1. Putting It Together
Creating a Production
with Courtney O’Connor

2. Step 1: Choosing the Title
(approx. 12 months
before production)

3. Who decides/approves?
 Board of Directors
 Artistic Director
 Audience

4. Considerations
 Does this play fit the
mission ofthe
company?
 Budget
 Audience

5. Step 2: Assembling the
Artistic Team
(approx. 6–9 months
before production)

6. Whom do you need?
 Director
 Scenic Designer
 Lighting Designer
 Costume Designer
 Sound Designer
 Projections/VideoDesigner

7. If it’s a musical, also the:
 Music Director
 Choreographer
 Band

8. Step 3: Assembling the
Technical Team
(approx. 6–9 months
before production)

9. Whom do you need?
Production Manager
 Stage Manager
 Technical Director

10. Step 4: Creating the Concept,
Vision, or point-of-view
of the production
(approx. 6–9 months
before production)

11. • What is the message of
the play?
• What is the message of
theproduction?
• How can the designs
visually represent this?

12. Step 5: Casting the Actors
(approx. 6 months before
production)

13.  Experience – Can they
command the stage?
 What would the role look
like THROUGH this person?
 Chemistry
 Special needs of the play
(This process can require
several auditions/callbacks)

14. Step 6: Rehearsals
(approx. 3 weeks
before opening)

15. What happens during
rehearsals?
 Blocking/staging theplay
 Exploring the layers of
the text
 Finding the characters

16. Step 7: Tech
a.k.a. Hell week
(the week of opening)

17. What happens during
tech?
 First time on the set
 Create lighting, sound,&
projection/video cues in a
cue-to-cue run-through
 Add in costumes, practice
quick changes

18. Step 8: Performances

19. What happens during runs?
 Stage Manager is in
charge of the production
 Director and designers leave

20. Stage Manager reports every
night
 How the performance
went
 How the audience
responded
 Changes or concerns for
the next performance

21. At the end of the run:
 Designers/technicians
have turned infinances
 PR/Marketing sends out
a packet containing all
of the reviews
 On to the next project!