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- Set up Callboard (and update embedded spreadsheet)
- Set up a Google Drive (templates can be found here)
- Schedule tentative Designer Run and Costume Parade - depends on designers
- Contact The Tech and Technique early for a review and photos
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Finding a good production staff is the most important thing you will do as Producer. Email town-crier, then spam campus. Think very carefully about your decisions. If you want advice, speak to the officers. A good production staff makes a stress-free show. When working with new dartes, you may will either need to assign them as assistants or give them a full position with a mentor (obi-wan). If they show motivation and willingness, you should definitely give them the full position. Meet with all production staff - be sure they understand the calendar and what is expected of them. Go over the contract with all members of the production team at the first meeting.
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- Find an SM by auditions
- TD, SD, and ASMs are high priority
- Lights, Costumes, Sound, Props, Publicity are all important
- Having Co-Designers can be a good idea if nobody is willing to commit to the entire job. However, make sure that the two Co-Designers know each other well and are willing to spend a lot of time working together.
- You should treat Publicity Manager and Publicity Designer like a Co-Designer team in terms of selection process.
- In some cases, you may need to design audition posters , yourself
Especially in the spring, try to finalize prod positions as soon as possible to give staff as much time to work as possible. This is especially true for SD and publicity.
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It helps to have production meetings scheduled at a regular time (Sundays after rehearsal, for example). The first and last prod meetings are typically 60 minutes long and include the full prod staff. All other meetings can be split in two by departments (see prod contract). Prod staff members (except the Producer, TD, and SM) are only required when their department is called. Usually, however, it tends to be easier to call everyone and try to arrange the meeting to accommodate those who have to leave.
Rehearsal Period
First Readthrough (IMPORTANT!)
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- Introduce Producer, SMs, Officers (+ Phone Numbers)
- Review Performance Dates
- Upcoming Events, Office Access
- Callboard
- Key Dates (Off Book, Designer Run)
- 15 Hour Policy
- Conflicts: Alert SMs, Test Conflicts
- No Lateness, No Unexcused Absences
- Requirements: build hours, booth hours, put-in, strike
- Make clear that designers are in charge of things getting done, they should not be doing everything themselves
- Schedule Overview, Tech Week
- Group Introductions
- Director Vision
- Measure for costumes - invite costume designer
If an actor leaves after casting
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Things that you need to do
Not in actual order
Before/early in semester
- Make mailing lists and Google folders
- Get prod staff
- Set up Callboard
- Schedule auditions, read-though, prod meetings
- Update audition and prod staff contract
- Get people to audition
- Help at auditions
Soon after start
- Contact pub - The Tech (photos + review), Technique (photo), theArts (or Pub Manager can)
- Make sure the Set Designer and TD meet with Meredith
- Register the Show with SAO and with the city of Cambridge (this can be done as early as you want)*
- Get actors out of conflicts
Before show
- Make sure ticket reservations open around the time of the first posters appearing on campus
- Order tickets (see Box Office Manager page for how to)
- Schedule Production meetings
- Make sure the Set Designer and TD meet with Chris Nayler
- Register the Show with SAO and with the city of Cambridge (this can be done as early as you want)*
- Make sure theArts@MIT have your show on their calendar
- Make sure ticket reservations open around the time of the first posters appearing on campus
- Order tickets (see Box Office Manager page for how to)
- With assistance from publicity, contact Technique and the Tech about photographers coming to final dress, and the Tech about a reviewer coming during the first weekend.You may have to be persistent on this one to get confirmation from The Tech.
- Recruit:
- Board ops as needed
- Run crew as needed
- Ushers, one per night
- Box office manager + assistant(s)
- Someone to film the show (coordinate with Memory Master)
- Make sure the pre-show announcement exists (it can be pre-recorded or given by one of the actors). It should contain:
- Duration, and intermission duration
- Emergency exits
- No flash photography
- No smoking
- Strobe warning if applicable
- Schedule runtime jobs (or get the SM or TD to do it)
- Buy director gift, buy cast&crew gifts and come up with cast&crew awards (can get help from officers)
- Help Help schedule/run (with SM)
- papertech
- cue-to-cue
- Come up with a plan (with your box office manager) with respect to selling out, if you think this is likely to happenMake sure one of the Tech or Technique takes a group picture
- Schedule
- Alumni reception
- Brush-up
- Cast Parties
After show
- Post-prod
- Ensure all borrowed items are returned
- Ask if anyone opposes video to be public - assume yes unless anyone says no by day after post prod or three weeks after, whichever is later
Just generally be around and help with anything that needs help.
