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.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 The Role of a Production Manager in Theater

Ruth Sternberg, a production manager, discusses her role in facilitating the needs of individual theater projects within set financial and staffing parameters. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration with directors and designers to bring their artistic visions to life within budget constraints. Sternberg's journey into theater began at a young age with her mother's children's theater company, where she was intrigued by the technical aspects of stagecraft more than acting. Her career has included positions at the McCarter Theater and Trinity Repertory Company, leading to her current role at the Public Theater. She highlights the creative problem-solving required for productions, such as the challenge of creating a realistic dead horse prop for a Sam Shepard play, and the illegality of purchasing horse hide in the U.S. Sternberg enjoys the variety and unpredictability of her work, which keeps her engaged and motivated.

05:03

🤹‍♀️ Supporting and Cheerleading in Production Management

In this paragraph, Ruth Sternberg continues to elaborate on her role, focusing on the support she provides to her team. She sees herself as a facilitator, ensuring that her team has the necessary information, resources, and access to staff to execute their tasks effectively. Sternberg also touches on the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and being a cheerleader for her team, emphasizing that the role is not about personal ego but about the success of the project. She admits to enjoying work that challenges her and keeps her from getting bored, which is why she loves her job in production management. The unpredictability and constant problem-solving aspects of her role, such as the unique challenge of incorporating a motor into a prop horse, contribute to her job satisfaction. Sternberg concludes by expressing her gratitude for being able to make a living creating plays, suggesting a deep passion for her work.

Keywords

💡Facilitator

A facilitator is someone who helps to make things happen by providing the necessary support and resources. In the context of the video, the facilitator's role is to understand the needs of each individual project and to assist in achieving those goals within set parameters. An example from the script is the facilitator's task of figuring out staffing and budgeting for a play's production.

💡Production Manager

A production manager oversees the logistical and operational aspects of a project, ensuring that all elements come together smoothly. In the video, the speaker describes their experience as a production manager, emphasizing the importance of coordinating resources, budgeting, and staffing to execute a theatrical production effectively.

💡Financial Parameters

Financial parameters refer to the budgetary constraints within which a project must operate. The script mentions these parameters as a key factor that influences decisions on staffing and other aspects of production, highlighting the need to balance artistic vision with financial realities.

💡Staffing

Staffing involves the process of hiring and organizing the team required for a project. In the video, the speaker talks about determining the appropriate staffing for a play and the challenges of fitting this within the financial parameters, such as when the initial budget doesn't cover the desired staffing.

💡Designers

Designers in the context of theater production are responsible for creating the visual elements of a play, such as set design, costumes, and lighting. The script discusses the importance of collaborating with designers to understand their artistic intentions and to find ways to realize those within the given constraints.

💡Artistic Director

An artistic director is the leader of a theater company or a specific production, responsible for the creative vision and overall direction of the plays. The video mentions the artistic director's role in selecting projects and working with the production manager to bring those projects to life.

💡The Public Theater

The Public Theater is a specific theater mentioned in the script, known for its diverse range of productions and commitment to new works. The speaker describes their experience working at The Public Theater, emphasizing the unique challenges and opportunities it presents due to its multiple venues and off-site productions.

💡Technical Challenges

Technical challenges refer to the practical difficulties that arise in the production process, often related to the execution of the artistic vision. The script provides an example of a production with a 'dead horse' that needed to fall into a hole on cue, illustrating the kind of unexpected technical issues that can arise.

💡Resource Access

Resource access involves providing the team with the materials, tools, and information they need to accomplish their tasks. The speaker mentions the importance of ensuring that the production team has access to the necessary resources to meet the demands of the project.

💡Cheerleader

In the context of the video, a cheerleader is someone who provides encouragement and maintains a positive attitude. The speaker describes the role of a production manager as partly being a cheerleader, emphasizing the importance of a positive outlook in motivating the team and overcoming challenges.

💡Ego

Ego, in this context, refers to a sense of self-importance or personal pride that could potentially interfere with the collaborative nature of theater production. The speaker suggests that a good production manager should have a minimal ego, focusing on the project rather than personal recognition.

Highlights

The role of a facilitator in production is crucial for understanding and meeting the needs of individual projects.

Ruth Sternberg's introduction as a production manager with a background in theater and production management.

The intersection of art and finance in theater production, with parameters set for execution within financial constraints.

The iterative process of budgeting and adjusting to accommodate artistic visions within financial limits.

Sternberg's early exposure to theater through her mother's children's theater touring company.

The importance of stage mechanics, such as trapdoors, in sparking Sternberg's interest in production.

Sternberg's career progression from stage manager to production manager, including her tenure at the McCarter Theater and Trinity Repertory Company.

Collaboration with Oscar Eustis and the transition to the Public Theater as a production manager.

The origination of theater projects by artistic directors, directors, or playwrights, and the role of the production manager in budgeting and staffing.

The necessity of facilitating conversations between directors, designers, and the production team to materialize ideas into feasible plans.

The challenge of resource allocation in theater production, especially when dealing with extravagant design requests.

