The Big Picture
The SHOWTIME!
Approach.
The missing link in drama education — and how this toolkit bridges the gap.
⤢ Tap to expand
The Producer Desk Presents
The Student Producer Starter Toolkit
11 real working documents that put your students in the producer's seat — budgets, sponsor letters, playbills, box office trackers, and more. For school drama programs, theater camps, and community youth theater.
The Philosophy
I've spent my career producing theater professionally. And the most important thing I learned is that every creative decision has a financial consequence — every single one.
What surprises people is this: producing a Broadway show is fundamentally no different from producing a school production. The scale changes. The decisions don't. The roles are the same. The hard work is the same.
Drama students deserve to experience the full reality of making theater — not just the performance, but the producing. The business side isn't a distraction from the art. It's what makes the art possible.
"Every Broadway show started exactly where yours did — with a group of people who decided to make it happen. Now your students are the ones making it happen."— The Producer Desk
The Toolkit
Every template is a real working document used in a real show — not a simulation. Students fill these in for their actual production.
Income vs. expenses, auto P/L, Dashboard tab, 5-year surplus/deficit history
ProducerTracks every dollar raised — bake sales, sponsors, donations — with goal thermometer
Sponsorship LeadBox office log for 5 nights, % house sold, auto revenue, best night highlight
House Manager4 guided prompts, sample note, word count guide — playbill-ready
Director3-tier sponsorship table ($25/$50/$100), ready-to-send + follow-up email version
Sponsorship Lead28-row print-ready table + callback tracker. Google Form version included
Director + Stage MgrPrivate cast, crew + production team roster — protected, updated throughout rehearsals
Stage ManagerFinancial recap, 6 role-specific sections, team reflection, letter to next year
All RolesWeb-based generator at theproducerdesk.com/playbill_generator.html — fill a form, download a print-ready PDF. PowerPoint/Google Slides template also included. Two styles: Elegant Velvet + Classic Broadway.
Marketing Lead8.5×11 print + Instagram square. QR code placeholder. Matches playbill branding
Marketing Lead8 per sheet, tear-off stub, ticket number field. Keepsake-quality design
House ManagerIn Action
From middle school musicals to summer theater camps — the toolkit works for any show at any scale.
Westbrook High School Drama
November 14–16
Toolkit Used
Lincoln Middle School
Spring Production · March 7–8
Toolkit Used
Riverside Theater Camp
Summer · July 18–20
Toolkit Used
See Inside
This is what the toolkit actually looks like — not a mockup, a working spreadsheet with a real production's numbers.
| # | A | B | C — Estimated | D — Actual | E — Diff | F — Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🎭 SHOWTIME! Production Budget Tracker | |||||
| 2 | Owned by: Producer • BLUE cells = enter your data • All other cells calculate automatically | |||||
| 3 | Show Title: | Into the Woods | School: | Westbrook High Drama | ||
| 4 | ||||||
| 📈 INCOME — What money is coming IN to the show? | ||||||
| Income Source | Estimated ($) | Actual ($) | Difference | Notes | ||
| 7 | 1 | 🎟 Ticket Sales | $400.00 | $487.00 | +$87.00 | House Manager tracks in Box Office tab |
| 8 | 2 | 🧁 Bake Sale #1 | $75.00 | $92.50 | +$17.50 | Log in Show Me the Money tab |
| 9 | 3 | 🤝 Sponsorships (all tiers) | $250.00 | $275.00 | +$25.00 | Sponsorship Lead logs in Fundraising tab |
| 10 | 4 | 💝 Donations / Other | $25.00 | $58.00 | +$33.00 | Any other income |
| 11 | TOTAL INCOME | $750.00 | $912.50 | +$162.50 | ← Auto-sums as you fill in actuals above | |
| 12 | ... EXPENSES section continues below (Rights, Costumes, Props, Set, Printing, Marketing...) ... | |||||
| 24 | ✦ Actual Profit / Loss | $260.00 | ← Updates automatically as you enter actuals | |||
| 25 | Show Status | ✅ SURPLUS — great work! | ||||
Style 1 — Elegant Velvet
Westbrook High School Drama Program Presents
Add your show
artwork here
[Show Title]
November 14–16 • 7:00 PM • Westbrook Auditorium
Style 2 — Classic Broadway
The Big Picture
The missing link in drama education — and how this toolkit bridges the gap.
Free Resources
Two free resources for any drama educator — no purchase required.
An 11-slide presentation explaining why teaching producing is the missing link in drama education. Use it with students, parents, or administrators. Ready to present — no editing required.
A taste of the Complete Edition's Role Playbooks — phase-by-phase tasks, key documents, and self-check questions. The Complete Edition includes a full chapter and reference card for all six roles.
Join the list and we'll let you know when new templates, guides, and tools are available for drama educators.
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Six Student Roles
Every role maps to a real position in professional theater. Students aren't playing at producing — they're doing it.
Real-world title: Producer / General Manager
Leads the entire production financially. Tracks income, manages the budget, and leads the post-show wrap meeting. In professional theater, this role combines the Producer and General Manager.
Owns: Budget Tracker · Fundraising Log · Post-Show Reflection
Real-world title: Director
Runs auditions, casts the show, and writes the Director's Note for the playbill.
Owns: Director's Note · Audition Signup Sheet
Real-world title: Development Director
Reaches out to local businesses, secures sponsors, and logs every fundraising dollar.
Owns: Sponsor Letter · Fundraising Log (sponsor entries)
Real-world title: Marketing Director
Designs the playbill and poster, puts the show's face in front of the community.
Owns: Playbill Generator · Playbill Template (Slides) · Show Poster/Flyer
Real-world title: Box Office Manager
Runs the box office, tracks ticket sales across all performances, prints and numbers tickets.
Owns: Ticket Sales Tracker · Printable Tickets
Real-world title: Stage Manager
Keeps everyone connected — maintains the cast contact sheet and supports auditions.
Owns: Cast Contact Sheet · Audition Signup (supports Director)
Editions & Pricing
Available on Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers. Instant download — no waiting, no shipping.
What's Included
Everything in Starter, Plus
FAQ