enables the production. In commercial theatre the producer originates the production and hires the director; in subsidised theatre the artistic director typically takes both roles.

Designers (of a specific production) lead their respective specialties (set, costume, lighting, sound, sometimes promotional and video). They work with the director from pre-production through opening night.

Dramaturg (in companies that use one) supports the director's textual and contextual understanding of the play.

Cast are hired by the director and producer; they execute the artistic vision in performance.

Stage management team runs the rehearsal room and the performance. The stage manager records, coordinates and calls the show.

Production departments (set construction, costume making, lighting rig and operation, sound rig and operation, props, scenic art) build and operate the production.

The director

The most artistically powerful role in modern theatre. The director:

Conceives the production

Reads the play, develops a directorial concept (an interpretation, a setting, a tone, a central question), and articulates the concept to the design team.

Casts the production

Works with the producer (and casting director where one exists) to choose the actors.

Leads rehearsals

Across four to eight weeks (rough industry standard, varies by company), the director leads the rehearsal room. They run readthrough, table work, blocking, scene work, runs, technical rehearsals and dress rehearsals.

Makes design decisions

In ongoing conversation with the designers, the director approves the set, costume, lighting and sound choices.

Shapes the performance

Notes to the cast, calibration of pace, emphasis, and dramatic shape across the show.

Opens the production

Stages the press night (or equivalent), takes the reviews, and steps back; from opening, the stage manager runs the show on the director's behalf.

The producer

The producer enables the production. Roles include:

Resources. Budgeting, fundraising, accounting.
Contracts. Actor and creative team contracts, performance rights, venue contracts.
Schedule. Coordinating pre-production, rehearsal, technical, performance and post-production timelines.
Marketing and publicity. Promotion, ticketing, audience development.
Compliance. Workplace safety, insurance, regulatory requirements.

In major companies the producer's roles are split across multiple administrative staff. In smaller companies one person may do several roles.

The dramaturg

A dramaturg is the literary and research support to the director. Tasks include:

Textual work

Editing, translation, version comparison for classical texts.

Research

Background on the play, the playwright, the period, the social context.

Programme notes

Writing or editing the programme content for the audience.

New play development

Supporting playwrights through the development of new scripts.

The role is more common in European subsidised theatre than in commercial English-language theatre. Australian subsidised companies (STC, MTC, Belvoir) employ dramaturgs but the role is sometimes shared with directors or literary managers.

The stage manager

The stage manager (SM) is the operational backbone of the production. Tasks include:

The prompt book or "book"

A working copy of the script with every blocking, cue, technical note, and rehearsal decision recorded.

Rehearsal coordination

Booking the rehearsal room, distributing scripts and revised pages, managing the rehearsal schedule, communicating with the cast and creative team.

Technical rehearsal

Working with the design team to programme cues, sequencing the technical run.

Performance calling

From the prompt corner (often a small desk at the side of the stage with the book and a headset), the SM calls every lighting cue, sound cue, scene shift, fly cue and curtain. The stage manager runs the show in performance.

Show report

A nightly report after each performance, with notes on what worked, what did not, any incidents.

Larger productions have a stage management team: a senior stage manager (sometimes "production stage manager" in US theatre), one or more deputy stage managers, and assistant stage managers.

Designers

Each design specialty is led by its designer (covered in detail in the design-elements-set-costume-lighting-sound dot point). The set designer, costume designer, lighting designer and sound designer.

In smaller productions one designer may cover multiple specialties. In larger productions each specialty has a designer plus associates and assistants.

Production departments

Below the designers sit the production departments that build and operate the work:

Set construction

Scenic carpenters, scenic artists, automation engineers. Builds the set.

Wardrobe

Cutters, makers, dressers. Builds and maintains the costumes.

Electrics

Lighting riggers, lighting operators, focusers. Rigs and operates the lighting.

Sound

Sound engineers, sound operators. Rigs and operates the sound.

Props

Props master and team. Sources, builds and maintains props.

Stage crew

Carpenters, riggers, fly operators. Operates the set during the show.

The technical director and the production manager

In larger operations a technical director or production manager coordinates the technical departments and the budget. The role sits between the producer and the design and technical teams.

How the roles interact

A typical production timeline shows the interactions:

Pre-production (months 1 to 3)

The artistic director commissions the production. The director meets the designers, develops the concept, and signs off the design. The producer raises funds and contracts the team.

Rehearsal (weeks 4 to 10)

The director leads the cast through table work, blocking, scene work and runs. The stage manager records everything. The designers refine their work in conversation with the director. The construction departments build set, costumes, and props in parallel.

Technical (week 10 to 11)

The set is installed, the lights are rigged and focused, the sound is set up. The technical rehearsals integrate everything.

Dress rehearsals (week 11 to 12)

Full runs with all elements. Final director notes.

Press night and run

Opening. The director steps back; the stage manager runs the show across the run.

Post-production

The set is struck. The team disperses. The producer closes the books.

How this applies to HSC Drama

The Group Performance and Individual Project are smaller-scale productions, but the roles still apply. Group Performance ensembles typically self-direct, but one student often takes a coordination role. Design Individual Projects work in the design specialties. Critical Analysis Individual Projects sometimes engage with production roles as a research topic.

Section II essays on Studies in Drama and Theatre electives (especially Brecht, Lecoq, physical theatre) often reference directorial vision and design choices. Strong essays use the production-role vocabulary correctly.