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ARTISTIC PRODUCER
The Shakespeare Company is hiring for the Artistic Producer
Submition Deadline: October 8, 2023
Company website: www.shakespearecompany.com
The Shakespeare Company Theatre-in-the-Round Guild is Calgary’s lean and mean classical theatre company. Since 1995, we have brought classical theatre alive for Calgarians, through plays by or inspired by Shakespeare. TSC offers tight, lean, dynamic productions in under two hours with a commitment to making Shakespeare accessible through innovative performances and inspired directing.
We are Calgary’s leading collaborators and have co-produced with all of Calgary’s top theatre companies. We are renowned as developers of emerging artists, such as Calgary-native Ahad Raza Mir, who has gone on to star in film and television in Pakistan and returned to play Hamlet for TSC in Calgary in 2019 and Brampton in 2023. We have attracted some of the best in the business to work with us, such as Stratford Festival’s Seana McKenna, American Conservatory Theater emeritus artistic director Carey Perloff, and Steppenwolf Theater’s Glenn Davis.
The Role
The Artistic Producer shall be based in Calgary and report to the Board. This is a critical strategic leadership role in executing the mandate of the organization. The duties of this individual will include but not be limited to:
- The production of four plays per season, with the season typically running from September through May
- Fostering and encouraging the continued growth and development of artistic excellence within TSC
- Presenting a season of a variety of plays which fulfills TSC’s mandate
- Searching for new scripts, contacting playwrights and agents and, in conjunction with the Board, negotiating performance rights
- Developing production budgets and, in collaboration with the TSC Treasurer, supervising the production budgets and managing payments
- Booking performance and rehearsal venues, and scheduling rehearsals, auditions and photo calls
- Auditioning, interviewing and hiring all technical and artistic personnel, including, but not limited to actors, designers, directors, musicians, stage management, composers and playwrights
- Orienting all artistic and non-artistic personnel regarding TSC’s human resources and safety policies
- Providing leadership through communication and cooperation among artistic personnel and staff
- Ensuring that guest directors adhere to TSC’s mandate
- Participating in Board meetings as an ex-officio member
- Participating in strategic and annual operational committee planning
- In cooperation with the Board, supporting fund development, including grant applications and liaison with funding agencies
- Fostering relationships with funding sources, sponsors, patrons, employees, performing arts groups, volunteers and other stakeholders
- Adhering to the time deadlines and budgets approved by the Board
- Assisting primary and secondary school teachers and students in obtaining practical assistance in orally working with Shakespeare’s text
Qualifications and Attributes
- The ideal candidate would possess:
- Training and experience in classical theatre, have an appreciation of the contemporary challenges and opportunities of classical theatre, and be able to develop emerging actors and support school teachers, in speaking the speech
- Leadership experience – specifically having held a leadership position within a theatre company
- Ability to think creatively, possess strategic vision, and have good and independent judgment
- Willingness to speak frankly and preparedness to make thoughtful and well researched recommendations to the Board
- The skills to analyze proposals and examine their financial consequences
- Experience in non-profit finance, fundraising, and traditional or social media would be considered an asset.
How to Apply
We are committed to building on our success and invite candidate suggestions as to how they think this might best be achieved.
In addition to your creative and administrative resume please include a cover letter and a brief (<300 word) vision for tackling the challenges facing our classical theatre company.
Board Chair: Robb Fergusson
Subject Line: TSC Artistic Producer Application
info@shakespearecompany.com
Ethnocultural mandate statement:
As an organization, TSC is committed to representing our community on our stage. As such, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard for race, colour, religion, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, ability or age.
Based on the diversity of applicants, this may lead to experimentation with changes in – for example – the age, gender, orientation, or ethnicity of characters. We strongly encourage applicants from populations under-represented in the theatrical field: Diversity in community and diversity in theatre are core to our TSC’s mission and vision. While the ultimate casting decisions fall to the engaged Director’s judgement, full consideration will always be given to all of the elements, above.