Running Your Theater: Director & Producer Duties

Director & Producer Duties

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Running Your Theater
Forum Discription: General questions about how to make it work
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3218
Printed Date: 11/22/24 at 5:42pm
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Topic: Director & Producer Duties

Posted By: havengirl
Subject: Director & Producer Duties
Date Posted: 6/03/08 at 2:09pm

We are trying to "cement" our listing of director and producer responsibilities for our little non-profit performing theater. The board is meeting is Friday night to firm this up before the new season starts in the Fall. What is happening now -- is directors and producers for each of our 3 shows a year are scrambling around doing whatever and whenever and we need a roadmap for both of them. Is the Producer or Director in charge of set building in most theaters out there (there is disagreement on this with ours). Who is in charge of staffing the lobby with volunteers to sell tickets and run concessions when we open for plays? Who is in charge of making sure the publicity is handled with the local paper, posters are designed and printed and a reviewer is coming to write the review. Who is in charge of the cast party? You get the picture. Does anyone out there have the list for director's jobs and the producer's jobs broken down so when an unsuspecting volunteer from the community says "I want to produce that" or "Here is a play I want to direct" our board can say "Here, this is a list of what that entails." ??????

Replies:

Posted By: sconjott
Date Posted: 6/03/08 at 5:50pm

Our Producing Director's responsibilities include:

Coordinating Budgets for all aspects of the production and reporting and/or requesting expenditures and overages, as well as final production tallys on everything. Box Office, Concessions, Costuming, Set, Script Rentals EVERYTHING!

Concessions and Box Office: Staffing, Supplying, etc. (all of our board members are liscenced to serve alcohol and they pretty much take turns staffing).

Advertising: Printing Playbills, Printing and Sending Mailers, and Printing

Programs (not design of any of the above)

Because we sometimes use outside directors, our Producing Director also acts as the liason between the Director/s and Board for emergencies or unforseen issues (primarily problem actors).

The Director is responsible for the use of their budget ie. "How much for set?", "How much on Costuming", etc. Our board earmarks a budget seperately for Advertising and Concessions.

The Director is given a choice on whether they want a Set Designer, Costumer, Lead Carpenter, etc. Some don't like to do any of the work, some don't want ANYONE else designing for them but can't work a screwdriver, and some can't get enough of tech work. We do pay our Set Designers, and our Lead Carpenters but this comes out of the shows budget. They may not opt to take the set design and lead carpenter jobs themselves and get paid for it however (it's a "use 'em lose em" scenario). They may request someone for these positions, but usually the Designer and Carpenter are chosen by the Board.

Directors are also responsible for design of programs, playbills, etc. Most choose to go with our graphic artists and not mess with it.

Directors have nothing to do with Box Office or Concessions.

Producing Directors have nothing to do with Set Construction, Costuming, Lighting, etc., except to point out the Directors budget, and where we have accounts set up to buy materials. That is unless the Producing Director chooses to donate his/her time and skill to any of the afore-mentioned technical areas.

I'm sure I've left out some of the smaller responsibilities, but this should give you a good template for setting up your own list of responsibilities for each position.

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There are NO small roles, only small actors...

Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 7/24/08 at 3:29pm

I'm new here, but this is how I work it:

The director's main roles are to 1) direct the play, and 2) to make the artistic decissions regarding the play. He/she works with the designers (scene, lighting, sound, costumes, etc) so they share a common vision. He/she also works with the stage manager, and others involved in the production, etc.

The producer essentially is the director's supervisor for one, but also oversees the rest. That doesn't mean he/ske does it alone. For instance there may be a box office person, a publicity person, a house manager, etc. who all report to the producer.

Of course, the reality is that somestimes someone has to wear many hats, but that's OK, too. For instance, you just have Dick holding the roles of Box of Manager and Publicity, and Sally as House Manager and in charge of the cast party; Bob may be the director and additionally be the scene designer, and Joe is the set construction chief/ the lighting designer and board operator. I think it nice to have all those roles and responsibilities written out separately.

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KEB

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 7/25/08 at 1:34am

We don't use a Producer position, as such, except the theatre Groups Committee is the actual Producer.

I heard Robin Williams on the Actors Studio describe the positions simply as being;- The Producer organises the sand & a place to put it, which the Director in turn affords the actors the opportunity to play in it.

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}