In a change to the regularly scheduled programming, I’m going to be telling you about producing for theatre. It’s Ryan Croughan here, the executive producer of Minor Spillage productions and the producer of the upcoming stage show “Big Package in the City of Chaos” - coming to a theatre near you very soon.
The show has been an amazing privilege to produce, but, let’s step back for a second - what does that actually mean? What is a producer? Well, as you are about to hear, it really is quite wishy washy.
A producer can be many different things in many different scenarios. In TV, theatre and radio (all of which are mediums I have worked in) I tend to think of the role as being the ultimate enabler. A producer should enable every aspect of a production to be possible. It doesn’t necessarily mean ‘doing’ the jobs, merely ‘enabling’ the jobs that make up a production to be achieved in the best possible way.
Productions have costume designers, composers, directors - all of which are very defined and individual roles. These roles all take an immense amount of time, precision and talent - it’s the job of a producer to liaise, plan, arrange and review the work of all these people. I feel it is my role as producer to make peoples jobs as easy as possible. If their job is easier, feeling more comfortable, and being supported - then the end product is going to be all the better for it, which is precisely why I love producing.
Taking “Big Package” as our example, production has primarily involved securing a venue. This has required an immense amount of hands on in-person liaising. When finding a venue the first task is to find somewhere that suits the needs of the production. With “Big Package” we needed somewhere that was large enough to support the five cast members, allowing a freedom of movement, whilst also maintaining an intimacy with audience members that I feel is vitally important to the show working.
A big advantage of producing this show is that I am also its co-writer with Alexander Akin. This means when approaching venues, that I’m already intimately involved with what the show requires to function. An advantage of it already coming from half of my brain. Of course, this isn’t always the case. It helps, but it’s also the job of a producer (in many environments) to take a script from someone else, and be able to provide exactly what a writer or director needs to make it work.
Producing requires people skills. I would not be doing the job if I didn’t enjoy speaking to people and making connections. Don’t get me wrong, people have bad days, and everyone gets nervous. I feel one of the hardest jobs of a producer involves shutting off the side of your brain which says “I don’t really feel like talking to this person today”. Whatever your mood… you just have to! Of course, in the modern day, things are much easier on this front. It’s relatively simple to hide behind an email or message, but what makes people stand out (especially in theatre) is being able to make phone calls, walk into rooms, and speak to people directly. I’m not saying this is easy. It’s really not. But with practise, it’s being able to find that switch in your brain, slam it off, and focus entirely on selling a production.
Producing is only achievable with total dedication. Yes, so far I have discussed the importance of social ability and strategic enabling, but none of those can be achieved without dedication. It’s vital to know why you are dedicated to a production to create something in its best possible form. I’m dedicated to “Big Package” because I truly believe in the simple fact of making a great, fun, entertaining evening for our audiences. I know what to aim for, how to achieve it, and will make sure it is carried out in the best way possible for our audience. That, in its own very unique wishy washy way, is production.
Next time we will delve in deeper, looking at the day to day activities of a producer, and how to juggle various different plates to ensure a production runs smoothly.
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