Producing Live Musical Theater at Scale with Bay Area Educational Theater Company

The Situation

Before demand gen campaigns and webinar platforms, my love for events started somewhere much more personal. For three summers I served as Summer Production Coordinator for Bay Area Educational Theater Company, a nonprofit family musical theater organization based in San Carlos, California. Each summer I coordinated four full musical productions running in two concurrent tracks, a younger group and an older group, each with multiple show dates and a full auditorium of families, community members, and fellow Parks and Recreation summer camps in attendance.

What I Was Responsible For

My responsibilities touched every part of the production. I worked closely with the creative and counseling staff to support rehearsals and tech runs, keeping the backend running smoothly so the creative team could stay focused on the work. I managed props, logistics, and venue coordination, handled ticketing and camp merchandise, and produced show programs for each production. I managed the petty cash budget for office supplies and props, maintained working relationships with Parks and Recreation and the organization's board of directors, and handled parent communications covering everything from celebrating wins to navigating behavioral issues and difficult conversations.

I also supported the counseling staff directly, making sure they had what they needed and stayed on task across both productions running at the same time. With four productions in a summer and two happening simultaneously, staying organized and calm under pressure wasn't optional. It was the job.

The Results

Each production ran on time, on budget, and in front of a full auditorium. But the result that has stayed with me longest is harder to put in a spreadsheet. Watching a kid step onto a stage and light up, seeing families in the audience lean forward, knowing that the work happening behind the scenes made that moment possible, that's what good event production does. It's where my love for creating experiences took root, and it's something I've carried into every webinar, virtual event, and product launch I've worked on since. The platforms have changed. That feeling hasn't.