Lyceum Today: Putting on a Show

Here we detail the process of putting together our productions, from design, to set building, and from rehearsal to performance.

Design

The principal designers and their roles are:

Designer - to visually realise the ideas the director has about how the play should look and be represented.

Costume Designer - to design costumes in keeping with the set and the ideas of the director. The costume designer and the designer are usually the same person.

Lighting Designer - to visually enhance the set and costumes and create the atmosphere required by the action and the script.

Composer - the creator of the musical element of a production, helping create the atmosphere required by the action and the script.

Set & Costume Design

The production design process is a lengthy one, starting at least six months before the production starts. The Designer is engaged.

Discussion between the Director and Designer take place about the artistic concept. The Production Manager advises the Designer about the budget and resources available at the theatre.

The Designer makes scale models of the set as the design progresses. The final version is really a miniature version of the set complete with furniture and props, rather like a doll's house!

Once the Director and Designer are happy with the model it is passed to the Production Manager, who calculates how much it will cost to build. The Production Manager has to work within very tight budgets set at the beginning of the year. If the set proves too expensive, the Director and Designer will have to make changes so that the set comes within the budget.

Once the design is finalized the Designer will produce a full model and working drawings. This and the costume design will be presented and discussed at a Production Meeting which will be attended by all the Heads of Departments directly involved in the production.

The carpenters, scenic artists, stage management and wardrobe department can then begin work on the set, props and costumes.

Our own set building is not without challenges, but we have never encountered insurmountable problems. One challenge we faced was during our production of Blithe Spirit. The production department had to find ways of making vases, a coat stand and other objects fly, a table move unaided and to enable a spirit to appear out of the middle of a settee. Other challenges include using motorized pieces of sets (such as the lift in the Hamlet set and the motorized truck in Mice and Men) and to create the illusion of a lake in On Golden Pond.

Lighting Design

The Lighting Designer attends production meetings with the Director, Designer and Heads of Department and regularly attends rehearsals, particularly towards the end of the rehearsal period when full runs are being rehearsed. In the last week of rehearsals the final plans of the lighting design are submitted to the Chief Electrician (Chief LX). During the production week the Lighting Designer will attend the technical rehearsals and a number of performances during the run.

Music & Sound Design

Although most of the shows at the Lyceum involve music, a Composer is not always employed.

If we do need one, the Composer will present pieces or soundscapes within a specified timetable and discuss these again with the Director. The Composer will work on these pieces and present them to the Director. The music will either be played live by musicians, the Composer or even the actors, or it will be pre-recorded and played during the performances over the sound system. Unfortunately, we can rarely afford to employ 'live' musicians anymore, except at Christmas or for musicals, so we usually have to use a recorded soundtrack.

Making the Design work

The Lyceum's wardrobe and workshop departments are located at our site in Roseburn Street, Murrayfield.

Costumes

Depending on the style, requirements and budget of a production, the department will use or adapt costumes from our extensive stores, buy costumes or make an entire costume.

If we have to make a costume, the supervisor will research, in conjunction with the designer, information, pictures and materials relating to the style and period required.

The cutter will draft a pattern to the actor's size and cut the material and the makers will sew the costume together.

During this process the actor will be continually fitted with their costume to make sure that is going to be comfortable for them to move and act in.

The dresser works in the theatre during the production runs. S/he cleans the costumes after each performance and mends them as necessary, as well as helping actors to change quickly or get into elaborate costumes.

Sets

The workshop, where the sets are built, is run by carpenters. Their job is to transform a designer's plans from paper to a 3 dimensional set.

Whatever the design, the sets must be light, able to be easily and quickly built on stage, and also be built within, or preferably under, the set budget.

The carpenters must be able to work with wood, metal, plastic and many other materials.

The Paintshops is run by scenic artists work. We have a space for painting the sets and a 'paint frame' for painting cloths.

The paint frame is a large lifting walkway against a large flat wall. The cloths often need to be as high and as wide as the stage. They are pinned to the wall and the artists use the lift to travel the full height of the cloth so it can be entirely painted at one time. Once completed a cloth can be left on the frame until it is dry.

The scenic artists are all qualified in scenic painting. This is not like a normal artist as they have to create many different styles and effects from marble-look to complete gardens on a twelve metre by eight metre cloth.

The scenic artists have to work closely with the carpenters as they are jointly responsible for making a set look exactly like a designers model, only 25 times larger!

Props

Stage managment are responsible for aquiring props. We attempt to borrow or have donated as many of the props as possible. We are lucky in having a good relationship with many companies and shops in Edinburgh and throughout the country who regularly lend or donate items. This requires spending a great deal of time telephoning, writing and faxing sourcing companies who can assist us. We also have a stock of props and furniture in our own stores and regularly borrow from other theatres. Some things we have to make or hire from specialist firms and if all else fails we buy them. Props are introduced as early as possible into rehearsals so the actors have the opportunity to work with them prior to getting on the stage.

