How a Theater Production Moves From Script to Stage

This chapter walks through a typical theater production as a timeline you can recognize when you join a show. Every company has its own habits, but the phases below show the common end-to-end pipeline from “we have a script” to “we’ve struck the set.”

1) Acquiring or Choosing a Script

Typical goals

• Pick a story that fits the company’s resources (cast size, budget, venue, schedule).
• Secure the legal right to perform it (or confirm it’s original/public domain).
• Set the basic parameters: performance dates, venue, and rough budget.

What gets created

• Rights/license paperwork (or internal approval for an original work).
• Production calendar draft (key milestones, rehearsal start, tech week, opening).
• Initial budget outline (scenery, costumes, props, marketing, royalties).
• Audition plan (dates, format, what to prepare).

Who leads

• Producer or artistic director (often with the director).
• For schools: drama teacher/program head.

What a newcomer may be asked to do

• Help read scripts and give feedback (what’s clear, what’s confusing, what seems hard to stage).
• Assist with admin tasks: organizing interest forms, reserving rehearsal rooms, posting audition notices.
• Join early brainstorming: “What would this look like in our space?”

What success looks like (checklist)

• Script is selected and performance rights are confirmed.
• Dates and venue are locked enough to plan around.
• Audition and rehearsal timeline exists in a shareable draft.

2) Assembling the Team

Typical goals

• Fill key leadership roles so decisions can be made consistently.
• Clarify who owns which decisions (artistic vs. technical vs. budget).
• Set communication habits (how notes are given, where files live).

What gets created

• Org chart or contact list (who to ask for what).
• Production meeting schedule (weekly/biweekly).
• Shared folder structure (scripts, schedules, designs, reports).
• Job descriptions for volunteers/crew.

Who leads

• Producer (staffing, budget, logistics).
• Director (artistic team alignment).
• Production manager (if present) to coordinate departments.

What a newcomer may be asked to do

• Sign up for a department (props, costumes, run crew, front of house).
• Attend an orientation meeting and confirm availability.
• Provide basic info: measurements for costumes, emergency contact, any schedule conflicts.

What success looks like (checklist)

• Director and stage manager are confirmed.
• Design/tech leads are assigned (or at least identified).
• Everyone knows where schedules and updates will be posted.

3) Pre-Production Planning (Before Rehearsals Really Begin)

Typical goals

• Turn the script into a plan: concept, design approach, and logistics.
• Identify needs early (special props, quick changes, sound effects, scene shifts).
• Prevent surprises by mapping time, money, and labor realistically.

What gets created

• Director’s concept notes (tone, setting, style, key ideas).
• Design packets: sketches, reference images, color palettes.
• Ground plan (set layout) and preliminary scene shift plan.
• Props list, costume plot, lighting and sound wish lists.
• Rehearsal schedule (often by scene/page count).
• Audition materials and casting plan.

Who leads

• Director (artistic vision).
• Stage manager (scheduling, documentation, communication).
• Designers/technical director (feasibility and build planning).

What a newcomer may be asked to do

• Help with auditions: check-in table, timekeeping, guiding people to rooms.
• Assist with research: find reference images for costumes or set dressing.
• Join build/paint calls early if the shop is starting soon.

Practical step-by-step: how planning turns into actionable lists

1. Read-through for needs: go page by page and highlight anything “physical” (furniture, letters, weapons, food, special effects).
2. Make a master list: combine into props, costumes, set pieces, sound needs.
3. Assign owners: each item gets a department lead and a due date.
4. Track changes: when the director changes staging, update the list immediately.

What success looks like (checklist)

• Design direction is agreed on and feasible for the venue and budget.
• Rehearsal schedule is published with clear expectations.
• Major build/borrow/buy items are identified early (no last-minute “we need a couch tomorrow”).

4) Rehearsals (From First Read to Run-Throughs)

Typical goals

• Build the performance: acting choices, pacing, relationships, and clarity.
• Set blocking (where people move) and make it repeatable.
• Integrate props and basic scene shifts safely and consistently.
• Move from “learning” to “running” the show.

What gets created

• Prompt book (stage manager’s master script with blocking, cues, notes).
• Rehearsal reports (what happened, what’s needed, what changed).
• Updated schedules and daily call sheets.
• Line notes or script change pages (if edits occur).
• Props tracking and scene shift notes.

Who leads

• Director (staging and performance choices).
• Stage manager (runs the room, tracks decisions, keeps time).
• Sometimes choreographer or music director for specific sections.

What a newcomer may be asked to do

• As a performer: arrive warmed up, take notes, learn lines, repeat blocking exactly, ask questions at appropriate times.
• As a crew/assistant: set rehearsal props, tape the floor, take notes, help with scene shift practice.
• As an ASM (assistant stage manager): track props, manage entrances, run paperwork, help keep the room organized.

Practical step-by-step: what “a typical rehearsal progression” looks like

What success looks like (checklist)

• Lines are memorized (or reliably “off book” by the agreed date).
• Blocking is stable and repeatable; entrances/exits are consistent.
• Props are used correctly and returned to the right place every time.
• Full runs are possible without frequent stops.

