9 Chapter 9: Technical Theater
Technical Theater
As we continue our journey through the world of the theater, we will first examine the foundation work that goes on before a performance. Technical theater requires specialized, technical skill sets that help transport us into another time and/or place. While it’s true that at its most basic, theater requires only one performer and one person as audience, we generally expect a fuller, more complex experience.
“The first task many technicians, designers and stage managers take on when starting work on a new show is a script breakdown. The breakdown is a scene by scene (and often page by page) analysis of the technical requirements of a script. The specific layout of a breakdown and the information it contains will vary from technician to technician depending on the person’s preferences and the needs of their position… “One of the first breakdowns many technicians create is an actor/scene breakdown. This breakdown charts who is on-stage for every page of the script. This knowledge assists many people to do their jobs well.
- The stage manager will use this scheduling rehearsals as they know who is needed when.
- The costume designer will use it to estimate how much time there is for possible costume changes.
- It helps the scenic designer determine how many actors a specific set must accommodate.
- It allows the prop department to figure out when they will hand individual actors their props.
- It helps the back-stage staff determine how much time they will have between scenery, or costume changes, and the order of those changes so that they can plan efficiently.
- It assists the sound designer to determine which mics need to be on when. Additionally, if actors are sharing body mics, It allows the sound team to plot when the changes will happen.
“Before anyone can create a breakdown, they need to read the play from beginning to end. All plays are different, and technicians will have to modify the standard format based on the needs/requirements of their production. For example, in some plays (or in some productions), one actor may play multiple characters…
“Musicals, while often broken into scenes, often merit special consideration. Additional requirements for a moment may be brought about due to a song or dance section. Often, when breaking down a musical, I treat a song (or dance) as its own scene. It will have additional special rehearsals (music/choreography) and may involve additional performers not specifically listed in the script. Sometimes a director or choreographer will add additional performers for a dance, or to enhance the vocal qualities of a song. Sometimes these performers are not on stage but are singing from off-stage. They are still needed for rehearsals, and if they are singing off-stage, it means they cannot also be doing a costume change or appearing on-stage…
“Some plays, especially Elizabethan plays (like those by William Shakespeare), and large scale musicals will have many sm