Production Manager

Summary

Ruth Sternberg, a seasoned production manager, discusses her role in facilitating theater projects within financial and staffing constraints. She emphasizes the importance of understanding and supporting the artistic vision of directors and designers, while creatively solving challenges such as the logistics of a play's production. Sternberg's passion for her work is evident as she recounts the excitement of facing new and unexpected problems, highlighting the dynamic and rewarding nature of her career in theater production.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Ruth Sternberg is a production manager who focuses on understanding the needs of individual projects and facilitating their realization within set parameters.
• 💰 Production management is the intersection of art and money, where financial constraints must be balanced with creative aspirations.
• 🔍 Ruth's role often involves initial budget assessments, which frequently reveal that initial plans are unaffordable, necessitating further discussions with directors and designers.
• 🤔 The process of production management includes figuring out staffing needs, determining affordability, and having conversations about creative ideas and their feasibility.
• 👶 Ruth's interest in theater began at a young age through her mother's children's theater touring company, which sparked her fascination with stagecraft rather than acting.
• 🎬 Ruth's career path included stage managing and production managing, leading to her position at the McCarter Theater and Trinity Repertory Company, and eventually working with Oscar Eustis at the Public Theater.
• 💡 The artistic process often starts with the artistic staff, including directors and playwrights, who have a vision for a project that Ruth helps to shape and realize.
• 💸 Ruth's job involves budget discussions, designer selections, and ensuring that the creative team's ideas can be executed within the available resources.
• 🏗️ The role of a production manager is to facilitate the necessary conversations to turn initial ideas into concrete plans, considering the practicality and cost.
• 🎨 Ruth enjoys the artistic discussions with designers to understand their vision and how it can be achieved within the constraints of the project.
• 🌟 Working at the Public Theater provides Ruth with a variety of projects and challenges, including staffing across multiple venues and managing diverse productions.
• 🐴 An example of a unique challenge was creating a realistic dead horse prop for a Sam Shepard play, which involved innovative solutions like using a taxidermy form and old horse hair.
• 🙌 Ruth views her job as supporting her team, providing information, resources, and the right staffing, while also maintaining a positive and solution-oriented attitude.
• 🦄 The production manager role requires someone without a big ego, focused on the project rather than personal recognition or glory.
• 🔑 Ruth is passionate about her work due to the constant challenges and the novelty of problems that arise, keeping her job interesting and engaging.

Q & A

What is the primary role of a production manager in theater according to Ruth Sternberg?

The primary role of a production manager is to understand the needs of each individual project and facilitate their realization within the given financial and staffing parameters.

What does Ruth Sternberg consider the intersection of in theater production?

Ruth Sternberg considers the intersection in theater production to be between money and art, where parameters such as financial, staffing, and other resources are set.

How does Ruth Sternberg describe her early exposure to theater?

Ruth Sternberg describes her early exposure to theater as being on tour with her mother's children's theater touring company at the age of five, which may have been partly for babysitting purposes.

What was the pivotal moment in Ruth Sternberg's childhood that hinted at her future interest in theater production?

The pivotal moment was during a production of 'Rumpelstiltskin' where she was fascinated by the trapdoor in the stage, indicating her interest in the technical aspects of theater rather than acting.

What career path did Ruth Sternberg initially follow after school?

After school, Ruth Sternberg initially worked mostly as a stage manager and occasionally as a production manager, which she found enjoyable and broadening.

How did Ruth Sternberg's collaboration with Oscar Eustis begin?

Ruth Sternberg's collaboration with Oscar Eustis began when he was offered the position of artistic director at the Public Theater and asked her to join him.

What is the usual process for a production manager when a new project is proposed?

The usual process involves the artistic director or staff proposing a project, selecting a director and playwright, and then discussing budget and designers with the production manager, who facilitates the necessary conversations to turn ideas into a feasible plan.

Why does Ruth Sternberg find her job as a production manager enjoyable?

Ruth Sternberg finds her job enjoyable because it is challenging, involves solving new problems daily, and allows her to support others in achieving their artistic visions.

What unique challenge did the Public Theater face during a production of 'Kicking a Dead Horse' by Sam Shepard?

The unique challenge was creating a realistic-looking dead horse that needed to fall into a hole on cue, which included finding a horse hide, which is now illegal to buy in the United States.

What qualities does Ruth Sternberg believe are important for a good production manager?

Important qualities for a good production manager include having a positive attitude, being a cheerleader, not having a big ego, and being able to maintain focus on the project rather than personal recognition.

How does Ruth Sternberg describe the difference between working at the Public Theater and a regional theater?

She describes the Public Theater as having multiple theaters within one building and producing off-site, which presents a higher volume of projects and staffing challenges compared to a regional theater.