How does a theatre production exist as a business model, a budgetary phenomenon, an event, an art form, and a marketing strategy, all at once? And who pulls it all together?

A director I am currently working with, Francesco Nassimbeni, told me that corporate companies are “sleeping on theatre makers”.

He explained that theatre people are used to handling multiple responsibilities, trained to be extremely organized and handle high-pressure environments with class and artistic elegance.

Pulling together a production is about more than good ol’ theatre; it takes a huge amount of organization and financial support. With this in mind, I conducted an interview with a producer who currently teaches at the London branch of The Lir, a prestigious drama school in Ireland. I asked him about the nature of his career and how he made his way to becoming an established freelance producer.

“I started by being curious about being a director, maybe a writer, maybe both. Then I was producing and directing a show, and as I got more into producing, I realized it was too much. You realize over time where the burden of work lies, and what the rhythms of both roles are.”

The producer tells me that the best theatre directors are those who have a strong producorial mind because they can put the show together in 3D, not just a play but in thinking of the venue that would be perfect for it or the actors that they really want. These are things that a producer pulls together, but if the director can get good at knowing what they want, those instincts of the producorial brain, then that really helps their directing. He says that in his experience, the best producers are those who know what directors want.

For most producers, there’s no real clear path to the job. The Lir’s current producorial class is made up of a mottled group of dedicated students: one is a retired school principal, one is a clown from America who wants to run their own company, a dancer, a stage manager, a box office manager.

I was conducting this interview as part of a personal career investigation. I am currently putting together a production proposal of Patrick Marber’s “Closer”, managing a few different roles to make the production possible. The producer tells me that at this moment, it’s useful to see what both jobs need. “So don’t worry about having to decide too early. It’s both fun and beneficial to try to do both.”

He reminds me that I’m figuring out my own language; navigating out how I want to direct and produce. “So, try and keep it simple”, he says. Deciding what you want to say through a play that people already know is easier said than done. “Try and find the ping. The thing that you want people to take away. Like an interesting version of a character people hadn’t thought of before. What do you want them to come away thinking? You don’t want to get into a situation where you are going for something really complicated, that you might not be able to pull off because of time or budget. What’s the interesting thing that you’re going to do with this that’s going to get them excited and nail that. Don’t worry too much about making sure every other element is right.”

But he also tells me that it’s good to recognize the areas where you need help. For example, if you don’t have the level of skill needed for a great marketing strategy, hire someone who can do a better job. That’s part of your job as producer; hire the person that’s good and know where to get them. But a producer must also have a good enough idea of marketing to know what the marketing manager needs to do. “Then they’ll go and do it better than I could, but I at least need to have expectations of what everyone should be doing. As a producer, you learn everyone’s roles.”

When this producer first started working it was mainly making a Facebook page and booking accommodation, “simple stuff”. He says that all those elements are still part of his job now. “Producing can be a tough job with a lot of hours, and you have to really love it. Producing is problem-solving, you kind of put a plan in place for the ideal version, and then. You will spend the next few months problem-solving and tweaking the plan. If you don’t let the problems stress you out and accept that that’s part of what being a producer is, (constantly amending, tweaking and changing), then that’s a good way to produce. Knowing that stuff is going to go wrong, and when it does go wrong, change it.”

I asked the producer what excites him most about the prospect of a new project.

“I work with people I trust and people I love. As a producer, I go and see a lot of things, try and get inspiration from things, and meet them at some point. I get a sense of how they operate and observe their work for a long period of time, and if they propose something to me, I jump. I am always excited about what the artist needs it to be rather than what I need it to be. But you need people to take the jump with you, to be excited about the project. You can’t convince them to be part of the project, just work with people who are excited about the endeavour. Someone who is making lots for others, who is giving input”.

Young theatre makers in Cape Town are definitely “making lots for others” and “giving input”. Often picking up multiple responsibilities with little to no pay, the theatre industry is driven by a desire to create great work. Cape Town is home to a subculture of performers who are producing, curating, and innovating theatre. Venues such as TheatreArts, Toneelhuis and The Outlore are usually the home to such performances, so watch this space, and watch the people that make it happen. By recognizing the multiplicity of skills needed to make a show happen, as well as the sheer commitment it takes to put it together, perhaps we can be motivated to book a show on that one Tuesday evening when we have nothing going on. Audience support affirms the integrity of the performance and allows more work to be created.