During a performance, all the props which are not already set onstage are carefully laid out on a Props Table backstage so that the actors are able to get any props they need for their scenes quickly and quietly.

Casting

Specific Auditions:

These are auditions for a particular part which an actor attends in response to a request, usually made through the actor's agent. To prepare for this audition the actor should have read the script and be familiar with the part for which s/he is auditioning. This usually lasts about 30 minutes. The director makes a shortlist of people s/he wants to consider and calls them for a second audition. These auditions are called 'recalls', and can last about an hour. During a recall the actor reads with another actor who has already been cast, perhaps the lead.

Pre-Production

Before rehearsals start a significant amount of preparation will already have been done. The actors will have looked at the play and their own character in depth and the director will have been living with the play in his/her head for months!

By this time the set, costumes and lighting will have been designed, any fights or dances choreographed, music composed and a dialect coach appointed if necessary.

Before rehearsals commence a Production Meeting is held involving the Director, Designers and Production Staff. All aspects of the production are discussed and potential problems identified. During rehearsals further Production Meetings are held as required.

Before rehearsals for a production start Stage Management are given a scale drawing of the set and from this they mark an exact representation of the scenery on the floor of the rehearsal room. This allows the actors and Director to familiarize themselves with the layout of the set. From the script, Stage Management produce a list of all the props and furniture that will be required. This is discussed with the Director and Designer and can change as the rehearsals progress. Before rehearsals they collect together substitutes for all the props and furniture so the actors have something to work with while the actual props are being obtained.

Any changes to the script, all the moves made by the actors on stage, cues for sound, lighting, flying, wardrobe and calls for staff and actors are recorded in the Prompt Script. The Prompt Script (or 'The Book') is a copy of the script and becomes a complete record of the production. The Deputy Stage Manager (DSM) or Assistant Stage Manager (ASM) are 'on the book' for each show. This means they are responsible for keeping the Prompt Script up to date and will run the show (give all cues) from Prompt Corner during performances.

Rehearsals

The Lyceum's rehearsal rooms and rehearsal green room are located in the Administration Block opposite the theatre. When actors are not needed during rehearsals, you can find them in the Green Room relaxing, talking about the play OR learning their lines.

The first day of rehearsals starts with a reading of the play without moves (the Read-through). The stage manager usually times this read-through as it gives a good idea of the eventual running time of the play.

The next stage is the blocking. This is when the Director works with the actors to establish where and when they will move on stage. The stage manager on the book notes the blocking in the Prompt Script for reference until the actors learn the moves. Whilst the actors start to rehearse without their scripts, the stage manager also has to prompt when an actor forgets the lines or makes a mistake. Prompting is rarely required in an actual performance.

At the end of every day, the stage manager 'on the book' issues a Rehearsal Report. This gives details of any changes or additions to the production requirements such as props, lighting, sound or costume that arose during the day. A Call Sheet for the next day’s rehearsals, telling the actors what time they will be needed and which scenes they will be rehearsing, and any additional calls for costume fittings, are also issued.

During the course of rehearsals the stage manager 'on the book' compiles a Setting List giving details of where every prop and piece of furniture should be placed for each scene, and a Running List which covers all the cues for lighting, sound, wardrobe, actors and staff that will be called during the performance. Also required are lists of Costume Quick Changes, Lighting, Sound, Flying and Scenery Changes, called Plots.

Towards the end of rehearsals, the Company Stage Manager (CSM), some of the technicians and the Lighting and Set Designers come to see a run-through of the play. This allows them to ensure that nothing has been missed from their preparations.

During the week of the opening of the show, once the set is built on stage, the actors and production team move into the theatre for the production week.

Understudy Rehearsals

These are for actors who have been employed to take on parts if someone has to drop out suddenly. As understudies, they rehearse the roles they may have to step into. These rehearsals are generally held in the week after the show opens. Understudies are usually employed to play smaller parts or as stage managers.

The Lyceum employs acting ASM/understudies for the Christmas Show and tours. This means that as well as being an understudy the actor carries out various stage management duties. The Christmas show involves more than the usual number of performances, sometimes three in one day. This puts a tremendous strain on the actors and particularly on their voices. Also, this is the time of year when people are more prone to illnesses. The understudies for the Christmas show are a necessary precaution against cancelling a show if an actor becomes ill.

Production Week

A 'production week' is the week of the opening of the show when the stage is prepared for the production. Production weeks have to be planned and executed very carefully. The show must open on the day and at the time it has been advertised. The ultimate responsibility for this rests with the Production Manager.

A production schedule, a timetable, is issued at least one week before the production week starts. Each member of the team receives a copy as well as the director and designers. The production schedule may be amended as the production week progresses, depending on any changes in circumstances.