Chairman and Crew Responsibilities
This is a guideline, especially created for those who are doing their first show. Feel free to add to this list, being careful to coordinate with the Production Team, Glenn Wilson, Victoria Koestler and Charlie Kennedy.
Thank you all for sharing your special talents! It's going to be a GREAT SHOW!
Show dates for Arsenic and Old Lace are Thurs. Aug. 18, Fri. Aug. 19 and Sunday Aug 21.
ALPHABETICALLY
The Costume Chairman will help facilitate all matters involving costumes collaborating with the Production Team to create the costume style and "looks." Each cast member will be asked to prepare what they believe would work for their costumes. Collaborating with the CAST, the Chairman will assist in finding costumes, conducting fittings, and coordinating a sewing crew. They will be responsible for setting up the dressing rooms, backstage dressing logistics and maintaining costume racks.
The Costume Crew is responsible for sewing, upkeep, repair, and cleaning of all costumes during the run of the production. They may also be assigned to assist with quick changes or other backstage duties. During Strike, the Costume Crew and Chairman are responsible for returning all costumes in good condition.
Hair and Make up Crews are responsible for assisting cast members with hair and make-up application during the dress rehearsals and all 3 productions. Actors should apply their own make-up and hair style unless there are special make-up effects or particularly complicated hair styles. Then Hair and Make-up Crew will assist, possibly making changes during the show or other back stage duties. They are responsible for keeping the hair and make-up area clean, sanitary, and restocking supplies.
The Lighting Designer will be responsible for creating the lighting environment for the show in consultation with the director. With the director, the designer will need to set specific cues and levels for the show during rehearsals, watching the blocking in rehearsal to determine the control necessary for the lighting, for example, if an actor should be isolated. As cues will change, the designer must be able to make refinements in between rehearsals. For the sake of the production, the designer should integrate lighting into the rehearsal as quickly as possible.
The Lighting Crew will be responsible for hanging lights and focusing the lighting plot, running the lighting board during the technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals and at our public performances. The light board operator is responsible for maintaining any paperwork including the Light Cue List for the show and performing dimmer checks as well as light checks before each Dress Rehearsal and performance.
The Menu Chairman is responsible for deciding on the menu, coordinating with the Pub owners, and creating a great meal for our audience.
The Paint Chairman is responsible for coordinating with the production team to determine colors on the set. The paint chairman will obtain the paint, stain, brushes, rollers, pans, etc and organize the crew to complete the painting before dress rehearsals begin, if possible.
The Paint Crew is responsible for painting or staining the set, backdrops, possibly furniture or anything that needs to be painted.
The Fundraising/Marketing/Publicity Crew will assist in the development of a publicity campaign to promote and raise funds for our show. This will include brainstorming how we might promote the production, get people to attend, create and distribute posters to display, a program cover, getting articles in the newspaper one week prior to performance, scheduling TV coverage, making banners or any additional promotional ideas and materials to help advertise our play.
The Fundraising/Mktg/PR Crew may need to assist the Program Designer in doing a program layout, the data entry, and creating a final proof for the printers. You will need to ask the cast to e-mail you their bios for inclusion in the program and one member of the crew will need to take their head shots. Basically, your job is to advertise the show, fill all the seats, prepare the tickets, prepare the programs, raise funds to pay for the show and basically sell the show! That's all.
The Program Designer is responsible for designing the program handed out to the audience before each performance. It will contain information about each person in the cast, a director's note, perhaps a brief history of the playwright, perhaps a brief summery of the play, an outline of the acts of the play with intermissions noted, advertising, etc. The Program Designer will coordinate with the Fundraising/Mktg/Publicity Team to have the programs printed and delivered well in advance of the performances to the Ushers Chairman who will see that they are handed out to the audience by the ushers.
Making Tickets
(The Ticket Sales Chairman is willing to do this, but you'll need to coordinate with her.)
A specific deadline for the publicity campaign will need to be determined.
The Props Chairman is responsible for coordinating their crew and obtaining all props on the prop list and/or any the director sees fit to add to the production. She/he maintains the prop table neatly, so that actor/actresses may obtain them quickly before going on stage, oversees the placement of props on the set between scenes, oversees the return of props to the table and ultimately to their owners after Strike.
The Props Crew assists the Chairman in obtaining all the props for the production, setting them on stage between scenes, returning them to the props table if necessary and keeping the props table neat and orderly. During Strike they see that all props are returned to their owners in good condition.
The Set Designer is responsible for designing the set in coordination with the director, organizing the construction crew to create the set, and striking the set seeing that any salvageable parts are properly stored until the next production.
The Set Crew is responsible for constructing the set, with the safety of the actors in mind, by following the plan set out by the Set Designer. This includes the platform or stage itself, back drops if needed and any items of décor that need to be made.
The Sound designer is responsible for the creation of the sound environment of a production. Working with the director, the sound designer selects appropriate music for transitions, in between scenes, internal sound effects, records sound effect cues, and selects change and preshow music. During rehearsals, the designer with the director will set sound levels and specific cues. As cues will change, the designer must be able to make refinements. For the sake of the production, sound should be integrated into the rehearsal as quickly as possible.
The Sound Crew/Board Operator is responsible for implementing the Sound Design and maintaining all sound equipment for the show as well as any paperwork including Sound Cue Sheets. The Sound Board Operator performs a sound check prior to each Technical and Dress Rehearsal, and each performance. He/she is responsible for safely storing all tapes, master tape, mini discs, and/or CDs after each rehearsal and performance. During Strike, the Sound Board Operator returns all tapes, mini discs and/or CDs.
The Stage Décor Chairman is in charge of obtaining “time appropriate” furniture, pictures, curtains, bedspreads, tablecloths or anything that sits on the stage for the production that is not hand held. (Hand held items are under the direction of the Prop Chairman.) The Stage Décor Chairman is also in charge of coordinating the placement of all décor items securely on the set well before dress rehearsals begin. She/he also coordinates the striking of these items.
The Stage Décor Crew is responsible for assisting the Chairman in locating items used in Stage Décor, placing them on the set, striking them and returning them to their proper owners in good condition.
The Stage Manager assists in the facilitation of rehearsals, including taking notes, recording blocking (movement on stage) and moving furniture when necessary. An important aspect of the stage management function in a production is to keep a PROMPT BOOK. It includes the script, scenery shift plans, special effect cues. Therefore, the Prompt Book needs to be present at each rehearsal so that notes and alterations might be made. The stage manager for each scene is in charge of the Prompt Book. You will need to show up for this rehearsal ahead of time to set up the space and prepare for the rehearsal.
The Stage Manager's Crew is responsible for implementing any scene changes during dress rehearsals and performances including but not limited to set pieces, set dressing, furniture, etc. and for any flying and some costume changes. Typically the crew wears black. Scene changes should be accomplished with polish, professionalism and purpose.
The Ticket Sale/Office Chairman is responsible for preparing, printing and distributing individual tickets for each performance, taking calls and requests for tickets, assigning seats for the dinner which coordinate with seating for the theater presentation. Ticket preparation should be coordinated with the Fundraising/Mktg/Publicity Team.
The Ushers Chairman will be responsible for organizing ushers for each production and seeing that programs are available for them to give to the audience. Ushers will move the audience from the dinning room to the theater in an orderly manner passing out programs in the process. Ushers are encouraged to be as friendly and helpful as possible. Usually ushers wear black and white dress clothes.
Thank you all for making this a great show!
