Production Team: Production Stage Manager, Stage Manager, Technical Associate, and Production Associate

DESCRIPTION

Third Rail Projects seeks Bay Area, CA-based Production/Run Team for experiential performance within an exhibition celebrating the Grateful Dead community Third Rail Projects, based in NYC, has created nationally and internationally acclaimed site-specific, immersive, and experiential performances for over two decades and is consistently hailed as one of the field’s foremost innovators.

The Project: UNTITLED HAIGHT STREET ART CENTER ACTIVATION
San Francisco County Fair Building, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Sept 7th - Oct 18, 2026

UNTITLED HAIGHT STREET ART CENTER ACTIVATION is a gallery exhibition and an experiential activation; an intergenerational invitation to celebrate the Deadhead community, the countercultural ethos it sparked, and its ongoing influence today. Grounded in the Dead’s history in Golden Gate Park and the countercultural movements it arose with, join us to bring this spirit into conversation with today—what we’re still pushing against, what’s still unfolding. Third Rail Projects is contributing experiential performance elements. During a guest’s visit to, they will encounter performers at various points along their journey.

Third Rail Projects is seeking 4 Production folks (Bay Area, CA-based) who are:
● Comfortable working quickly: learning material, adapting to the site, offering input, and incorporating feedback and changes in a condensed period.
● Comfortable with repetition: you may be performing/running one scene repeated many times for multiple different audience groups.
● Comfortable and experienced moving in a site-specific context: working with architecture & furniture, adapting quickly to different audience groups, and efficiently resetting scenes between audience groups.
● Comfortable interacting with, speaking with, and guiding audience members within the world/vibe of the space.

● Experience in stage, project, or event management. These roles will be part stage manager, part run crew, part event planner, and part spatial magician telepath.
● Experience learning and executing timed patterns within an event as part of a track.
● A willingness and comfort being a part of the experience (you will be seen and spoken to).
● Excellent multi-tasking skills and experience running performances/events where multiple things are happening in different spaces at the same time.
● Experience and skill interacting personally and closely with audience members and being adaptable to meet audience and performer needs simultaneously.
● A self-starter instinct: you will be looking out for audience members, performers, and your fellow production crew, while anticipating snags, solving problems before they occur, and keeping yourself hydrated.
● The ability to learn patterns from script/video and show up to rehearsals in San Francisco “off-book” and ready to jump in.
● A collaborative spirit: you will work closely with your team to get the job done.
● Hospitality and care in mind.

More about the Production/Run Team Roles:

Production Stage Manager:
● Be responsible for the TRP production elements running smoothly and lead the Production Team.
● Handle basic Company Manager duties and advocate for and communicate the needs of the team.
● Serve as a liaison between the TRP teams (in San Fran and in NYC), on-site stakeholders, and the venue.
● Communicate through weekly check-ins with TRP Production Manager and production reports.
● Familiarity with QLab
● Ability to “swing in” for other members of the Production Team

Stage Manager(s):
● Be accountable to the PSM for the TRP production elements running smoothly.
● Pre-show Post-show management: refill consumables, recharge batteries, etc.
● “Calling the show”: which may mean cues at a booth, facilitating live cues, room resets, and more.
● Familiarity with QLab
● Communicate production needs to PSM.
● Ability to “swing in” for other members of the Production Team

Production Associate:
● Be accountable to the PSM for the TRP production elements running smoothly.
● Serve as Wardrobe Head: Daily costume set reset, laundry, and light mending (if needed).
● Run errands, buy supplies, etc
● Communicate production needs to PSM.
● Ability to “swing in” for other members of the Production Team

Technical Associate:
● Be accountable to the PSM for the TRP production elements running smoothly.
● Understand the technical elements of the TRP production and be able to troubleshoot scenic, lighting, sound, projections, etc. Be able to think on your feet, make quick fixes, and make recommendations.
● Ability to “swing in” for other members of the Production Team

Two process notes:
TRP is in the ongoing process of working to create more inclusive spaces within our own practice, in the different contexts that we work within, and in having our collaborative team be representative of the communities in which we work. Diversity of race, background, age, gender, sexuality, and disability is important to us, especially on this project, and we particularly invite artists who identify as part of traditionally marginalized communities to apply.

Given the inspirations, location, and content of this installation, we assume that some audience members may attend while under the influence. You may encounter such audience members, and perhaps even be offered something, but you are expected to maintain sobriety yourself, welcome them as they are, and communicate quickly to the Stage Management Team if audience behavior becomes problematic. Tactics for managing disruptive audience members will be a part of the rehearsal process.

Production Schedule:
July 30th 4pm PT / 7pm ET: 2-Hour Orientation Zoom
Wk of August 10th: 2 - 4 hours paid solo work time to watch rehearsal videos, review scripts, and get “off book”
Aug 17th - 23rd: Load-In Begins. Site visits, fittings, etc may occur.
Aug 24th - Sept 6th: TRP arrives in San Francisco. Rehearsals, test audiences, tech, etc Exact schedule TBD
Sept 7th - Oct 18th: Untitled Haight Street Art Center Activation Open | Exact Schedules TBD
Production Stage Manager/Stage Managers: 8 hrs days | 5 days a week
Production Associate/Technical Associate: 4 hrs days | 5 days a week
Oct 19th: Load-Out Begins
Oct 31st: Load Out Contract Complete

**Schedule is subject to change**

Compensation Details:
Rates for Rehearsal/Tech/Solo Work Time: $50 per hour
Rate for Open Weeks: Production Stage Manager/Stage Managers: $2000/week
Production Associate/Technical Associate: $1000/wk

**Performers and Production/Run Team will be responsible for their own transportation and meals

The Application Process:
June 11th, EOD: Applications Due, including video submissions (all)
June 19th: Callback Interview notifications go out (all)
June 30th July 1st: Callbacks in San Francisco (Performers)
June 30th July 1st & 2nd: Interviews in San Francisco (Production/Run Team)
July 13th: Offers made (all) All applicants will hear from us either way by the end of July

To apply, please complete an application form by EOD on Thursday, June 11th.

Production Team Video Prompt
Thank you for your interest in this project. Please follow the guidelines below for creating 1 short video (2 minutes or less) to submit for this initial round of hiring. Please record a short video (2 minutes or less) and tell us about yourself. Share a relevant experience about your work in theater, experiential environments, hospitality, or audience-focused events. You should be able to accomplish this in your home or any other space you can access in 15 minutes or less. You will be prompted to add a link to your video in the application form (vimeo, dropbox, box, google drive, etc).

Please make sure the settings on the link are set so that anyone with the link can view the video.

Once you’re prepared, please record yourself and label the file FIRSTNAMELASTNAME_ROLE, ex. ChieMorita_ProductionStageManager. Your recording should be two minutes or less.

Thank you, Third Rail Projects Team

DURATION

Jul 30, 2026 - Oct 31, 2026

SALARY

$50.00 – $50.00 per hour

• NON-UNION