The Role of Jobs In Theatre Essay Example for Free

The Role of Jobs In Theatre Essay The Role and Jobs of the Producer, Director, Designer, Play-writer, and Actors within the play and how each of their Roles interacts with Each Other A theatre stage drama is very interesting complex task that has been admired for years by the viewers. The success of a theatre depends on how many quality stage plays it can produce. Its success depends on the collaborative actions of all the staff members. Each staff member has his own responsibility.   Producer   Producer has several tasks to cover in a playwright. He is concerned with a clearer production on theatre or stage. He analyzes the play, edit and write to make the play much better. Producer is the person who takes the initiative in any play and he’s the first place where play has to be started.   The producer determines where play has to set. That is what would be the right location for a play where all the rehearsals can take place. It is all in the hands of the producer to find a good director of the play. He’s responsible for the location of performances. He determines how many and which play has to be performed. In addition there are several other correlated tasks like marketing and advertising activities and all remaining activities associated with the complete production of a play. He’s also responsible for contacting various people and concerned companies, departments, schools for obtaining permission for the production of a play at particular place.   Producer is also responsible for finding the cameramen, cinematography, music and picture settings.   Producer also manages the workshops to enhance role of each and every individual and to train the staff for their relevant tasks. Producers have choice to either work part-time or full time. Some producers only work part time and have several other jobs to complete. Some producers also work as volunteers by choice. They are separately on the kind of job they’ve done and time they invest. The main focus that makes a theatre play successful is their interaction, cooperation and responsible act. It does not matter that whether they’re working on part-time basis or full, voluteering their job or not but the main thing is that how responsibly they interact. Producers stand responsible for the overall production of the play. Producers can act individually or they may work in groups. Raising the finances Producers are responsible for raising the finances for the theatre. They set prices and plans for how money can be raised for one play. He’s also responsible for setting the pay of other staff members. He calculates the costs and profits. Usually producing a theatre play entails high cost. A lot of funds investiment is required to have the play completed. Script selection Producer determines that which script he needs for a particular play. Producer is always in direct contact with the writers and ask them about what needs to be done for a particular play. Because requirements for each play is totally different. And the story and plot of the play must be compelling enough to let the viewers enjoy it. Plot of the play and overall story has lot to do with the success of a drama. Hence, producer works in close collaboration with writers about a particular play. Place of performance Producer is mainly responsible for setting the place where play will be carried out. Place has to determine a lot about the play. The writer also needs to write according to the place and background.   Role of Director in Theatre   Directors direct the play. Directors set the play setting and command for action. He directs the production. He interprets the vision of a writer into actual form. Direction has a lot of impact on the success of a script or play. Director works with all other cast and crew of the play.   A director has a very principal role in directing a play. He works on various tasks along with producer to ensure a unique and clear production. Without director the production of a theatre play will never be completed. He works with all other important staff members to direct the play. The key persons involved with directors are producers, writer and designer. He co-ordinates many principle activities like coordinating acting, background settings, sound settings, stage settings, costume design, setting of lights, stagecraft and help with production. â€Å"In the early 1890s dimmers were being used, an invention of Granville Woods. It can be seen that electric lights, or instruments, had to be positioned and focused on actors, and so the first lighting operators also had to direct the actors where to move, and thus may well have unwittingly created the position of an outside director. It was in the early part of the new century that they gained widespread popularity. Prior to that, the leading actor or actress would dictate the shape of stage arrangements, usually for their own benefit. The eighteenth century actress Sarah Siddons was famous for this, even once ending Macbeth at the sleepwalking scene.† (Wikipedia) The director plays the primary role in making decisions in the play. He interprets the text of writer and then decides how the scene has to be accomplished. He’s the primary visionary of the play. However, in every theatre and every play director has different roles to observe and their authority over various tasks also differ. In different states, every theatre determines the kind of responsibility and task to be assigned to the director. It may also vary according to the play that needs to be directed. The responsibility on each director depends on which state and theatre he is working with and what kind of play he has to cover. Different theatre companies determine what tasks need to be assigned. Directors work in cooperation with other staff members and work in collaboration with them to accomplish a task. The directing can be adopted for different styles. According to wikipedia â€Å"Directing is an artform that has grown with the development of theatre theory and theatre practice. With the