Description

A community theatre located in Versailles, Kentucky, Woodford Theatre seeks to provide a theatrical experience that inspires and educates the Bluegrass. Woodford Theatre is a community theatre that regularly produces a mainstage season, multiple youth productions, and educational programming. Woodford Theatre’s Artistic Director (AD) is responsible for the overall artistic identity and vision for the organization, therefore oversees all staff and ultimately makes final decisions artistically and as an executive capacity with communication and confirmation from the Board of Directors. As the most public face of the business, the AD serves as the organizational lighthouse providing overall vision, expectation, and cultural identity for the theatre to artists, patrons, sponsors and the community.  He/she/they should be a charismatic force — one whose quality of work attracts actors and artists to participate in shows, sponsors and grantors to financially support the shows and patrons to see the shows.

The AD should be an experienced and proven stage director,  or actor, or performing artist whose skills and creativity attract top talent. The artistic sensibility and attitude should also be compatible with our “community theatre” business, meaning they enjoy working with volunteers and have ability, willingness and patience to facilitate exercises / teach acting techniques to a variety of different ages and skill levels.

FULL-TIME
Weekly: Monday-Friday, 35hr/week. While the theatre strives to maintain consistent schedules, theatrical productions will require shifts in normal working hours. Evening and weekend availability to attend rehearsals, supervise regularly  and attend shows will be necessary. 

Show Weeks: Nights & Weekends (Woodford Theatre typically has 18 weeks of shows each calendar year. During a show week, Artistic Director can expect office hours of approximately 16-20 hours during the production week. Other hours are expected at tech rehearsals and performances.) 

REPORTS TO 
Board of Directors

COLLABORATES WITH
Supervisors, Staff Members, Contractors, Volunteers, and Program Participants

SUPERVISES
Staff Members, Independent Contractors, Volunteers, and Program Participants

SKILLS

• Ability to act as the primary decision-maker, manage a full staff, and maintain open communication
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including public speaking
• A genuine love for the arts, with the patience and ability to connect with various ages and skill levels
• A proven artistic track record in directing, design, performing or other relevant art form
• Understanding of conceptual and thematic script analysis and the ability to engage in critical response in the form of questioning, suggesting, and offerings
• Deep knowledge of plays and musicals to program a balanced, logistically realistic season that fits the theatre's identity
• Strong interpersonal relationship skills, including emotional Intelligence, situational awareness, change management, transparent communication, conflict resolution skills, emotional labor management, active listening skills, knowledge of crisis management and deescalation strategies
• Proficiency with technology including: basic operation of a lighting console, sound board, Google Suite, Canva, and ticketing software
• Effectively able to prioritize and handle multiple projects and responsibilities.
  
  PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
• Ability to safely move around standard offices, multi-level theater spaces, dark backstage wings, and technical areas
• Endurance to work non-traditional hours, especially during production weeks
• Ability to stand for long periods and occasionally lift or move materials weighing up to 25–30 pounds.
  
  EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
  High School Diploma or GED required
  Bachelors or Masters degree preferred
  COMPENSATION
  $45,000-$50,000
  Health Insurance 
  PTO

Requirements

REPRESENTING THE ORGANIZATION: The AD represents the theatre to our local government, appearing before both the City Council and Fiscal Court to request funding, renew lease agreements and/or provide information and updates. The AD is responsible for establishing and enhancing positive working relationships with entities that offer financial, strategic, and/or artistic benefit for Woodford Theatre. This includes ensuring representation of the theatre at public functions and forums within our community as well as regionally, including, but not limited to, Fiscal Court Meetings, other local theatre productions, Kentucky Arts Council functions, Kentucky Nonprofit Network functions, and other events that promote planning and networking for arts organizations.

REPORTING TO THE BOARD: Serves as the primary liaison to the Board, reporting to the Board of Directors at each regularly scheduled Board Meeting, delegating and arranging for additional staff members to prepare reports as necessary, The AD is responsible for informing the Board of Directors of programming artistic updates, production reports, and personnel needs at each regularly scheduled Board meeting and/or responding to requests from the Board of Directors for information or recommendations regarding any aspect of the business.

MANAGING THE STAFF:  The AD is responsible for working in collaboration with the Personnel Committee to determine the staffing needs of the business, hire and/or dismiss personnel as necessary with the support of the Personnel committee, determine and ensure that each staff member is fulfilling their requirements in weekly direct report meetings, for resolving any conflicts, and for recommending appropriate compensation.

PERSONNEL AND BOARD COLLABORATION: The AD must regularly collaborate and/or liaise with staff in each department to ensure progress towards the organization’s annual and long-term objectives.Long-term strategic planning (Executive Committee, Board, Director-level personnel)
Departments include:

• Operations
  • Admin & Finance: The AD works with relevant staff to ensure the organization complies with local, state, and federal regulations. The AD will work with relevant staff to ensure financial sustainability. Managing the
  • Facility: The AD is responsible for all duties ensuring good relations and communication with Parks and Recreation, and the Fiscal Court, as a tenant of Falling Springs Arts and Recreation Center. The AD works with the DP&D to manage the use of the theatre by outside groups, determining available dates for rentals, and addresses any facility maintenance needs or adjustments that involve the cooperation of Parks and Recreation or the Fiscal Court.
  • Marketing: Craft marketing plans in collaboration with relevant staff. Ensure promotional materials are created in a timely fashion, align with the brand, and reflect the theatre’s artistic identity.
  • Box Office: The AD works with relevant staff to ensure the Box Office is properly staffed, front-of-house volunteers are secured, and its operations are executed in accordance with the theatre’s goals.
• Development:
  • The AD partners with relevant staff to review the narratives describing programming and initiatives for fundraising purposes. The AD will oversee the clearly defined roles and responsibilities of the Staff collectively as they develop relationships with current and prospective sponsors. The AD participates and assists in the fundraising and development by regular contact with long time donors, sponsors and advertisers (e.g. attending donor lunches when available and as able.)
• Education:
  • The AD will work with relevant staff to ensure programming is implemented as promised and in alignment with the theatre’s policies and procedures.
    The AD will work alongside the DEP to ensure staffing of Fall, Spring & Summer Academies and WTYA teachers.
• Production:
  • Producing Productions: The AD will produce all of the productions in the Mainstage and Education seasons. The producer is responsible for managing all the resources, both labor and materials, to make the production successful. This includes hiring all guest directors, designers and production crew, creating and managing a production budget, determining promotional and publicity efforts, conducting bi-weekly production meetings as needed, to address the show’s specific needs and to ensure the production stays on schedule, and managing all lines of communication so that the director’s vision can be manifested. The AD is ultimately responsible for quality assurance. The AD sets the standard of artistic expectation for the productions and should be able to communicate their own vision while supporting production directors in manifesting their own.
  • Selecting the Season: The AD is responsible for selecting, and recommending to the Board of Directors, the productions that make up Woodford Theatre’s Mainstage Season. This involves clarity of and compatibility with our organization’s identity and goals. Because an understanding of the production requirements for each show is critical to creating a manageable sequence, a broad knowledge of theatrical stage plays is essential.
  • Developing Volunteers: Woodford Theatre values the participation of the community. The AD is responsible for communicating volunteer opportunities to the public, with the assistance of the staff.

MAINSTAGE DIRECTING & PROGRAM PARTICIPATION: The AD may choose to participate in productions in the Mainstage season and educational programming if the production and/or programming is best suited for the skills of the AD. The AD may participate in a maximum of three mainstage productions (barring emergencies) and a minimum of one production per year in the role of Director. The AD may appear in a mainstage production once per year and provide guest teaching support for educational programming.