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The following are provided to clarify job responsibilities within the department. Obviously, Faculty/Staff members have duties not listed here--these descriptions are intended to address duties related to productions, especially those which interact with student positions of responsibility.
The Faculty Auditorium Manager is responsible for coordinating campus and outside events that use Ransburg Auditorium. The Faculty Auditorium Manager determines the technical and crew needs prior to the day of a particular event, usually at the time of the reservation through the Conference and Scheduling Office. Furthermore, the Faculty Auditorium Manager must work closely with the Conference and Scheduling Office and the Coordinator of Fine Arts Outreach to insure smooth scheduling and transitions between events (Audio/Visual, Maintenance, Food Service, and so on).
The Faculty Auditorium Manager supervises maintenance and upkeep of Ransburg Auditorium, Studio Theatre and support facilities and equipment.
Attends and gives report at weekly Production Meetings.
The Faculty Costume Shop Manager is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the Costume Shop and Dressing Rooms.
The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director position, obviously, has two components. Production Management encompasses supervising, planning, and coordinating, budgetary, design and technical aspects of a production. Technical Direction involves the hands on implementation of the design and technical production elements.
Production Manager Duties
The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director supervises Student Managers in the areas of: Auditorium, Scene Shop, Lighting, Front of House, Sound, and Props, and schedules and facilitates weekly Student Manager meetings.
The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director generates calendars for the Studio, upper lobby, and Ransburg Auditorium.
The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director creates work schedules and ensures that work areas are properly equipped/maintained. The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director utilizes resources for special projects, helps to create a positive working environment, and is a positive role model/mentor for students. In addition, the Staff Production Manager/Technical Director coordinates special department projects as necessary.
Pre-Production:
- Reads and studies the play; attends first production conference at which Director presents his/her interpretation of the play. The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director oversees all aspects of production, ensuring that all parties are clearly communicating with each other.
- Under supervision of the department Chair, the Staff Production Manager/Technical Director prepares production budgets.
Rehearsal Period:
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director arranges purchase orders and/or credit card purchases for production related expenses, and monitors expenses, ensuring that all designers and crew chiefs are operating within production budget.
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director creates production schedules and ensures that deadlines are met.
- Facilitates the hiring/assigning of production designers, and schedules and facilitates weekly design meetings.
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director coordinates the assignment, scheduling, and training of student production personnel.
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director arranges building passes for production staff and cast.
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director ensures that all aspects of productions are moving forward as scheduled, resulting in a quality final product.
- Attends and gives report at weekly Production Meetings.
After Final Performance:
- Gives report during the Postmortem.
Technical Director Duties
The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director is responsible for the construction, mounting, rigging and maintenance of all scenic elements in departmental productions. The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director implements equipment and facility maintenance, upgrades, and purchases.
The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director trains students in all areas of technical theatre, including appropriate safety procedures.
On occasion, the Staff Production Manager/Technical Director also assists in supervising the operation of Ransburg Auditorium for on and off campus events. The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director helps to create a positive working environment, is a positive role model/mentor for students, and represents the department positively to the campus community.
Pre-Production:
- Reads and studies the play; attends first production conference at which Director presents his/her interpretation of the play.
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director discusses possible scenic treatments with the Director and Designers, and receives ground plans, working plans, sketches, elevations, etc. from the designers no later than the "Design Due" deadline on the Department Calendar.
Rehearsal/Production Period:
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director supervises the Master Carpenter, Master Electrician, Costumes, Hair/Makeup, and Props, and insures that all designs are implemented.
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director is present at load-ins, strikes, rehearsals, and performances as necessary.
- Attends Technical and Dress Rehearsals taking note of any details yet to be finished.
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director is responsible for maintaining Load-in Sign-in/out and Strike Sign-in/out sheets.
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director or Faculty/Staff on Duty/Call is available during all performances in case of emergency.
- Attends and gives report at weekly Production Meetings.
