Production Assistants Query

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/28/24 at 1:50pm

Do production assistants work for the production management or general management teams and how does one apply for a production assistant position? 

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 2/28/24 at 2:06pm

Directly through general management companies. Usually networking with existing AEA SMs or being in a similar pathway program will connect you with those people as well. 

Edit this to say I've always seen them hired through the GM firm, but work as an extension of the SM production team. Sometimes they are trained to call the show depending on their status and if the team is interested in mentoring them to be a sub. It's possible the production management company could recommend someone, but I haven't seen it done that way. More often than not it's the company manager or PSM that sources them.

Connections are your friend in this industry 100%

Updated On: 2/28/24 at 02:06 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 2/28/24 at 2:12pm

Production Assistant is a wide-ranging title which can sometimes just mean "gofer" and sometimes is an unofficial Assistant Stage Manager without the title.

USUALLY if they're working in rehearsals, they're reporting to the Production Stage Manager and doing things for people in the room (ranging from rehearsal scene changes to blocking notes to coffee runs to Covid testing to getting birthday cakes to sourcing rehearsal props to helping the SMs with put-ins to doing research and everything in between). Often the PA is an aspiring Stage Manager and may become a Sub ASM. Equity has sought to unionize them as part of the SM team.

The Stage Manager will generally serve as the PA's boss for everything aside from wages. Technically everyone directly employed by the production is an employee of the show entity (which is controlled by the GM and Producer). The PSMs will usually recommend their desired PA. GM firms keep lists of usual suspects, too.

The Production Management firm and GM firm is a service provider who may employ people under the title of PA (or Intern, or Assistant, or whatever) to serve various catch-all functions on a specific show or for their office across various projects...but I think what you're asking about is primarily the Stage Management-adjacent PA role.

Updated On: 2/28/24 at 02:12 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/28/24 at 2:24pm

Appreciate the info!

[sorano916]

Posted: 2/28/24 at 4:33pm

If you want to get your feet wet, look at the off-Bway and non-profit companies. They usually have job listings for Production Assistants.