AS mentioned the TD can really involve different things and aspects of the production depending on the size, type and various other aspects of a particular "company".
Generally, the TD is the person UNDER the
Production Manager or insert-here who is generally in charge of the production as a whole. If there is a
Production Manager or not will change the duties quite a lot, as well as other roles. As mentioned in some places the TD doubles as head carpenter. Where in a large
theatre like one I work in the TD is in charge of the head carpenter. However, generates the
working drawings does costing and more or less takes what the designers give them and make everything actionable and pass along that information to the heads of the various departments (if they exist). Is the design able to be "on budget", okay how can we change it? Dealing with the designers, director and heads of departments. Scheduling Crews.
I've been TD in a small
community theatre, high school, drama festivals, music festivals, and a large
community theatre for instance and all have been drastically different.
For instance, for a music festival, I take the information received from the artistic team (Artistic Director and staff) such as riders and
stage plots and proposed performance schedules; Is the schedule proposed by the AD do-able? If so I can then further by then scheduling my people (lighting, audio, stagehands and
stage managers), if not I suggest changes. Looking at the riders, what do I need? Do I need to say "hey we can't do that" and prompt the Artistic team to re-negotiate details with the management of the artists? Do I need to order more
backline? Do I have BUDGET for that
backline? I look at everything for all the stages and make sure it's in order in regard to the staging, lighting and audio. Make sure they are crewed, and work with various companies who will be supplying everything. Do I need to bring in a
forklift? Schedule assembly and tear down of EVERYTHING in my department. Thankfully I don't supply all the tents and smaller stages, thats our site carpentry team, but I need to coordinate with them to make sure everything is right. Also need to coordinate with the head electrician (not the lighting people but the actual electricians) and make sure there is enough
power everywhere for everything, that there is site-lighting for when I turn out the
stage lights and for us to see for teardown.
The list goes on and on.
The important thing is to assess what areas you'll have responsibility for.
Safety and Budget are the name of the game. The largest elephant in the room for me as a TD is that I am "the guy" when it comes to
safety.
Is it built to code? Is it strong enough for what we are putting it though?
Is it SAFE?
Is there enough manpower to do it in the time allotted SAFELY?