In theatre, the
producer's role can vary according to the circumstances of the production. On commercial productions, the producer employs everybody including the director, and is ultimately responsible to the play’s financial backers for selling and marketing it. Sometimes, a producer will see an existing production that they think has further potential to reach new audiences and will try to sell it to other venues, or, as in the case of
The Crucible, she will try to sell the idea of a new production of the play.
Producer Jenny King and director Jonathan Church made a
3 year plan to work together on three plays:
A Doll’s House,
The Crucible and
Galileo. They work together very closely, and, since her funding role is largely taken care of by the Arts Council of England and the touring venues, Jenny has a lot of creative input on
The Crucible.
One of the challenges, however, was to make a budget and get all the expenses, such as costumes, props, and the salaries of all the people involved, to fit into it.
Producers often come to this job after having been involved in other aspects of theatre and so are familiar with the industry. Jenny says that it’s
important for a producer to be confident in her judgment, since she will often be called on to make final crucial decisions that may affect the outcomes of the creative process itself.
