Organization
The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) is located on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Built in 2024, this ultra-modern, 49,900-square-foot facility includes six venues, three of which are dedicated performing arts spaces: the Concert Hall, the largest venue with a capacity of 490 and acoustically engineered as a premier listening environment by Jaffe Holden; the Edward J. Ray Theater, a flexible black box space used for theater, immersive art installations, jazz, cabaret, comedy, experimental music, and electroacoustic multichannel programming; and the Thomas W. Toomey lobby, a public, non-ticketed gathering space with a stage that hosts pre-concert programs, special events, rentals, receptions, and celebrations. In addition, PRAx includes an outdoor concert space, a 3,000-square-foot art gallery, and a demonstration garden and gathering space featuring plants from six discrete ecosystems in the state. The mission of PRAx is to activate the power of the arts across disciplines, and the "x" in the name stands for a vision of an arts space where arts, humanities, science, and technology meet.
Roughly 30% of the content in PRAx reflects transdisciplinary goals, and the organization runs an extensive array of residency and fellowship programs that match artists and writers with scientists and researchers; in , PRAx made 93 awards across more than 20 such programs. PRAx is home to the Center for the Humanities, the Spring Creek Project for Nature and the Written Word, and an integrative, discipline-crossing program called PRAx CoLabs.
Despite the specialization of that slice of the programming, which can involve complex or experimental technical setups, most content in the performing arts (70% of the total) will look familiar at a production level. PRAx presents live music in all genres, talks and readings, some theatre, rental and University events, discussions, and workshops. The "PRAx Presents" series of approximately 45 events annually features exceptional professional artists from around the world. PRAx also serves as the home venue for the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts at OSU, presenting three shorter "seasons-within-a-season" wherein University ensembles and University Theatre perform their term-end concerts. In total, including PRAx Presents, Student Arts Season concerts and rehearsals, guest presenters, and a robust lineup of workshops and classes that are part of the PRAx Experiences program, PRAx staffs more than 180 events per year. The vast majority of work at PRAx is presented, not produced, by them, and staff move readily from one type of event to another on a near-daily basis. Artists-in-residence at PRAx or allied programs have included esperanza spalding, Andy Akiho, Thomas Lauderdale, and many others.
PRAx recognizes that new work is one of the engines of the arts sector. The organization is committed to using its platforms to lower the barriers to creativity, access, and affordability. As a university-based arts center, PRAx serves the tripartite mission of research, teaching, and outreach. PRAx is partnered with the Associated Students of Oregon State University to keep student tickets to any concert at $5. PRAx is supported by a stable mixture of funds, including direct University support, significant endowments, longer-term grants, and ticket revenue.
PRAx operates with 23 professional staff and around 40 student staff. Due to the unique nature of PRAx’s transdisciplinary mission and the emphasis on residencies and fellowships, some of the professional staff work in units more allied to the research side of the University than the presenting side, making PRAx an especially lively and creatively engaging place to work. PRAx has a 10-member board of advisors led by board chair Patricia Valian Reser. The Director of Production and Presentation has 24 direct reports, including one professional faculty member, three classified employees, and 20 student workers, and reports to the Managing Director.
Position Summary
The Director of Production and Presentation (DPP) serves as the artistic and operational authority responsible for the comprehensive execution, strategic alignment, and day-to-day success of PRAx. This role operates at the intersection of artistic vision and technical excellence, providing oversight of all production and rental operations while ensuring that each presentation achieves the highest standards of aesthetic integrity, operational efficiency, and audience impact.
Charged with stewarding a robust portfolio of more than 180 annual events, the DPP leads a highly complex production ecosystem requiring advanced project management, cross-functional integration, and sophisticated logistical coordination. The position orchestrates the seamless alignment of multiple operational domains, including but not limited to lighting, audio engineering, stage operations, technical direction, artist hospitality, event services, and ensemble management. This coordination encompasses the full lifecycle of production - intake and interpretation of technical riders, strategic resource allocation, staffing design, and real-time execution - across a dynamic and frequently overlapping event calendar.
The DPP brings a deeply informed artistic perspective to all venue operations, ensuring that technical decisions in sound, lighting, staging, and spatial design are guided by—and elevate—the creative intent of each production. In doing so, the role safeguards PRAx’s commitment to both aesthetic distinction and flawless implementation, integrating artistic vision with precise technical delivery across diverse programming.
