Production Assistant
“You’re scheduling meetings, looking after house-seats, liaising with all the marketing companies and box offices. You are the person on the ground for the Director when he is in the rehearsal room. You’re the person that everybody comes to.”
Frankie Bridges
Role
A Production Assistant experiences all aspects of staging a show, from development and marketing through to the final production. Their responsibilities range from administrative tasks to organising press nights and looking after guests and other dignitaries.
Responsibilities
- Being the point of contact and liaison between the Artistic Director and Executive Producer and all other staff, including actors, agents, Casting Directors, Press Representatives, Creative Teams and Stage Management Teams
- Managing the company’s house-seat allocations, plus tickets for shows held off sale for people within the industry to book
- General administrative duties, including supervising the day-to-day operation of the office
- Organising meetings and events
- Booking rehearsal rooms, meeting rooms and spaces as required
- Managing diaries
- Co-ordinating all travel and accommodation needs
- Processing invoices, ensuring all payments are made
- Correspondence, responding to telephone, e-mails and postal enquiries
Key Skills
Training
There are courses available in Theatre Administration. Assistants often start by doing an internship within a theatre or production company, which may lead to employment by that organisation. This is an excellent way to gain the basic administrative skills necessary for the role. Administrators may progress to being a Production Manager, Theatre Manager or even a Producer.
Courses
Other courses are available. Those above represent a sample from various drama schools and universities.