Director of Artistic Development - The Children's Theatre Company

Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Director of Artistic Development. This full-time position requires someone who has the vision and leadership skills to manage the development of a robust set of new work commissioned by CTC, who is knowledgeable about working with and developing relationships with playwrights and other creative artists, and who has the ability to positively contribute to an anti-racist organization and dismantle structural racism in new play development. Applicants for this role should have strong artistic sensibilities and demonstrated communication, relationship building, collaboration, and project management skills.

The new Director of Artistic Development joins CTC at an exciting moment for new play development. A new strategic plan recently adopted by the Board of Directors articulates a strategic focus to “Expand the canon of new plays for the stage and ensure a future life”. New play development activity will focus on several projects with commercial producing partners, other regional and TYA theatres, and a major new five-theatre initiative called “Generation Now” which was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation. Generation Now is a five‐year, partnership between five national theatre leaders: Native Voices at the Autry, the Latino Theater Company, Ma‐Yi Theater Company, Children’s Theatre Company, and Penumbra Theatre Company that will commission and develop 16 plays from writers who are Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian American.

CTC is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and justice in our organization and our community, and thus we seek a broad spectrum of employees. We strongly encourage and welcome applicants who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color, as well as those who are from other underrepresented communities.



ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

Led by Artistic Director Peter C Brosius and Managing Director Kimberly Motes, Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is the nation’s leading theatre for multigenerational audiences and is one of the 25 largest producing theatres in the United States. A winner of the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, CTC creates extraordinary theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire young people and their communities. CTC has been a generator of more than 45 new works during Brosius’ 25-year tenure. Most of these works have had future productions throughout the United States that range from a Broadway run for A Year with Frog and Toad which received three Tony Award nominations to regional theatres that include Arena Stage and the Old Globe to hundreds of productions in professional, amateur, and educational theatres. CTC is known for high standards of excellence in the quality of its productions, commitment to new work, and innovative education and community partnerships.



DESCRIPTION OF MINNEAPOLIS AND THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA

Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area has a thriving and vibrant arts scene. The Twin Cities metro area is one of the largest theatre markets in the country, with over 150 theatres. Minnesota year in and year out ranks near the top nationwide in federal and state arts funding and has a strong history of private arts philanthropy.

The Twin Cities area is the second largest economic center in the Midwest and is annually ranked as a top area in terms of quality of life. It is home to several restaurants and chefs who are James Beard nominees or winners. The Minneapolis parks system has been called the best-designed, best-financed and best-maintained in America.



DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

CTC is dedicated to increasing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our audiences, our programs and in all of our hiring for staff, artists, and recruiting of board members. CTC is committed to a future where our theatre is a home for all people, all families, and is truly reflective of our community. We are also committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination. CTC prohibits discrimination in employment against any employee or job applicant because of that person’s race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, veteran status, status with regard to public assistance, membership in a local human rights commission or any other legally protected status.



POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Artistic Development will lead, manage, and produce a robust roster of new play development activities that move new work from inception to the initial production. The Director will also serve as a key member of the artistic team to lead multiple new play collaborations for CTC including: 1) “Generation Now” initiative; 2) projects that have commercial theatre partners, and; 3) projects that involve multiple regional and TYA theatres. The Director will provide literary support as dramaturg for new plays. The Director participates in season selection and planning, and identifies writers, creative team members, and potential producing partners. The Director collaborates with various internal colleagues to connect new play activities to a variety of departments including education, community engagement, marketing, and development. The Director serves as a member of the senior management team, advising and assisting the Artistic and Managing Directors on institutional and strategic planning. The Director will supervise an administrative fellow focused on the “Generation Now” initiative.



ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS



Manage the development of new work commissioned by CTC

• Lead the overall management of new play development including plans, activities, timelines, and budgets

• Engage with writers and the Artistic Director to provide rigorous dramaturgical feedback, research support, new play development processes (research, readings, workshops, community and/or audience engagement opportunities, etc) that are responsive to the artists needs as well as to the timelines of CTC in order to move plays/musicals to production

• Work with CTC’s Managing Director and Director of Production on contracting artists as necessary.

• Design engagement opportunities for playwrights to gain feedback and response to play development readings and workshops as well as run-throughs and previews

• Communicate regularly with Artistic Director to provide weekly progress updates on all new play development activity, questions arising from artists, draft deadlines, etc. Maintain a log which details all the work that has come to CTC detailing status of consideration

• Build collaborative relationships with senior staff members, production staff and departments; proactively communicate information about plays in development internally and externally.

