What is a Technical Director?

The theatrical technical director as a separately recognized position is a fairly recent development. For over 300 years it has been a job, or a collection of jobs, undertaken by the stage manager or other technically oriented person or persons. During the last thirty or forty years, the position of technical director has come to be recognized as the person who is responsible for all of the technical operations of a stage (theatrical) production. The following is a partial list of the technical director's responsibilities:

• participates in pre-production planning as it pertains to all elements of the scenic design.
• generates graphic documents used for the estimating of time and materials costs related to the creation of the design.
• estimates the expense in time and materials to execute the design,
• generates graphic documents used to demonstrate the construction of the design.
• hires or appoints craftspeople to execute the design.
• carefully oversees the construction of the design.
• provides a wealth of information on materials, suppliers, and new applications of old or stock materials.
• meets completion deadlines as coordinated with the other design/tech areas.
• oversees the operation of all stage machinery.
• oversees the training of all stage and shop personnel.
• oversees the maintenance of stage, theatre, scene shop equipment, and building.
• operates and maintains the scene shop.
• operates, maintains, and secures tools.
• orders, delivers, picks up, and stores materials.
• maintains budget lines established for every production, the shop, the theatre, etc.
• oversees the production through the technical/dress rehearsal process.
• maintains the show during the run of the production.
• operates and maintains correct and safe rigging of all movable scenery and especially flying scenery.
• participates in the choreography of scene changes.
• plans, builds, and tests special effects.
• co-ordinates scenery with the necessities of the lighting design.
• Some technical directors are responsible for all elements relating to lighting and sound equipment and operation as well.

WHAT DOES A TECHNICAL DIRECTOR HAVE TO KNOW?

safety, materials, structure, deadlines mathematics, budgeting, tools, machinery, physics, people skills, hardware, construction, safety, inventory,drafting, writing management, co-operation, collaboration, safety, and

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