5) Tech Week (Putting the Show on Its Feet With All Technical Elements)

Typical goals

• Integrate lighting, sound, set, costumes, and scene shifts with the performance.
• Create and record cues so the show can be repeated reliably.
• Make the show safe: backstage traffic, quick changes, set movement.

What gets created

• Cue sheets and cue numbers (lights, sound, sometimes projections).
• Updated prompt book with final cue placements.
• Run sheets for backstage (who moves what, when).
• Quick-change plots and dressing room assignments.
• Technical rehearsal reports (issues and fixes by department).

Who leads

• Stage manager calls the show and runs tech rehearsals.
• Technical director coordinates physical production and safety.
• Lighting/sound/projection designers set levels and timing.
• Director may give notes, but the room is often SM-led for efficiency.

What a newcomer may be asked to do

• As a performer: be patient with stops/starts, hold positions for light focus, practice quick changes, keep props organized.
• As run crew: learn shift choreography, spike marks, preset tables, headset etiquette, and safety rules.
• As board op: follow cue numbers exactly; confirm “standing by” and “go” procedures.

Practical step-by-step: how a cue gets built

1. Identify the moment: “When the door slams, lights snap to night.”
2. Assign a cue: e.g., LQ 27 (Lighting Cue 27), SQ 14 (Sound Cue 14).
3. Set timing: on a line, on an action, or on a musical beat.
4. Record it: stage manager writes it in the prompt book; operators label it in their systems.
5. Repeat it: run it again until it happens the same way each time.

What success looks like (checklist)

• Cues are numbered, recorded, and repeatable.
• Scene shifts are choreographed and safe (no collisions, no rushed lifting).
• Costume changes are timed and supported (dressers, racks, labels).
• Everyone understands headset protocol and who gives commands.

6) Previews (If Applicable)

Typical goals

• Perform for an audience while still allowing adjustments.
• Test pacing, laughs, transitions, and technical timing under real conditions.
• Fix what only appears with an audience: sightlines, audibility, traffic jams.

What gets created

• Performance reports (what happened, what broke, what needs attention).
• Note lists from director and designers.
• Updated cue notes (timing tweaks) and prop/costume fixes.

Who leads

• Stage manager maintains consistency and documents issues.
• Director/designers give targeted notes and approve changes.
• Front of house manager reports audience flow issues (late seating, noise, accessibility).

What a newcomer may be asked to do

• Maintain performance consistency while accepting small adjustments.
• Help implement fixes quickly: relabel props, adjust a quick-change station, add glow tape.
• As usher/FOH: learn seating plan, handle latecomers, report audience concerns.

What success looks like (checklist)

• Show runs start-to-finish smoothly with an audience present.
• Notes are getting smaller (tweaks, not major rebuilds).
• Audience can see and hear clearly; transitions feel intentional.

7) Opening Night

Typical goals

• Deliver the show as a stable, repeatable event.
• Shift from “building” to “maintaining” quality and safety.
• Establish the performance routine: call times, warm-ups, presets, checks.

What gets created

• Finalized run paperwork: preset lists, sign-in sheets, backstage checklists.
• House management plan: curtain time, late seating rules, intermission timing.
• Emergency procedures reminder (who to contact, where to go).

Who leads

• Stage manager runs the show and calls cues.
• House manager runs the audience side (lobby, seating, curtain clearance).
• Director typically steps back; notes become limited and scheduled.

What a newcomer may be asked to do

• Arrive early enough for warm-up and preset; sign in.
• Follow the established routine (no last-minute changes without approval).
• Stay quiet and focused backstage; keep pathways clear.

What success looks like (checklist)

• All presets are complete before house opens.
• Places are called on time; curtain goes up on schedule.
• Performance and cues match the rehearsed version (consistent and safe).

8) Closing, Strike, and Wrap-Up

Typical goals

• Finish the run cleanly, return borrowed items, and restore the venue.
• Inventory and store what will be reused; dispose of what won’t.
• Close out paperwork: expenses, incident reports, and archival materials.

What gets created

• Strike plan (order of operations, tool assignments, safety rules).
• Inventory lists (props, costumes, hardware, electronics).
• Return logs for rentals/borrowed items.
• Archival package: final script, cue sheets, production photos (if taken), program files.

Who leads

• Technical director or production manager (physical strike and safety).
• Stage manager (collects paperwork, checks lost-and-found, final reports).
• Producer (financial wrap, returns, thank-yous).

What a newcomer may be asked to do

• Wear appropriate clothes for strike (closed-toe shoes; hair tied back if needed).
• Follow tool and lifting instructions; ask before unplugging/derigging anything.
• Sort items into labeled areas: keep, repair, trash, return, laundry.
• Help restore the space: remove tape, sweep, reset seating, return borrowed furniture.

What success looks like (checklist)

• Set, props, and costumes are safely removed, stored, or returned.
• Venue is restored to its required condition by the deadline.
• Nothing is missing: rentals returned, borrowed items accounted for, trash cleared.

Phase-by-Phase “What Success Looks Like” Quick Checklist