Jobs in the Theatre

The performers that you see on stage aren’t the only one that make your theatre experience so magical. There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure there are no hiccups along the way, and every one of those job roles is as important as those taking the centre spotlight.

Pre-Production
No performance ever lifts off without the pre-production staff. They are the ones who are involved from the very beginning, till those curtains are drawn on opening night. Within this crew you have bodies such as:

• Playwright– This is the person who writes the plays.
• Producer– The theatrical producer is someone who overseas every part of the production, from sourcing the script from a playwright, to building a team.
• Director– A theatre director is someone who works alongside the producer, to balance different aspects of the performance and ensure it fulfils the vision of the playwright and producer.
• Designers– Theatre productions are renowned for their aesthetic, and it’s in pre-production where the magic happens. Every aspect of the performance will had involvement from a designer, including sets, costumes, lighting, sound and make-up.
• Choreographer– A choreographer are the one’s responsible for designing the dances and movements that happen in the performance. They’ll often work closely with the conductors.
• Conductor- A conductor is also known as musical director, interpreting the score and conducting the orchestra that’s providing the music to the show.

Production
Production staff are the guys (and girls) that carry the performance through from production to that final curtain call. Their roles include:

• Actors/Actresses– These are the stage performers who act out the play.
• Stagehands– The job of a stage hand is to set up for the performance, including the scenery, lights, sound, props, rigging and special effects.
• Wardrobe Supervisor- As the name suggests, a wardrobe supervisor is in charge of the performer’s costumes, including those quick costume changes in the wings.
• Electrician- In the theatre, the electricians will be the ones working with lighting, whether it’s a single person or a small team.
• Stage Manager- A stage manager is involved in both organising the performance along with coordinating communication between the director and those working backstage.

Theatre
Aside from pre-production and production, you have jobs such as admin and marketing that are involved with running the venue year to year, helping to ensure the production is a success. Jobs in this area include:

• General Manager- The general manager has responsibility for the overall running of the theatre. This will include overseeing marketing campaigns, managing the financials as well as the day-to-day activities.
• Marketing Manager- The purpose of the marketing team is to promote the performance and attract audience members to the venue. To do this they will manage any advertising, public relations along with the website, design and development.
• Box Office Staff- Those who work in the box office are responsibility for taking the sales of tickets, whether that’s online or over the phone. They’ll often be the ones who also deal with any customer service issues.
• Front Of House Staff- Now what’s the theatre experience without a programme or interval ice-cream? The front of house staff include people such as ushers, bar staff and those selling the merchandise.
• Domestic Staff- Domestic staff members are the ones behind keeping the theatre in a tidy, working condition between performances.The performers that you see on stage aren’t the only one that make your theatre experience so magical. There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure there are no hiccups along the way, and every one of those job roles is as important as those taking the centre spotlight