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Management

Presentation Management: At the Top

Theatre management

The first category we are going to cover is Management.

These are the people who oversee and run the business and art aspects of the theatre production, respectfully, and are those who are ultimately responsible for production as a whole.

The Producer

The producer oversees all of the aspects of mounting a theatre production and has the final say in all decisions concerning the show.

They are responsible for:

  • the overall financial and managerial functions of the production or venue
  • fundraising and/or providing financial backing
  • interactions with the board of directors and/or investors
  • the business and legal end of employing staff, creative personnel, and performers
  • the business and legal end of the production, including:
    • setting and overseeing the overall budget
    • selecting the performance dates and times
    • setting ticket prices
    • developing a marketing strategy

In commercial productions on Broadway and Off-Broadway, the producer tends to be an investor or the theatre owner and is often a very active member of the team. Due to the stakes and their financial interest in the success of the production, the producer is often a significant part of the artistic development of the show, giving frequent notes throughout the rehearsal, technical rehearsal, and preview processes to the director, creative team, management team, and performers. It is their money after all and they want a say in how it is used.

At regional theatres, the producer role might refer to the theatre as a whole (i.e. Orlando Shakes is the producing entity for each of their theatre productions). It is common for the producer job itself to be divided into two positions: the creatively-minded Artistic Director and the business-minded Managing Director. In this model, the Managing Director focuses on all things business, legal, and financial, while the Artistic Director is responsible for all of the creative decisions including selecting the shows for each theatre season, helping select creative team members, giving artistic feedback to the creative team and performers, and possibly being a part of all casting decisions.

Some regional theatres will utilize a single producer role, which might be called either a Producing Artistic Director or Managing Artistic Director, indicating a responsibility for both the artistic and the financial.

The Production Manager

The production manager oversees the technical elements of the show, working with the the producer, director, designers, and the technical staff to ensure the production is completed safely, on-time, within budget, and according to the director's and designers' wishes.

They are responsible for:

  • issuing contracts
  • scheduling and facilitating production meetings, rehearsals, crew work calls, and technical rehearsals
  • distributing, maintaining, and reporting department budgets (expenses and revenues)
  • personnel management
  • setting design and technical deadlines
  • facilitating communication between the designers and technical staff
  • coordinating equipment rentals and materials sourcing

Often, production managers are full-time staff members at a theatre. In the case of a commercial theatre or very large productions, they might be a production management firm rather than a single individual.

Director

The Director is the person tasked with shaping and guiding the theatre production toward a single, creative vision. They are typically independent (also called "freelance") artists that are hired by either the producer or the theatre company on a per-show contract.

They are responsible for:

  • the creative vision for the entire production
  • casting the performers (usually in partnership with the producer and a casting director or agency)
  • guiding the performers in creating and portraying their characters
  • guiding the design team in creating the visual and auditory world of the production

Simply put, they must look at and guide every detail both separately and as a whole in order to create a single, cohesive end product.

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