The Peace Center’s Production Department does the heavy lifting to get shows and concerts ready for your enjoyment.

They move mostly under the cover of darkness. They carry spec sheets and high-tech comms. In all your years of attending Peace Center shows, you may never see them. But you’ll see their work in action at every performance. 

Who could these people be? 

They're the Peace Center Production Department.  

But what exactly *is* a production department and what role does it play in bigger picture of show business? 

The Production Department at the Peace Center has one specific mission: put the show onstage as seamlessly as possible. When we say, ‘the show must go on,’ the phrase is not figurative for them. Someone literally has to get every

show on the stage, whether it’s a mic and stool for a comedian or unloading the contents of four tractor trailers packed with SPAMALOT sets, costumes, and props. 

Think of our Production Department as your behind-the-scenes boots-on-the-ground team. They’re responsible for assembling and executing the technical aspects of the show: sets, lighting, sound, flying performers across the stage when necessary, making sure the scene changes work properly before performances, and standing by to save the day should any technical elements go awry.   

When the show’s over, they pack it up and load it out of the building and back on the trucks. Of course, most performers don’t have huge productions on par with Broadway, but our production team is still there, making sure what you see onstage looks and sounds the best it can, no matter the scale. 

The Production Department’s tech staff includes a production director, master electrician, head carpenter, and head sound person. When the big shows like WICKED or MAYBE HAPPY ENDING roll in, the Peace Center’s production crew has already been in touch with the show’s representatives to talk through the load in process. The show reps send our production director a document called a “technical rider.” It details specifications about set sizes and placements (the show’s “footprint”), electrical needs, lighting and stage requirements, and everything that flies in and out on the rigging—the complex system of lines and pulleys backstage used to lift scenery, performers, and curtains.  

It’s important to note that in the case of multi-truck Broadway touring shows, they bring their own personnel as well as rely on ours. We don’t want you to think the four people in the Peace Center Production Department unload the trucks and set up the show. It’s a bit more complicated than that, and the tech rider tells our

production team how many extra people they need to hire to unload the trucks, push the gear to the stage, and provide any other labor to pull the show together. We work with local companies to hire the extra hands, so rest easy knowing we’re doing everything we can to keep giving back to the local economy. 

By the time the trucks get to the Peace Center loading dock, the production team already understands exactly what the show needs and has the people power in place to make it happen. Though our Production Department may never be in front of the stage lights—or get the applause they deserve—their efforts are crucial to the success of every performance we present.  

Next time you’re in one of our venues admiring the lighting, sound quality, flying scenery, or realizing that the whole show went off without a hitch, know that your friendly neighborhood Peace Center Production Department made that happen. After all, the show must go on, and our tech team is the mighty crew who got it there. 

Explore upcoming productions and see the Peace Center Production Department's expertise at work.