Live Theatre Production Lead

The Laguna Playhouse; Laguna Beach (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Laguna Playhouse, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit theatre in Laguna Beach, CA, seeks a Production Manager to ensure productions are delivered on schedule and within budgets. You will work closely with the Technical Director, artistic leadership, designers, stage managers, and production personnel as the central coordinator across departments.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years in professional theater production, strong scheduling and budgeting skills, and the ability to manage multiple

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional theatrical production experience.
• Experience in production management or leadership in professional theater.
• Understanding of scenery, lighting, sound, costumes, props, and stage management.
• Experience developing and managing production schedules and budgets.
• Able to work evenings and weekends as schedules require.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and monitor production schedules from concept through close, across multiple productions running in parallel.
• Build and manage production budgets, track spending against approved allocations, and flag variances before they become problems.
• Coordinate across scenic, lighting, sound, costume, props, and stage management to resolve conflicts and keep productions moving.
• Supervise production staff and manage performance, scheduling, and day-to-day direction.
• Manage vendor relationships and purchasing for production needs, including contracts and invoices within approved authority.
• Serve as the primary liaison between artistic leadership and production departments on timelines, resources, and technical feasibility.
• Anticipate production risks, make timely decisions, and elevate issues appropriately.
• Maintain accurate production documentation, including schedules, budgets, and post-production reports.
• Ensure production operations comply with all applicable safety, labor, and workplace regulations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Production management

Budgeting

Scheduling

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Evening/weekend availability

Tools

Spreadsheets

Office software

Scheduling software

Job description

Laguna Playhouse, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit theatre in Laguna Beach, CA, seeks a Production Manager to ensure productions are delivered on schedule and within budgets. You will work closely with the Technical Director, artistic leadership, designers, stage managers, and production personnel as the central coordinator across departments.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years in professional theater production, strong scheduling and budgeting skills, and the ability to manage multiple