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*Registering Event with the City of Cambridge
(MIT is transferring to an online process for event registration, so this section may need to be updated soon.)
It is It is the job of the producer to register the show with the city of Cambridge. Instructions are here: institute-events/events/reg.html
An example of a filled out MIT form and the two entertainment licenses needed for 6 shows over 2 weekends is in the locker:
/mit/ensemble/Private/Contracts/Entertainment Licenses.pdf
Interpersonal Stuff
From conflicts between designers to angry actors to broken up couples to the 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 responsibilities. Remember, 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 of real interpersonal problems.Try to remain calm and be understanding of the situation. Hugs are also good. 
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.
Mailing lists to update
ensemble-current
ensemble-tickets
Buying/Renting Weapons
For Romeo and Juliet in Spring 2011 we required the use of Rapiers. The ensemble owns both bastard swords and foil-type swords, neither of which was perfect. We therefore rented rapiers from [[http://www.weaponsofchoicetheatrical.com/|Weapons of Choice]]. If they are no longer around, contacting either MIT theatre arts or perhaps Ted Eaton (our R&J director) to find another place. Prices can get expensive - it's probably around $30 to $40 for each weapon for the run of the show, but that have a quite good selection. For R&J our director found a contact who gave us money to pay for the renting, but if we were willing to skimp on other areas we should be able to rent 2 or 3 ourselves. Shipping will take about 5 days, so rent them a bit before you want them to show up.
Fill out the form with MIT, wait for an email confirmation in response, then wait for it to be approved. Once it is approved, go to the License Commission Office in Cambridge City Hall (795 Mass Ave) with $50 per night in cash or check to get the entertainment license.
Interpersonal Stuff
From conflicts between designers to angry actors to broken up couples to the 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 responsibilities. Remember, 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 of real interpersonal problems.Try to remain calm and be understanding of the situation. Hugs are also good.
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.
Mailing lists to update
ensemble-current
ensemble-tickets
Buying/Renting Weapons
For Romeo and Juliet in Spring 2011 we required the use of Rapiers. The ensemble owns both bastard swords and foil-type swords, neither of which was perfect. We therefore rented rapiers from [[http://www.weaponsofchoicetheatrical.com/|Weapons of Choice]]. If they are no longer around, contacting either MIT theatre arts or perhaps Ted Eaton (our R&J director) to find another place. Prices can get expensive - it's probably around $30 to $40 for each weapon for the run of the show, but that have a quite good selection. For R&J our director found a contact who gave us money to pay for the renting, but if we were willing to skimp on other areas we should be able to rent 2 or 3 ourselves. Shipping will take about 5 days, so rent them a bit before you want them to show up.
A couple general notes about renting weapons:
Keep the packing material around so you can pack them up neatly for the return trip.
Take care of them. They aren't ours and we don't want to be on the hook if they break.
Keep them safe. A couple general notes about renting weapons:
Keep the packing material around so you can pack them up neatly for the return trip.
Take care of them. They aren't ours and we don't want to be on the hook if they break.
Keep them safe. Make sure they stay in the office and people don't play with them. This can't be emphasised enough.
Make sure to rent one more than you need. Weapons do have a way of breaking we you least want them to.
If you're renting them for spring semester, the buffer for returning them can creep up fast. Either do it before leaving for spring break or right after you get back.
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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 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 quickchangesquick changes, 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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- Auditions
- Read Through
- Designer Run(s)
- Costume and Props Parade
- Papertech (SM)
- Q2Q (SM)Put-in and Strike (TD)SM)
- Put-in and Strike (TD)
Video Policy
To Co-Produce or Not Co-Produce
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If you decide to co-produce, it is useful to have a Google spreadsheet shared between the two co-producers of all the producer tasks. Assign a co-producer to make sure it gets done; when it is, check it off on the spreadsheet so both co-producers know. To make sure both co-producers are kept in the loop, create an email list with both co-producers and make sure that prod staff/actors use this email list.It can also be fun to make a couples' name for the co-producers. 
in the loop, create an email list with both co-producers and make sure that prod staff/actors use this email list.
It can also be fun to make a couples' name for the co-producers.
To Act or Not To Act
Other Tips
- Take care of yourself. Be positive. Keep calm and produce on.
- Keep Interactions with the Director Positive
- If Transitions are difficult, have a Transition Call.
- If you find yourself stuck on unsure of what to do, ask the Officers for help. You can also call on former producers for advice.