The theatrical design process is broken, and I know how to fix it.
I see four problems with the theatrical design process.
- The creative process is the first thing to get cut by budget cuts.
- The design process is often relegated to side conversations adjacent to the practicalities of producing theater.
- Designers often take on production tasks that lie outside of the design scope.
- Directors often have too much on their plate to consider how design speaks to the show’s message (or production time doesn’t allow proper exploration).
The creative process is the first thing to get cut with small budgets.
Every theater has space, capability, budget, or timeline limitations. Some theaters are up against many of these limitations all at once. These limitations have an advantage, though. Limitation breeds creativity, and a designer’s job is to find creative solutions. However, in most cases, the larger the limitation, the more of the design process is skipped. Producers often skip to providing some variation of “make the design minimal.” This direction sidesteps the creative process, thereby dismantling any potential creative solution. It removes the ability of the designer to do their job.
The design process is often relegated to side conversations adjacent to the practicalities of producing theater.
Anyone who has ever produced theater knows that it’s hard. Theater professionals routinely combine all other art forms into a highly choreographed presentation involving artistic, technical, and logistic processes that, by any measure, could be considered impossible, each requiring a specialized skill set and expertise. Then they do it eight times every week. It’s truly amazing what theater makers can accomplish. So, it’s no wonder when teams get together to talk about it, they’re focused on the practicality of this production. Unfortunately, this means there’s no room in the conversation for exploration. There is no safe space to explore possibilities. When ideas are presented, the team immediately jumps to the practical problems of achieving those ideas.
Designers often take on production tasks outside of their design scope.
Speaking of the practicalities of producing theater…
As a scenic designer with fabrication skills, I am often asked if I can also build the shows I design. I also get asked if I can paint the shows I design. I’ve been asked if I can design the poster for shows I design. I’ve even been asked if I can create the build drawings for shows that I design. I always answer no. Not only is it critical to the production’s success to maintain a strict separation, but it’s also an entirely separate job that requires a drastically different skill set! Asking a designer to do multiple jobs simply because they know how is akin to asking them to take on another job. At the very least, this additional responsibility should come with extra pay, but in most cases, it’s just not possible while also maintaining the integrity of their design.
A designer’s job continues once they turn in their design package. A scenic designer, for example, attends rehearsals to communicate how their set should be used; they collaborate with lighting, costume, and projection designers to share color, texture, and mood ideas. They work closely with the choreographer to ensure there’s space and pathway for choreography. They work with props and set dressers to ensure proper selections. Once the production gets loaded into the theater, they make creative choices alongside the rest of the design team to provide fluid, well-paced storytelling. In other words, their mind should focus on the design, not the build.
Directors often have too much on their plate once the show is in the theater.
Directors are magical, multitasking superheroes. But even their superhuman ability to think about multiple things simultaneously is limited. Expecting anyone, even a seasoned director, to not only be in charge of every aspect of production but also to be an expert in each field is asking for something to fall through the cracks. Ideas get left unchecked, possibilities are unexplored, and solutions are not implemented. There should be an additional person who can focus on making design decisions. In film production, this person is the production designer. We need a similar role in the theater.
The solution.
- This solution ensures the creative process remains intact by enabling a lead designer to champion it.
- This solution ensures there is a distinct separation between the design of theater and the implementation of theater.
- This solution eases the load on build teams by focusing the show toward one design field.
- This solution splits the creative decision-making load between the director and a lead designer.
The solution to these four problems ultimately involves redefining some design roles during the design and production process. For clarity, I’ll divide the discussion into four distinct sections.
- The Producing Artistic Director’s Role
- How to Hire Designers
- How to Structure The Process
- Practical Implementation Tips
The Producing Artistic Director’s Role
Theaters often choose the shows for their upcoming season based on budgets, manpower, messaging, and their audience, among other factors. Rarely is design considered, and rarely is the cultivation of designers considered.
When choosing shows, ADs should decide what design field should lead the process. Does the show focus on costumes? Is this a show where the scenic design is important? Do the props tell the story most effectively? In other words, each show should focus on a design field, and the designer associated with this field should lead the design process. All other designers contribute by following their lead and riffing off the lead designer.
How to Hire Designers
In this model, each show gets a lead designer. This designer should be a veteran in the field and someone who’s worked with the theater before. The lead designer is someone the producing team and director know. The other design roles are filled by new or up-and-coming designers or designers who have never worked at the theater.
How to Structure The Process
Director Conversations
In this model, those conversations start between the Producing Artistic Director and the Show’s Director. In this initial conversation, the AD gives their usual show direction and describes why they chose the lead design field.
Lead Designer Conversations
The next set of conversations is between the director and lead designer. They collaborate on the design but must refrain from discussing the other design elements. They set the design language in this conversation using the chosen design field.
Introduce the Language to the Rest of the Design Team
This is the first meeting where the entire design team is present. There are only two things that need to happen in this meeting:
- The director provides the overview and direction for the show.
- The lead designer showcases the design language using whatever tools they’d like (mood boards, sketches, found images, etc.), it should be thorough.
Design Meetings
From this point on, the process is traditional. Each designer meets with the director and other designers as often as necessary until they’ve created their designs. Direction should be given to follow the lead designer’s initial language. Each designer should work with their build lead (technical director, first hand, painters, lead electricians, etc) to ensure they remain within budget.
Production Meetings
Once the designs are completed, the conversation can move to production meetings. Production meetings focus on the practical implementation of the design, not the design itself. It’s critical to the artistry of theater that the design remains intact and all parties strive to achieve it.
The Build
Each designer is still the key decision-maker during the build. They should champion their design through the build process and ensure it remains aligned with the chosen field’s design.
Technical Rehearsals
During technical rehearsals, the lead designer should focus on the design aspects of the show and use the other designers as resources. This lifts some of the load from the director, enabling them to make more effective decisions.
Practical Implementation Tips
- The lead designer should get paid more.
- The budget for the chosen design field should be larger as the show’s design focuses on this field.
- The Show Director or AD should explain why the lead design field was chosen to the other designers. They should know that their field is not the focus!
- Design meetings are for finding creative solutions to thematic problems.
- Production meetings are for finding creative solutions to design problems.