emergence of new trends in theatre, so too have directors adopted new methodologies and engaged in new practices. Generally speaking, directors adopt a style of directing that falls into one or more of the following categories: the dictator, negotiator, the creative artist, and the confrontationalist† (Wikiepedia) The dictator kind of directing is that when director plays a dominant role and he’s the one who is concerned about all kind of tasks without having any suggestions from actors and other staff members. In another kind of style a director is much lenient and talks with every member about what should be done and everyone has a part to play and suggest what is best. He can be a creative artist who artistically commands each and every action of the play. He may take suggestions from others but only authorized to give final decisions. Directors have also to do something with the light settings, bulbs, intensity and shades. Directors determine where the lights will fall, which area should be shadowed and where light intensity should be great to view the scene. Actor and actress also play major part in determining the kind of clothes, make up and stage settings. Directors set that few lights have to be set on the actors. He may constantly talk and negotiate with others to produce quality scene. Role of Designer in Theatre Designer design the play backgrounds. Designer also designs the hairstyle, clothing and other related stuff of the actors. He also designs the background settings and the environment. The overall scene must be very powerful, eye-catching, and modernistic. In some scenes designer calls for realistic view of the image, while at other pictures of the scenes it must be not very clear to elude the realism. Everything was kept very simple. Background must be very good with perfect lighting and composition to keep everything straightforward. The role of Play-writer Play writer, of course is the main person who writes the script of the play. The writer writes the dialogues, speeches, scenes, backgrounds and other related stuff. Play-writer interacts with producer and directors to find out opportunities and possible thing in his writing. He may also contact by producer and director on the basis if they need any change in the play. â€Å"Even if your story revolves around subject matter the average citizen would consider less than exciting, your as the scriptwriter must find an edge that makes your video watchable. Subject matter is what you make it, and the basic notions of any dramatic, or comedic piece conflict, resolution, character arcs exist everywhere. It is up to you, the writer to disseminate what would tell a good story from a mediocre story, and then delve further.† (Cook, 2004) Play writer writes the play with scenes and dialogues according to the environment. He writes the suspense, opening and ending. The story, script, direction and production combined made the theatre compelling. The writer must first know the story of the play and what has to be written. The writer is contacted by the director and producers both. The writer writes the complete play and show this to director and producer. As directors and producers are directly involved with the play, they constantly gets in touch with the writer to have any improvement the write-up, story, and plot. â€Å"Like any form of technical writing, scriptwriting has its own ends and outs that must be adhered to in order for your script to be taken as a serious venture by the rest of the world. Find scripts that delve into your type of field, and read them carefully. Understand, if you do not know what a script looks and reads like now, or unless you take the time to find out, you never will.† (Cook, 2004) As cook advices that writing should be unique enough that it competes with all others. Writer not only writes dialogues but also expressions, complete scenes, background and plot layout of the play. Writers may need to cut the scenes if director thinks that a particular scene is not required. Even he may need to add stuff, scenes and other things as required. â€Å"The second act not only serves as the main vehicle for your story to flow with rising action, catalysts, and the climax of your story, but it also allows you to develop and humanize your characters with the audience so we, the viewing public become emotionally attached to your character. Even in a thirty second Public Service Announcement this statement is true.† (Cook, 2004) The role of Actors Actors are there to act in the play. The act on what is being written in the play. They speak the dialogues of the play. The act as directed by the director. The acting and characters in the theatre must be remarkable. With terrific dialogues it gives the magical perfection to the scenes, character and play. They interact with writer and director in a way that if they couldn’t understand anything they simply ask. â€Å"Kunqu (pronounced kwin chu) is one of the oldest and most refined styles of traditional Chinese theatre performed today. It is a synthesis of drama, opera, ballet, poetry recital, and musical recital, which also draws on earlier forms of Chinese theatrical performances such as mime, farce, acrobatics, ballad recital, and medley, some of which go back to the third century B.C. or even earlier. In a Kunqu performance, recitative is interspersed with arias sung to traditional melodies, called qu-pai. Each word or phrase is also expressed by a stylized movement or gesture that is essentially part of a dance, with strict rules of style and execution much like classical ballet. Even casual gestures must be precisely executed and timed to coordinate with the music and percussion. The refinement of the movement is further enhanced with stylized costumes that also serve as simple props.