The Public Theater's unique setup with multiple theaters and off-site productions, presenting diverse staffing and logistical challenges.

Sternberg's approach to problem-solving in production, such as creating a realistic dead horse prop for a Sam Shepard play.

The importance of a production manager's support role, providing information and resources to the team.

Maintaining a positive attitude and being a cheerleader are key components of being an effective production manager.

The personal satisfaction Sternberg derives from the ever-changing challenges and creativity inherent in her job.

The necessity for a production manager to have a low ego and a focus on the project rather than personal recognition.

Sternberg's love for her work, driven by the daily challenges and the joy of problem-solving in theater production.

Transcripts

you're the facilitator i mean and if you

do your job well it's

it's about trying to figure out what

each individual project

needs and how do you help that happen

hi i'm ruth sternberg and i'm a

production

furniture is generally the the

intersection

of money and the art there are

parameters

set on the production financial

um or staffing whatever those parameters

are

and within those parameters a play

is going to be executed you take that

information

figure out what the staffing should be

figure out if you can afford it and

nine times out of ten the first time you

do the pass you can't afford it

so then you go back and try to have

conversations with directors and

designers about

what are the pieces that

what they've come up with achieves

and then from that point you can figure

out how to get them what

what it is that they want to get

achieved and then figure out how to do

it within

the financial parameters when i was very

young my mother had a

children's theater touring company so i

was on tour at the age of five

don't necessarily know my mother's

motivation for putting my brother and i

in the plays it may have had something

to do with babysitting i don't know

we were doing a production of

rumpelstiltskin and there was a trapdoor

in the stage

which i thought was the coolest thing

ever and i should have figured it out at

that point that

that i was more interested in in how

what you could do with the trap door in

the stage

than i was necessarily in acting after i

got out of school i worked

mostly as a stage manager because i was

a freelance stage manager i

did take some jobs that were production

manager and i really enjoyed that

it it it gave me a broader uh

look at what the what was involved in

the projects

so i i've been the production manager at

the mccarter theater in princeton

and at trinity repertory company for 10

years

which is where i met nor started working

with oscar eustis when he was offered

the position of artistic director at the

public theater he asked me to come with

him

usually the artistic director of the

artistic staff will

will come up with a project that they

want to do either it's driven by a

director who wants to do a project or a

playwright

whose project they want to have done

usually by the time i get involved the

director and the writer

are already chosen and then quite often

either i'm asked for budget input or a

budget is given to me

at that point we discuss who the

designers are that they're interested in

working with

sometimes directors and designers come

with a small idea

or part of an idea and then

it's a question of making sure for me

making sure that i facilitate the

conversations that need to happen to

turn it into a real idea because i can't

put a dollar value on it until i have

designs

everything's possible the question is

whether or not you have the resources to

achieve it i mean we've had

designers ask to excavate underneath the

dela court

the corte's built on rock so it you

could

we just don't usually have the time or

the or the money to do that

i think the fun part of my job is being

able to talk to the designers

about what they what are they trying to

do and then getting to have those

conversations that are artistic

about uh why this play

needs that piece i'm very lucky to be at

the public theater the difference

between here in a regional theater

there are six theaters in this building

there's the delacorte theater

and we also produce off-site so there's

an awful lot of projects going on

at all times staffing that can be a

challenge

this season we have six shows before

christmas if we do our job well nobody

would ever think about

all of the chores that go into producing

a play

i mean there's there's trucking there's

lumber delivery

there's a lot of coordination and i

think it's probably more complicated

because there's six

theaters in the building every show has

its own

challenge and and sometimes sometimes

they're technical challenges

and then there's some like really wild

challenges we did a production of

kicking a dead horse that sam shepard

wrote and directed and

this play has a dead horse on stage

that needs to on cue fall into a hole

what i didn't know before we started

that process is

it is now illegal to buy a horse hide

in the united states so our props

department had

quite a challenge ahead of them first of

all how would one make a realistic

looking dead horse

and we actually bought a taxidermy form

and then ended up buying someone's

family horse hair blanket that had been

made from a horse hide

in like early 1900s and using

that to cover the taxidermy form and

then

also putting a motor in

the horse so that it would roll on cue

to fall in the hole

i see my job more as supporting the

people who are working for me

to make sure that they get what they

need both in terms of information

resource

access to staff quite often trying to

figure out who would be the best

person for a job i would also say that

part of being a good production manager

is part cheerleader that you need to

maintain a positive attitude

it can never be about you it's always

about the project i think it has to be

somebody who

doesn't have a big ego um

because i think you'll just be sorely

disappointed i like this kind of work

because

i think i'm the kind of person who tends

to get bored easily

and once i get bored in a job i don't

want to do it anymore

the thing that i really love about this

job

is that i know on any given day

that i'm going to be challenged and

something is going to come up that i

never thought was going to happen

and i'm going to get a phone call or

somebody's going to come into my office

with something to be solved

that's going to be fun because it's

going to be new

um and hopefully almost always i laugh

i mean i just i really enjoy what i do

so i just feel so lucky that

i make my living making plays what could

be better

you