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The producer is to the production as the chair is to the Ensemble. The producer is ultimately responsible for all non-artistic decisions for the production. S/he selects a production staff according to Ensemble guidelines, facilitates all logistical matters, and runs all production meetings. If a production team member becomes unable to complete their position, the producer must either replace them or complete the position him/herself. The producer is also the final authority on the production. If something makes the producer uncomfortable for safety or other reasons, s/he may veto it. Additionally, the producer is responsible for handling interpersonal conflicts between anyone .
It is important that the producer be organized, accounting for all miscellaneous tasks involved in the production.
DECISION MAKING AND PREROGATIVE
MISCELLANEOUS TASKS
show. The producer must frequently take initiative and be extremely adaptive.
General Comments
Define people's jobs.
Make sure people are doing their jobs.
Get them to do their jobs. This does not mean that you should be doing the work for them when they slack.
Pre-Production
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Before Auditions
- Set up Callboard
- Contact Tech and Technique early for photos
Auditions
- Schedule auditions with the director, SM, and Ensemble.
- Finalize audition forms and make sure all dates/requirements are correct.
- Ensure that a readthrough has been scheduled.
- Set up the online audition form as soon as possible. See the webmaster page for details.
ACTIVELY GET PEOPLE TO AUDITION
CALLBOARD
RESERVATIONS
TECH, TECHNIQUE
TEST CONFLICTS
ACTOR REPLACEMENT ISSUE?
You should always actively go out and encourage people to audition, especially if they are on the fence.
Actor Management
- Get actors out of any show conflicts (tests during tech week)
- Replace actors should they decline their parts
Finding and Keeping Prod Staff
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Finding a good prod staff is the most important thing you will do as Producer. Think very carefully about your decisions! A good prod staff makes a stress-free show. When working with new freshman, you may will either need to assign them as assistants or give them a full position with a mentor. If they show motivation and willingness, you should definitely give them the full position.
- Find an SM by auditions
- TD, SD, and ASMs are high priority
- Lights, Costumes, Sound, Props, Publicity are all important
). It is useful to have a publicity designer and/or manager to be able to audition publicity. Meet with all production staff (this can be the first prod meeting) - be sure they understand the calendar and what is expected of them. Go over contract with each member of the production team.
It is important to check in regularly with prod staff to make sure that everyone is doing their jobs. If anyone is not on top of things, consider monitoring them more closely. For example, drawing up a very detailed schedule of when everything needs to get done can be effective for people who are unorganized. If a problematic member of the prod staff continues to cause problems and fail to do the job assigned, you can consider replacing that person as a last resort.
TECHNICAL MENTORS
Production Meetings
Meeting 1: Contracts, deadlines, budget, schedule, readthrough, designer run, prod hours, parade, put-in, papertech, q2q, tech week, vision
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Production staff contracts can be found in the ensemble locker: /mit/ensemble/Private/Contracts/Current. Edit the due dates as necessary.
Director Prepping
Create and go over contract with Director. Go over casting policy and rehearsal time maximums with Director. Make sure the director has scheduled a read-through. It can be very useful to meet with the director before the first prod meeting (even very soon after they hired) to familiarize them with various ensemble practices (e.g. what prod positions we have, how prod meetings work, the timeline for prod/auditions etc, lines of responsibility between director/producer/SM etc). The first director check should be delivered at the first prod meeting.
Auditions
Assist the SM team and the director with the audition process. Create and go over actor contracts with all auditionees. Ensure that auditions adhere adhere to the Casting Guidelines stipulated in the Constitution.
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You get to deal with all of the drama that might effect the show, lucky you. From conflicts between designers to angry actors to broken up couples to the inevitable conflagration between inevitable conflagration between the SM and the director, you need to get the parties back into a state where they can work together and fulfill their responsibilitieswork together and fulfill their responsibilities. Remember, especially as especially as the show approaches, everyone is hosed, everyone is tired, everyone is looking for an excuse to start screaming, and much of the time squabbles are born more of general frustration than general frustration than of real interpersonal problems. You should make it very clear to the actors, prod staff, and director at read through/the first prod meeting/routinely throughout the production that you are there to be a shoulder to cry on, to mediate, and to make sure no one dies or kills anyone until after strike.
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Organization is good. Keep a calendar of all deadlines. Email out upcoming deadlines before every prod meeting, and keep in touch with designers regarding progress and likelihood of and likelihood of missing deadlines. If designers are behind, help them create action plans for getting the job done, or point them toward mentors/obi-wans/Rinaldi/assistance. Request and update a spreadsheet that has at minimum the following information for each scene: each actor in it and who they are playing, props needed, set, time/day, and any special effects (projection, blood). This helps figure out where quickchanges, set changes, or other technical elements may become problematic. An idea is to do this as a Google Spreadsheet that only the producer can edit, shared with the cast and crew by a link from Callboard.
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