Stagecraft

Stagecraft is a loose term that refers to just about anything that happens behind the scenes of a theatrical production.

It is comprised of many diciplines, traditionally divided into four main sections; Theatrical Scenery and set construction (including scenic painting, theatrical properties, and special effects), theatrical lighting and sound effects (which includes musical Underscoring as well as theatrical sound effects), Wardrobe (including costume construction and makeup), and production (comprised of stage management, production management, and house management).

In its most basic incarnation, stagecraft may consist of a sole stage manager, who sets up all the scenery, organizes the cast, and runs the lighting instruments alone. At the other extreme end, modern Broadway and opera, it may include hundreds of skilled carpenters, painters, electricians, stagehands, seamstresses, wigmakers, &c., &c. ad infinitum. In this form, modern stagecraft is a highly technical and specialized field, with many sub-diciplines and a vast trove of history and tradition, far too vast to be discussed here.