Wow, these posts that explain our org chart sure contain some gripping drama! Ok, they may not tug at your heart strings or make you laugh, but perhaps there are a few nuggets in these that help you understand Pegasus Theatre a little better.
In previous posts we’ve described what the head honcho does (the Artistic Director) and what a couple other members of the executive team do (the Executive Director and Producing Director, appointed by the AD). Now we move on to the next tier and talk about the roles of Managing Director (MD) and Production Manager (PM).
Every live stage theatre has a mission to produce plays. The Production Manager (PM) is responsible for activities that directly relate to fulfilling that mission. The Managing Director (MD) is responsible for all support activities. In other words the PM lives on the artistic side (behind the curtain) and the MD lives on the business side (in front of the curtain).
As you read this, keep in mind that we operate on a small budget and can’t afford to pay every person in every role. And all roles except the Artistic Director are part-time. We made the commitment a long time ago that anyone who worked on the artistic side would receive a stipend, and we meet that commitment every year. Beyond that we pay what we can for roles on the business side, and we use volunteers with professional experience for the remaining roles.
So how does this division of artistic vs business activity work? Examples help! To produce a show, the Artistic Director hires a Director who then casts the show by holding auditions. The Production Manager makes sure that everything is set up for auditions and that they run smoothly. Once the cast has been selected, the Managing Director makes sure that word of the new cast gets out to the press and the public, generally through a press release, social media, and emails. There are countless examples like this, where the MD and PM must work together seamlessly.
The PM and the MD both have part-time staff members reporting to them who help ensure that everything gets done. Today we’ll focus on the MD’s staff. Our MD has Marketing, Public Relations, and Patron Services reporting to him, along with a Volunteer Coordinator and someone who works on Sponsor Development. And unlike the PM, the MD has responsibilities that extend beyond the shows we produce. Many activities in marketing, PR, and development have to take place year-round if the theatre is going to survive long term.
So we keep our Managing Director pretty busy! If he isn’t collecting information that goes into a show’s program, he’s working with the graphic artist to make sure we have images ready for an announcement of our season. Maybe he’s coordinating a group sale to a non-profit who wants to bring a large group of children. Or he’s researching vendors to find the cheapest and most effective way to track our mailing list and donor database.
Whatever he’s doing, the Managing Director is making it possible for us to bring you a season of comedies every year! Tomorrow you get to meet the man behind the title, Art Kedzierski!