Being a play producer is a thrilling and multifaceted role that requires a blend of creativity, organization, and resourcefulness. Catherine Schreiber of Great Neck is in the prime of her producing career, both on and off Broadway.
“I started out as an actress,” Schreiber said. “I acted all through high school and through Yale as an English major.”
Acting was her career.
“While I was acting, I began writing shows also,” Schreiber said. “I had great success with one of the first shows that I wrote for myself in L.A.”
She began honing her craft, while also tending to her family, which ultimately brought her to New York.
One of her first shows as a producer was called Next Fall. The producer who gave that show to her did so with the advice of learning how to be a producer, how to really dig in and get involved.
“I learned to love to produce shows that I did not write and that I wasn’t going to be in,” Schreiber said. “I saw the joy of birthing somebody else’s baby; I was hooked.”
“Scottsboro Boys changed my life,” Schreiber said. She was a co-producer of that show on Broadway; it was nominated for 12 Tony awards.
She earned the rights and took it to London.
“That is the show that set me up as a producer,” Schreiber said. “People would stop me on the street and share that it was the best show that they had ever seen.”
“On so many levels, Scottsboro Boys has been the most important work that I have ever done,” Schreiber said.
Schreiber has many projects and ideas in the works, always thinking about how to continue to do fulfilling work.
What does it take to break into being a producer? Schreiber shared her advice for people who are interested in show producing.
“Immerse yourself in theater; get a job doing something on a show and find a project that you love,” Schreiber said.
She said that it is important to start small and find people in your existing network when going at show producing.
“Surround yourself with people who love theater,” Schreiber said. “If you want someone to invest their money and their time, you have to have passion and believe in it yourself.
As a play producer, you hold the reins of a production, overseeing every aspect from conception to final performance. You collaborate with directors, designers, and actors, shaping the artistic vision while managing budgets, schedules, and logistics.
It’s a delicate dance of balancing artistic integrity with practical considerations. You navigate the challenges of securing funding, coordinating rehearsals, and marketing the play to attract audiences.
Schreiber’s work roster presently includes:
On Broadway
Life of Pi
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Recently On Broadway
Death of a Salesman
Company
The Lehman Trilogy
A Christmas Carol
Currently Off-Broadway
The Play That Goes Wrong
London Productions
Pretty Woman
Recent London Productions
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Touring
Play that Goes Wrong
Fiddler on the Roof
Pretty Woman
“I am really proud of all of these shows,” Schreiber said.
She is not a lead producer on all of the shows all of the time, sometimes she’s a co-producer.
When the curtains rise and the magic unfolds, witnessing the transformative power of live theater makes every effort worthwhile.
Visit www.catherineschreiberproductions.com to learn more about Schreiber.