Associate Artistic Director - Stages

The Associate Artistic Director provides support to Stages’ artistic endeavors. This support includes assisting Artistic Director in season planning, assisting in casting, and providing communication support between artists, press, and staff. The Associate Artistic Director serves as the artist liaison to Stages, and coordinates creative team casting, negotiating artists contracts, and day to day operations for the Artistic Department. Collaborates regularly with the Production, HR, and Management departments to serve the needs of the artistic department.



About you



You are passionate about theater! You flourish in collaborating with the artistic team in developing and helping to deliver the artistic programs. Your experience with live theater equips you with a keen eye for the voice of the organization. You are at home interacting with artists, board members, the press and other community stakeholders. You have a can-do attitude and enthusiasm for the organization and its artistic vision.



What you’ll do at Stages



● Provide support and collaborate with the Artistic Director on season planning in support of the overall artistic vision

● Identify and cultivate directors, playwrights, designers, and other artists along with specifically connecting with Houston-based talent to enrich Stages’ artistic programming

● Be the first point of contact with artists, engaging in negotiation and oversight of contracts in alignment with budget, union guidelines, and institutional policies

● Coordinate drafting of contracts with the Artistic and Community Engagement Associate

● Create guidelines and oversee the Wellness Program for traveling artists

● Assist Managing Director, Artistic Director, and Production Manager with current and next season artistic/production budget creation, maintenance and tracking

● Work with the artistic department to create and run season and production auditions, assist with actor, director and designer casting and replacement; along with being Stages

representative at city-wide auditions

● Provide script analysis and research support for productions and new work development

● Serve as main contact with Artist Unions (AEA, SDC, USA), including season renewal of AEA agreement, union contracts

● Collaborate with the education department in development of program notes, lobby displays, audience engagement materials, talk-backs, and post-show retrospectives

● Review and evaluate script submissions

● Direct, direct/choreograph, choreograph, or music direct one show per season, or serve as dramaturg on several productions in a season

● Support the Sin Muros Festival Coordinator and Liaison in artistic endeavors of annual festival

● Monitor, respond to, and be conversant with evolving national trends in the theatrical field

● Coordinate the oversight of dramaturgical information about productions, press photos and interviews with artists with the marketing and public relations team

● Work with Graphic Designer to produce playbill and electronic content per production

● Work with Development, Marketing, and Sales departments to deliver artistic news and content to stakeholders

● Uphold the Stages brand, culture, and EDI values in your day-to-day workflow

● Demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion through continuous development and participation in EDI initiatives

● Additional duties as assigned



To excel in this job, you’ll need



● 3-5 years experience in performing arts preferred

● Experience as a director, director-choreographer, choreographer, music director, or dramaturg

● Administrative experience in a theatrical environment

● Background in and/or knowledge of theatre history, trends, and activities

● Proven ability to work well both independently and collaboratively

● Excellent organizational skills

● Excellent communication, interpersonal skills and relationship building skills

● Cultural competency with a diverse group of artists and community stakeholders

● Ability to maintain level-headedness, navigate conflicts, and hold confidentiality

● Flexible schedule as regular evening and weekend hours will be needed



This is important



Stages is committed to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion. Stages is committed to creating and maintaining a safe creative environment for staff, artists and our community. We know that through discussion and expression we can continue to promote change in a positive direction. We believe that diversity on and off stage is important. We are committed to bridging cultural gaps and creating an environment of inclusion and equity for all. It is our intent to provide equal opportunities to all who may apply. We welcome every race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic makeup, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status and thinking style.



Our hiring process



To get started, please send us a cover letter, work resume, and theatre resume. This will help us understand who you are and why you’d be a great fit for this position. Feel free to include anything else you believe would be helpful for us to know about your background, experience, and skills.



Human Resources Generalist

Stages

800 Rosine Street

Houston, Texas 77019

humanresources@stageshouston.com



If we think you might be a good fit, we’ll contact you to schedule an introductory interview with our team. This conversation will help us learn about you, share more about the job and Stages, and answer your initial questions. From there, we may also invite you to talk with other staff members from positions across the organization so that you have an opportunity to explore Stages’ culture and work environment, and we can get a sense of what you’ll bring to the team.
Salary: $76,000 - $81,000/year