What is a (theatre) production assistant?

Question:And how important is it?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: And how important is it?

This is a great way to get your foot in the door in the magical world of live theatre. The Production Assistant gets a chance to develop all sorts of skills (besides running for coffee!) because they coordinate what everyone else is supposed to be doing.
If there's no separate person with the title of Prop Master, the Production Assistant may be very active in seeking out just the right elements for the stage.
The Production Assistant may also fill the role of Assistant Director, gaining valuable experiece that may lead to more responsibility and challenging projects.
It is sometimes an unsung but necessary part of the theatre, maybe the most important of all. For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost.

usually a gopher / runner. Not that important but sometimes necessary.