CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

J-O-B Scenery Director


Position Identification

Position Title:              Scenery Director

Department:                Utah Shakespeare Festival
Title of Supervisor:    Production Director
Status:                         Full-time, (40 hours / 12 months)

General Summary

The Scenery Director oversees all activities of the Scenery and Paint Departments, including stage crew for the Utah Shakespeare Festival (USF).  The Scenery Director is responsible for the planning, execution and completion of all scenic elements for productions at the USF.  The Scenery Director recruits and hires all scenic staff, manages budgets and coordinates schedules within the department.  The Scenery Director, in conjunction with the SUU Theatre Arts and Dance Department, maintains equipment and performance spaces while protecting the USF interests during the off-season.  The Scenery Director constructs the scenery for the USF Fall Season, Holiday and USF Educational Tour productions.

Duties & Responsibilities
1.                      Responsible for developing strategic and long term planning for scenery & paint department.
2.                      In conjunction with Production Director, prepares annual budgets for scenery & paint department.
3.                      Recruits and hires all scenery, paint, and stage crew staff and may represent USF at theatre conferences throughout the country for recruiting/hiring purposes.
4.                      Responsible for scenery/paint budgets including purchasing, data entry, recording keeping, and department purchase authorizations in coordination with the Business and Finance Office.
5.                      Ensures policies and operations for a clean, healthy and safe workplace.
6.                      Serves as liaison between directors, designers and technical department directors to complete scenery and paint to meet the needs of the productions. 
7.                      Communicates with designers on resources and budgets for productions.
8.                      Serves as a key participant in the design budget process.
9.                      With the seasonal Scenery Supervisors, creates preliminary and final scenic budgets for productions.
10.                  Articulates scenic engineering needs to the designers.
11.                  Coordinates research and development on materials and mechanics needed for productions.
12.                  Responsible for the timely execution of all scenery and paint.
13.                  Oversees daily operation of all scenic and paint department.
14.                  Counsels with scenery and paint department supervisors regarding use of labor, materials, and capital equipment.
15.                  Coordinates with all production departments on build schedule and production needs.
16.                  Plans and supervises the scenic load-in of all productions.
17.                  Attends (or is represented at) all technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals and note sessions.
18.                  Oversees repair and maintenance of equipment, shop spaces, and stage area of theatres.
19.                  Maintains stock of supplies and equipment.
20.                  Plans and oversees all end-of-season strike activities for scenery and paint department areas in coordination with other production departments.
21.                  Liaison with SUU Theatre Arts and Dance regarding facilities and equipment usage, availability of scenic equipment for non-USF productions.
22.                  Constructs scenery for Holiday and Educational Tour productions.
23.                  Responsible for all requests/rentals of scenery during off-season.
24.                  In conjunction with USF and SUU facilities, inspect and maintain all theatrical mechanical equipment including rigging systems and theatrical motor systems.
25.                  Other duties may include, but are not limited to, support for non-production USF events and support for non-USF events.
26.                  Perform other duties as assigned and agreed upon by the Production Director.

Education, Training and Skills

1.                     MFA in Theatre Arts and/or 3-5 years professional experience.
2.                     Training or experience in personnel management, budgeting and scheduling.
3.                     Training or experience in Technical Direction or Production Management.
4.                     Must be highly organized and possess excellent interpersonal communication skills.
5.                     Strong written, verbal and presentational skills.
6.                     Ability to work under severe time pressures and meet deadlines

 

Experience

1.                      Ability to collaborate with designers and directors, manage professional crews, budget labor and materials, maintain records and fiscal responsibility, and deliver production commitments on schedule.
2.                      Must have professional (regional theatre) experience with planning, engineering,
scheduling, supervising, and executing the construction of scenery.
3.                      Experience in managing or working with rotating repertory theatre productions  preferred.


Salary:  $32,000+, depending upon qualifications & experience; excellent benefits.

Ideal Start Date:  February 1, 2012 but negotiable

Application Process:  Please apply online at Southern Utah University Human Resources Website.
www.suu.edu/ad/hr/employment.html
E-mail contact: shurtz@suu.edu for application questions

Closing Date:  Review of applications will begin December 15, 2011; the position will remain open until filled.


1 comment:

Katherine Eboch said...

The Utah Shakespeare Festival was an amazing experience for me last year and I hope to return this year as a Crew Head again. The Festival is becomes your family for the summer and is so supportive of the work everyone does there and actually helps you find your next gig by bringing in producers and casting directors throughout the summer to audition and interview for. The area is also gorgeous, so many outdoor adventures to be had in Utah like Arches, Zion, and Bryce National Parks and many other trails to be traversed.
I do not know the reason behind James, last year's scenery director, leaving, but I hope whoever fills his position is able to find their spot within the company easily and with a smooth transition. The ad pretty well covers what I thought his job entailed. I hope the search process goes smoothly for all involved.