Stagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, and recording and mixing of sound. Stagecraft is considered a technical rather than an artistic field as the focus of stagehands is usually on the practical implementation of a designer's artistic vision. In its most basic form, stagecraft is managed by a single person (often the stage manager of a smaller production) who arranges all scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound, and organizes the cast. At a more professional level, for example modern Broadway houses, stagecraft is managed by hundreds of skilled carpenters, painters, electricians, stagehands, stitchers, wigmakers, and the like. This modern form of stagecraft is highly technical and specialized: it comprises many sub-disciplines and a vast trove of history and tradition. The majority of stagecraft lies between these two extremes. Regional theatres and larger community theatres will generally have a technical director and a complement of designers, each of whom has a direct hand in their respective designs.
Sub-disciplines
Stagecraft comprises many disciplines, typically divided into seven main disciplines:
- Costume, construction, and maintenance.
- Lighting, which involves the process of determining the size, intensity, shape, and color of light for a given scene.
- Makeup, or the application of makeup to accentuate an actor's features.
- Production, comprising stage management, production management, show control, house management and company management
- Scenery, which includes set construction, scenic painting, soft goods (drapes and stage curtains), and special effects.
- Sound, which can include musical underscoring, vocal and instrument mixing as well as theatrical sound effects.
- Theatrical property, or props, which includes furnishings, set dressings, and all items large and small which cannot be classified as scenery, electrics or wardrobe. Some crossover may apply. Props handled by actors are known as hand props, and props which are kept in an actor's costume are known as personal props.
See also
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes: Labor union serving the interests of professional stagehands.
- Performance
- Running crew
- Samuel James Hume Organizer of the first exhibition of stagecraft in the United States.
- Sound stage
- Stage
- Stage lighting
- Stagehand
- Technical rehearsal
- Technical week
External links
- "The Blue Room" UK based forum for the discussion of technical theatre by its practitioners
- "Ukslc.org" Uk Based Sound and Lighting Community, News, Review, Chat and more...
- "Stagecraft" USA based mailing list for the discussion of technical theatre by its practitioners.
- Handbook on technical theatre
- "Stagelink" Production resources for technical theatre
- Richard Southern Collection at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, University of Bristol
- "Roadie" Website for those touring with concerts
- "Rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft" Usenet group for stagecraft