As a leader of people and systems, the DPP establishes the conditions for departmental success through the oversight of production staff and operational units. This includes responsibility for developing and managing production budgets, constructing detailed daily and long-range schedules, procuring and specifying backline and technical assets, and driving continuous innovation in presentation practices. The role requires not only operational rigor but also a forward-looking creative sensibility to ensure PRAx remains a vibrant and evolving destination for artists and audiences alike.
While PRAx primarily functions as a presenting venue for touring artists and university ensembles, the DPP navigates a nuanced balance of collaboration and autonomy. In instances where visiting artists do not provide dedicated designers or engineers, the DPP and their teams assume expanded creative authorship, shaping the visual and sonic identity of each performance and reinforcing the distinct signature aesthetic of PRAx.
Beyond hosted programming, the DPP also plays a critical leadership role in the conceptualization and execution of original, high-impact institutional events, including season launches, festivals, and donor engagement experiences. These initiatives demand a heightened level of creative direction, strategic planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration, with the DPP often originating core production concepts and guiding them through to realization.
As a member of PRAx’s senior leadership team, the Director of Production and Presentation contributes to organizational strategy, institutional visioning, and long-term planning, ensuring that production capabilities not only support but actively advance PRAx’s mission and artistic ambitions.
Decision Making/Guidelines
The Director of Production and Presentation exercises broad, complex decision-making authority spanning artistic interpretation, technical execution, financial stewardship, operational planning, and institutional risk management. This role establishes and continuously calibrates the frameworks through which artistic intent is translated into fully realized productions, overseeing critical determinations related to production design, budget allocation, schedule architecture, workforce deployment, venue systems utilization, and regulatory and safety compliance.
Functioning as the central integrator of PRAx’s production ecosystem, the DPP directly influences the success trajectory of every event presented within the organization’s portfolio. Outcomes—whether exemplary or deficient—are closely tied to the precision, foresight, and judgment exercised within this role. Decision-making failures carry material consequences across multiple dimensions, including financial performance, physical safety, operational continuity, and institutional reputation.
From a financial perspective, the DPP’s stewardship of production budgets and resource allocation directly impacts cost containment, revenue optimization, and the long-term sustainability of programming. From a safety standpoint, the role bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that all production environments adhere to rigorous standards governing technical operations, crowd management, and workplace safety, mitigating risk to artists, staff, and audiences alike.
Most critically, the reputational and organizational implications of this role extend across a wide and complex network of stakeholders. The DPP serves as a primary nexus of communication and alignment among touring artists, artist management teams, internal production and administrative staff, university partners, and external collaborators. Effective execution requires not only technical fluency but also advanced relational leadership—balancing competing priorities, managing expectations, and ensuring clarity and cohesion across all parties involved. As a result, the external perception of PRAx is significantly mediated through the performance of this role.
The quality, consistency, and professionalism of interactions and outcomes shape enduring relationships with dozens of artists, agents, vendors, and institutional partners. In this way, the Director of Production and Presentation functions not only as an operational leader, but as a key steward of PRAx’s brand, credibility, and long-term institutional standing within the performing arts ecosystem.
Position Duties
25% Artistic Leadership
- Interpret and synthesize technical riders alongside supplementary materials (e.g., archival recordings, video documentation, and prior production notes) to develop a comprehensive understanding of artistic intent, translating these insights into actionable production strategies that support approximately 85% of PRAx’s presenting activity.
- Provide creative and operational leadership for institutionally produced events (approximately 15% of programming), shaping event vision, conceptual framework, and artistic execution from early ideation through realization.
- Partner with programmers across PRAx series (including PRAx Presents, Student Arts Season, Spring Creek Project, Center for the Humanities, Corvallis-PRAx Presenters, and others) to ensure that artistic ambition is balanced with production feasibility, technical capacity, and resource alignment.
- Lead all advance processes with visiting artists and their representatives—including managers, agents, ensemble leaders, and partner organizations—facilitating clear alignment on artistic, technical, and logistical expectations. Strategically engage departmental leadership in these conversations when complexity or specialization requires deeper coordination.
40% Administrative Leadership and Planning
- Design, publish, and actively manage an integrated master schedule for daily PRAx operations