• Partner with Education to develop engagement opportunities for children and families to connect to artists, new work. and the new work process

• Present at Educator Preview Nights at productions of new work as requested



Identify and propose artists and projects for commission

• Monitor and evaluate local, national and international theatre fields with a focus on tracking the careers of playwrights and composers by acquiring their work from agents, learning of work from colleagues in the field or new play development programs, with an emphasis on writers whose perspectives are underrepresented in the field

• Establish, build, and cultivate relationships with writers in collaboration with the Artistic Director on behalf of CTC

• Recommend artists to the Artistic Director for consideration for commissions and advise on artist selection for specific CTC projects

• Seek out opportunities to partner with other theatres, new play development programs, commercial and independent producers, etc. to co-commission and co-develop new work

• Maintain a high level of familiarity with the field of children/young adult/multi-generational literature, television and film in order to identify source material for adaptation, including reading and watching new releases, tracking the market (New York Times Best Sellers lists, Publisher’s Weekly reports, etc), talking with librarians, teachers, parents and kids for recommendations



Provide artistic input and guidance for all CTC productions

• Establish relationships with creative teams for all CTC productions and provide dramaturgical input, production research, and ongoing artistic feedback throughout the rehearsal and preview process

• Participate in crafting language framing, contextualizing, and describing plays in the season for use in marketing and development materials, program content and institutional messaging

• Produces research packets for actors with information regarding the production in which they are acting



Manage New Play Development budget

• Create and manage the annual budget for new play development by working with Artistic Director, Managing Director, and Director of Finance to set budgets that support artistic goals and are responsive to the fiscal needs of the theatre

• Manage and report on expenses monthly

• Work with Business Office to ensure the timely pay out of artists’ fees, contract and handle payroll for artists involved in new play development activities (workshops, readings, etc)



Participate in season planning process

• Advocate for the inclusion of new plays in the season researching and recommending plays and productions being produced at other theatres as well as what other theatres have under commission and in development

• Establish and maintain familiarity with the extant cannon of plays and musicals for children and multi-generational audiences

• Support the Artistic Director in the season planning process

• Provide information about the plays under consideration to relevant staff members and departments during season planning and budgeting processes



Assist Development Department in identifying funding sources, cultivating donors, and crafting proposals for the support of new work

• Advise on selection of projects for specific grants, institutions and/or individual donors

• Generate language to frame, contextualize and describe the project; provide budget information as needed

• Liaise with artists to provide work samples and other needed materials for grants



Collaborate with all departments in the furtherance of CTC’s goal of being an anti-racist theatre that works towards Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion



• Assist with monitoring and ensuring access, representation, participation, and decision making for historically marginalized communities in the Artistic Department, new play development projects, and in all aspects of CTC’s operations

• Assist, as a member of the senior staff team, with the creation and implementation of JEDI-related goals and initiatives

• Study topics that lead to a deeper understanding of how white supremacy, racial violence, and systemic racism have shaped American society and how that shapes CTC’s workplace and the lives of CTC employees

• Encourage and empower everyone to speak out against racist workplace practices and policies

• Provide leadership with empathy for all staff

• Positively contribute to the ACT One platform, creating a future where our theatre is a home for all people, all families, reflective of our community



Other important duties

• Serve as a member of the Senior Staff

• Participate as staff on the New Business Initiative Board Committee; attend all full Board meetings

• Co-lead the Impact Advisory staff committee

• Serve as a leader to the field of new play development

• Proactively contribute to CTC’s mission to educate, challenge, and inspire young people and their communities

• Other duties as assigned



POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to serve the needs of the theatre and the needs of the playwright at the same time

• Demonstrated ability to negotiate, facilitate, and mediate with playwrights and composers to ensure a positive working relationship

• Demonstrated ability to provide dramaturgical support through research, collaboration and communication in an organized and succinct manner

• Ability to positively contribute to an anti-racist/anti-bias organization and work to dismantle structural racism in theatre

• Demonstrated knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the following areas: budget management, collaboration, oral and written communication, emotional intelligence, initiative, inclusivity, judgement, project management and working under pressure



Experience & Education

Experience working in a professional theatre environment with a strong focus on new work and working with playwrights

Other Qualities

• A commitment to ethical conduct in all respects of the work environment

• A commitment to creating a just, equitable and inclusive work environment

• A commitment to the protection of confidential information to which this position has access



COMPENSATION

The starting salary range for this full-time position is between $65,000 and $73,000 annually. Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance; short-term and long-term disability and life insurance; vacation and sick leave; nine paid holidays; and a 403(b) retirement savings plan.



TO APPLY

Please send a cover letter and resume to Andrew Robertson, Director of Human Resources at jobs@childrenstheatre.org. Please include the name of the position(s) to which you are applying in the subject line of the email.


Salary: $65,000 to $73,000