After Final Performance
- The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director consults with the Master Carpenter, Master Electrician, Sound Designer, Costume Supervisor, Props Designer, and Student Managers in coordinating Strikes. The Staff Production Manager/Technical Director takes charge of striking all scenic elements.
- If the production is a participating KC/ACTF entry, the Staff Production Manager/Technical Director is responsible for storing all production elements in anticipation of traveling to festival. If it is determined that the production will not be invited to festival, the Staff Production Manager/Technical Director insures that all stored elements are returned to their rightful place.
- Gives report during the Postmortem
Productions
- The Director of Theatre is responsible for directing one production per semester. In addition, the Director of Theatre has other departmental duties and duties for other departmental productions.
Departmental Productions
- The Director of Theatre acts as a resource and consultant in the creation of the seasonal and individual production advertising plan.
- Receives Daily Presale House Count Report from Event Ticketing Center at the end of each day that the Event Ticketing Center is open.
- Receives House Count Report or House Count Report (Dinner Theatre) from the House Manager and generates attendance reports.
KC/ACTF
- The Director of Theatre, in collaboration with the Theatre faculty and staff, determines if a production will be entered into the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, and if so, at what level. The DOT then insures that the KC/ACTF is notified of a production's entry. The DOT acts as the departmental liaison with the ACTF state chair and individual respondents in matters related to the adjudication of a production. These duties include arranging the site visit, making restaurant and/or motel reservations as necessary, meeting respondents, facilitating responses, etc.
- If a production is entered as a "participating entry," the DOT is responsible for creating the production book which is sent to the ACTF Executive Committee meeting in early December.
Student-Directed Productions
- The Director of Theatre acts as a resource and consultant as desired by the student directors of the Student-Directed Productions.
Recruiting
- Many of the Director of Theatre's main responsibilities lie in the area of recruiting new students. The Director of Theatre is responsible for creating all recruiting materials. Currently, this includes letters, mailings, and web site presence (including online forms). The DOT is usually the first departmental contact with a prospective Theatre student. The Office of Admissions forwards requests for theatre scholarship auditions, meetings with Theatre faculty, and requests for information to the DOT. The DOT is then responsible for maintaining the contact management database and creating follow-up contacts including mailings, telephone calls and emails. The DOT also receives copies of all web inquiries posted from the Department of Theatre website and generates follow-up as required: campus visit, audition/portfolio presentation, complimentary tickets, etc. When prospective students visit campus, the DOT is usually the Department of Theatre contact, meeting with the prospective students and families and taking them on tours of the facilities. If the student has arranged a scholarship audition/portfolio presentation, it is typically the DOT who audits the performance. The Director of Theatre attends recruiting events as needed.
Website/Listserv Maintenance
- The Director of Theatre is responsible for web site maintenance, insuring that the website remains current. This includes posting production photos, cast lists, special notices, etc. The DOT is responsible for maintaining the Theatre Student and Theatre Alumni listservs.
- Gives report during the Postmortem.
- Attends and gives report at weekly Production Meetings as needed
The following is the list of areas to which the positions of responsibility listed above should have keys. Due to probable re-keying, no key numbers are available. Everyone who requires a key must fill out a Key Request Form and abide by the terms set forth in it. Student Managers are issued keys for the academic year, all others are issued on a per-production basis. You must return your keys immediately after completion of your assigned duties, usually during the post-strike week. You will be issued other keys for your next position.
Auditorium Student Manager - Theatre Master
Scene Shop Student Manager -Theatre Master
Costume Shop Student Manager -Theatre Master
Prop Shop Student Manager -Theatre Master, Props Road Box
Lighting Student Manager -Theatre Master
Front of House Student Manager -Theatre Master
Stage Manager -Theatre Master
Production Manager -Theatre Master
Production T. D. -Theatre Master
Master Carpenter -Shop, Tool Room, Auditorium
Master Electrician -Light Room, Auditorium, Booth for current production
Sound Designer -Sound Room Auditorium, Booth for current production
Props Designer - Prop Shop, Shop, Tool Room
Scenic Artist - Shop, Auditorium
House Managers -Auditorium, Ransburg closet