† (Kangu theatre) The characters and actors play a big part in success of the overall story because it is their acting that makes it successful. Not too many people understand arts the way actors do. Some people may say that everyone can become an actor, but not everyone can become good actors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Actors with capacity strengthen the role of actors and can present themselves as livestock professionals. Actors may be small but they are the integral part of the entire narrative. The final production of a narrative is determined by the actors and everyone else who is working in the project or they are a whole package (Actors Roles, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The roles of actors in theatre are different from those in theatre. However, they are, generally, must be prepared to take the role to shape the entire production – from the beginning to the end and they should correspond to the overall idea and context of the production.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his interview with Olga Surkova , Tarkovsky says, â€Å"To the actor, acting must be like life itself, a riddle, a secret, a mystery.† He describes that in theatre, the actors play incredible roles and responsibilities. For actors in theatre, their roles increases (Olga, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For this, actors should be familiar with and â€Å"be acquainted with the director’s ideas and intentions in their completeness,† add Tarkovsky (Olgo, 2007). In every circumstance, they should be able to respond spontaneously and act intuitively under the director’s guidance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Actors should know the whole scenario before starting their part. For theatre actors, they have to presume that they know the end result of the theatre. They have to learn desperately and imagine the final form while those of the theatre are still at rehearsing stage (Actors for Role Play, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Theatre actors who are able to foresee the final form tend to be given the opportunity to express his or her own ideas of the role they are playing or the role of other actors. This makes them to be fateful, which in turn, add to the final form of the production. This is applied to actors of all scenarios. Too often, the final form is better than the script or vice versa. It depends on the actors and the roles they play in the entire set.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Not only actors have different roles in different scenarios, but they also require different methods in different cases. Director plays important part in this because he or she has to be innovative and creative while guiding the actors to meet the final as he imagine what is written in the script. In fact, the director breathes life to the actors and together, they work to produce a production of the same theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some directors require the actors not to know the whole script but waiting for his or guidance. The most important requirement for their role is that they should not be artificial but act naturally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Said Olga, if in theater the director’s idea represent the foundation of the cast’s acting, the actors fills â€Å"a function in an intellectually constructed ritual. The director’s thoughts are transmitted through the tangible presence on stage of the person playing the part.† (Olga, 2007) For example in Murder in the Cathedral The act of female chorus was contradictory to the male priests and showed Thomas’ disagreement and conflicting feelings and thought. The play is shown in very naà ¯ve manner and with clarity to depict the historical period accurately. Though there might be some deviations from the real facts when analyzed in details. However, production is good and historical events are portrayed well. The image of the characters is well depicted (Murder in the Cathederal).   Play is formed with multidimensional platform with big cast to handle and with beautiful lighting decoration of the stage. It tried to give exact picture of Thomas’ world and his internal and external relationship in cathedral. The visual experience is very good and pictures historical period. The chorus of females, who were six from Canterbury, used to sing the fears, oppression, despair and sufferings of people representing an ordinary folk. This chorus were mainly chanting and speaking of ordinary people hardships they suffer due to the temporal power on them. In the play they are narrating to the audience about the past and express their feelings about the fate. The women of Canterbury sang about destiny, which focus the environment of play on martyrdom, life and death. To some extent they foretell Thomas murder. Portray of women was shown as protective, caring, weak but intuitive, and quintessence of Canterbury people (Murder in the Cathederal). Conclusion Interaction of Producer, Director, Designer, Writer and Actors is very important in production of a play. The details of setting and characters are directed very accurately and in cost-effective way. All the individual elements like script, characters, acting, lighting, direction, production, writing, editing and photography all perfectly correlated. A perfect balance must be created in all the settings. All these things from playwriting to final production of the play are equally interrelated. If everything is done perfectly in its place then the play goes very well. References Content standards for theatre http://www.artsusa.org/public_awareness/standards/California/CALIFORNIA-%20THEATRE%20STANDARDS.PDF Cook, Nash. (2004) Writing a Shooting Script. Retrieved from http://is.asu.edu/dms/WritingaShootingScript.htm Olga Surkova interviews Tarkovsky . Retrieved May 3, 2007 from http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/nostalghia.com/TheTopics/On_Acting.html Actors for Role Play. Retrieved May 3, 2007 from http://www.actorsmeanbusiness.co.uk/role1.htm Actors Roles. Retrieved Mary 3, 2007 from http://www.actorsmeanbusiness.co.uk/role1.htm Kangu theatre: http://wtrgreenkunqu.org/Resources/Kunqu Description.htm Wikepedia.com Cook, Nash. Writing a Shooting Script. Retrieved from http://is.asu.edu/dms/WritingaShootingScript.htm