“The producer’s role can appear confusing and indefinable” (Seabright, 2010, 5)
As Seabright highlights, the role of a Producer varies with different companies and projects. It is from his definition and my own experience working with Chapterhouse Theatre Company that I will discuss the ‘traditional’ role of a Producer and which aspects of this definition I will also be taking responsibility for.
Traditionally, the producer of a theatre company would be the person responsible for choosing a play, hiring the company (including all office staff) and sourcing a venue. The Producer would be the top authority on all matters and decisions would always pass through them. In my experience, Producers will often attend work-in-progress sessions to give feedback and make sure the Company branding and creative vision is coherent.
Our Company differs slightly from the traditional model of a theatre company in the sense that the roles were decided after the full company came together. As a result my role as the Producer differs slightly as I have not hired the team or needed to source a Venue. However, similarly to a traditional company I am the final authority on decisions and responsible for schedules, admin work, budgeting. My role will become more of a Producer/Production Manager taking a hands on approach with the Company. Additionally, because the Venue is fixed we, as a Company, must create our work taking into consideration the demographics of the audience who attend the Venue and adapt our marketing strategies to suit the audience.
Seabright explains that with productions which are of a smaller scale the Producer and production Manager often end up being the same person and “take day-to-day control of certain areas of the budget and work closely with the design team to ensure that the creative vision of the show can be delivered onstage” (Seabright, 2010, 8). Therefore communication with all departments is key to create a successful Company and Project. As a result, I will be attending all production meetings and discussing the progress and development of our piece with the Director. Perhaps the most important role of a producer is “maintaining a view of the ‘big picture’ at all times of production“ (Seabright, 2010, 12).
Works Cited
Seabright, J. (2010). So you want to be a Theatre Producer? London: Nick Hern Books.