Stagecraft

Stagecraft is a loose term that refers to just about anything that happens backstage before, during, and after a theatrical production.

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It comprises many disciplines, typically divided into five main sections:

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• Scenery which includes set construction, scenic painting, theatrical properties, and special effects
• Lighting design
• Sound design which can include musical underscoring as well as theatrical sound effects
• Costume design including costume construction and makeup
• Production, comprising stage management, production management, house management and company management

In its most basic incarnation, stagecraft may consist of a sole Stage manager, who sets up all the scenery, organizes the cast, and runs the lighting instruments. At the full-time professional end of the spectrum, modern Broadway and opera, stagecraft and tech for a production may include hundreds of skilled carpenters, painters, electricians, stagehands, seamstresses, wigmakers, etc. In this form, modern stagecraft is a highly technical and specialized field, with many sub-disciplines and a vast trove of history and tradition.

Related Topics:
Stage manager - Broadway - Opera

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The majority of stagecraft is practiced in an environment somewhat between those two extremes, with a dedicated crew of people of the various disciplines working together with the actors and directors to pull together a successful production.

Related Topics:
Actor - Directors

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Stagecraft: See also ►