Encore A–Z

Production Hierarchy

6 min read

Production Hierarchy

How an Encore production team is organized — who leads what, who reports to whom, and how the parts fit together for a single show. For the company-wide org chart, see Departments and Roles.

At a Glance

                  [[Producer]]  ⇄  Artistic Director
                  (strategic + financial)  (artistic partnership)
                                │
              ┌─────────────────┼─────────────────┐
              │                 │                 │
       [[Production       [[Stage Manager]]   [[Technical
        Manager]]         (rehearsal +        Director]]
       (calendar,         communication       (build,
        budget,            hub, calling       technical
        contracts,         the show)          execution,
        meetings)                             crew, safety)
              │                 │                 │
              │                 │                 │
        Design Team       Stage Mgmt          Crew /
        (Set, Costume,    Pathway:            Build Team
        Light, Sound,     [[ASM|ASM]] →       (Set Builder,
        Prop, Costume     [[Production        Scenic Artist,
        Coordinator)      Assistant|PA]]      Board Ops)

       [[Director]] (artistic vision) ⇄ Creative Team
       (Music Supervisor, Choreographer, Associates)

The Producer hires the Director. The Director hires (with the Production Manager’s coordination) the rest of the Creative Team and the Design Team. The Production Trio — Production Manager, Stage Manager, Technical Director — runs day-to-day execution.

Producer and Artistic Direction

The Producer and the Artistic Director sit at the top of the production, working as peers. The Producer owns strategy, finance, and the contracts that get the show made; the Artistic Director provides artistic partnership, consultation, and overall artistic standard. Together they select the show, secure rights, set the budget, and hire the Director.

  • Producer — strategic, financial, and high-level creative authority. Hires the Director and oversees the production from inception through closing. Reports to the Executive Director.
  • Artistic Director — artistic partnership and consultation with the Producer. Maintains Encore’s artistic standard across all productions. Sits on the executive leadership team. See Departments and Roles for the company-wide context.

The Production Trio

Three roles run the show day-to-day. They work as peers, not in a chain of command — each owns a distinct domain and coordinates with the other two. See PM and TD Collaboration for how the PM/TD/SM trio divides the work.

  • Production Manager — strategic coordinator and project manager. Owns the production calendar, budgets across departments, contracts, production meetings, and inter-department communication. Reports to the Executive Director.
  • Stage Manager — communication hub and rehearsal-room/performance operations lead. Owns the Show Bible, rehearsal reports, daily calls, performance reports, and calls every cue during the run. Reports operationally to the Production Manager and artistically to the Director.
  • Technical Director — technical execution lead. Owns sets, lighting and sound systems, rigging, scene shop, crew supervision, and safety. Reports to the Executive Director (with the Production Manager during productions).

Creative Team

The artistic leadership of the show, led by the Director. The Producer hires the Director; the Director (with the Production Manager) hires the rest.

  • Director — interprets the script, builds the unified artistic vision, leads rehearsals, makes final artistic decisions. The Director’s vision is what every other creative and design choice serves.
  • Director Choreographer — when one person holds both Director and Choreographer jobs (common at Encore). See the Director Choreographer doc for how the dual scope works.
  • Music Supervisor Director — music direction, vocal teaching, and (when applicable) live orchestra recruitment and conducting.
  • Choreographer — designs movement that serves story; dance numbers AND transitions.

Associate Directors

When a production carries enough scope to warrant assistance, Associate Directors support the lead Director or Music Supervisor:

Design Team

The designers collaborate directly with the Director on the show’s visual and auditory world. They report operationally to the Production Manager (budget, calendar) and the Technical Director (technical feasibility and install), and deliver work into the rehearsal process and tech week.

Crew and Build Team

The hands who turn designs into a working show. The Technical Director leads this group.

  • Set Builder — translates the Set Designer’s plans into safe, functional scenery. Works alongside the Technical Director in the scene shop.
  • Scenic Artist — paints, finishes, and details every scenic element so the world reads cleanly under stage light.
  • Board Operators — run lighting and sound boards in tech and performance. Two positions per production (one for each board). Often young-artist roles trained through Youth in the Booth and supervised by the Technical Director and Stage Manager. Encore does not currently have standalone role docs for these positions; see Youth in the Booth for the training pathway.

Stage Management Pathway

The Stage Management team is also Encore’s young-artist leadership ladder. This pathway creates a clear progression for young artists to grow within the production team while ensuring appropriate supervision and skill development at each level.

Stage Manager (Professional Staff)

  • Overall production coordination and management.
  • Calls all cues during performances.
  • Maintains the Show Bible and all production documentation.
  • Supervises ASMs and PAs.

Assistant Stage Manager (Young Artist Leadership Role)

  • Supports the Stage Manager with complex tasks.
  • Provides direct cast support and mentorship.
  • Handles intermediate-level production responsibilities.
  • Serves as backup for the Stage Manager when needed.

Production Assistant (Young Artist Support Role)

  • Provides general support to the production team.
  • Handles basic organizational and setup tasks.
  • Learns foundational production skills.
  • Supports the overall production process.

Cross-Production Support

Roles that serve every production from elsewhere in the org. They coordinate with the production team but report through their own department heads — see Departments and Roles for where they sit in the company chart.

Where to Go for More

Status: Working · Portal: Team · Last reviewed: 2026-05-12 · Owner: Rhett

Graph View

Backlinks