The role of the Script Secretary is especially important to the director in rehearsals. Here the director and the script secretary work side by side, with the script secretary recording the director’s decisions about blocking and notes for the actors, keeping track of logistical and scheduling details and communicating what goes on in rehearsals to the rest of the team. This enables the director to concentrate his or her full attention on directing.
Script secretaries have several key responsibilities and tasks to perform in each phase of a production, including
- Writing blocking down
- Communicating the director’s wishes to designers and crafts people
- Calling cues and possibly actors’ entrances during performance
- Overseeing the entire show each time it is performed
- Make sure rehearsal props and furnishings are available for the actors
attend all rehearsals - Notify the designers and crafts people of changes made in rehearsal
In rehearsals the script secretary also records all blocking, plus all the light, sound and set change cues, in a master copy of the script called the prompt book. The information in the prompt book also allows the stage manager to run the technical rehearsals, calling each technical cue in turn to determine precisely how it needs to be timed to coordinate with the onstage action.
Once the show opens, the director’s work is essentially complete. Now it’s the script secretary’s job to make sure that every aspect of the production runs just as the director intended time after time, until the production closes.
If you are interested in being the Script Secretary for the Musical “Carousel” please submit a resume and cover letter stating why you are the person for the job.
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