If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for new ways to work smarter. . . especially if it means more time to develop a passion project, time to see more theater, and more time with your family. 

So let’s talk about AI.

I see a lot of people out there treating AI like it’s some kind of all-knowing oracle. 

But let me be crystal clear: AI is NOT the answer. It’s a TOOL. 

Just like an on-demand encyclopedia that can spit out a ton of ideas, options, and information—but at the end of the day, the decision is yours.

I use AI, but not to make my choices for me. 

I use it to give me more to work with, more ideas to sift through, more starting points so I can go with my gut.  

 Here are five specific ways I’ve used AI in the last MONTH.  

🎭 Fine-tuning a show’s synopsis to optimize for ticket conversions – AI can help tighten up a logline or make a synopsis pop, but it won’t know your audience like you do. It’s a great first pass—then I tweak until it feels right.

🔥 Brainstorming viral marketing ideas – AI can churn out 100 wild ideas in 30 seconds. Most won’t work. But hidden in there? Maybe one nugget that sparks something huge.

📧 Drafting emails to investors – Need to invite your backers to a special Zoom presentation? AI can spit out a first draft, so you’re not starting from scratch. Then you shape it in your own voice.

🎟 Picking the hottest shows to see in London – AI can list what’s buzzy. But it can’t tell you which show will make you sit up in your seat, lean forward, and say, “Damn. I gotta make something like this.” That’s on you.

💰 Choosing the right ticket offer – AI can analyze different discount strategies, but at the end of the day? It’s a numbers game AND a gut game. AI gives you the stats. You make the call.

AI is useful, but it’s not magic. It’s not a replacement for instincts, experience, and that intangible thing that makes a great producer great.

Use AI like a smart assistant. But trust yourself to make the real moves.

Have you used AI for your theatermaking yet?  If so, how are you using it?