Reports to: Production Manager
Start Date: Flexible, by June 22, 2020
End Date: May 16, 2021 (with option to become permanent staff)
About the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) is a resident ensemble theatre company bringing Shakespeare and the Classics to life for audiences of all ages. Operating out of The Otto M. Budig Theater, CSC hosts a year-round theatrical season in addition to special events, educational programming, and outreach efforts. In its theatrical portfolio, CSC executes up to 10 mainstage productions and 6 touring productions annually. Beyond its mainstage, CSC supports collaborations with many local community and arts organizations.
Diversity and inclusion are priorities of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. CSC strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, sex, religion, creed, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or any other legally protected classification. Applicants of varied backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.
Position Overview
The Interim Resident Scenic Designer is essential to the production team at CSC, collaborating closely with resident & guest designers, the Production Manager, and the Producing Artistic Director to ensure that CSC executes all of its projects to the highest artistic standard possible. The Interim Resident Scenic Designer is responsible for several CSC mainstage and touring scenic designs per season in addition to serving as the paint charge for all CSC productions.
The Interim Resident Scenic Designer has a base schedule of 9am-5:30pm, Monday through Friday. Extended hours and modified workweeks as a result of technical rehearsal schedules, rental appointments, special events, and specific production needs are necessary in this role.
The Production Department at CSC truly operates as a team. As a collective constantly striving to achieve excellence, it is possible that the Interim Resident Scenic Designer may be asked to assist departments beyond their areas of focus or expertise. This effort is requested under exceptional circumstances.
A successful candidate will receive the option to expand this into a permanent position.
Qualifications Required skills include:
- Three years of professional scenic design experience or comparable higher-level education/design experience.
- Demonstrated artistic and design experience working with modest to mid-size material budgets.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate design ideas and intent (renderings, models, sketches, research, etc.).
- Comfortable working on multiple productions simultaneously.
- Advanced scenic artistry skills.
- Must be able to lift 40lbs occasionally, bend, kneel, climb ladders, and work at heights.
Preferred skills include:
- Intermediate prop artistry and/or scenic carpentry skills.
- Experience supervising overhire painters.
A successful candidate will also possess the following attributes:
- Strong verbal communication skills.
- Effective listening and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to thrive and adapt in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment.
- Self-sufficient while also a collaborative team player.
- Enthusiasm, integrity, and energy.
- Tactful communication under stress.
- A sense of humor.
Responsibilities Production
- Serve as the Scenic Designer for up to (6) mainstage productions and (2) touring productions per season – historic average of 5 designs per season.
- Read, research, and analyze the script—with consideration of cuts—to execute a design plan.
- Collaborate with creative team to ensure a cohesive and world-class design product.
- Adhere to production benchmark schedule for design phase executions.
- Design scenic elements as agreed upon between Designers, Directors, and Artistic Director.
- Source rentals required for design execution.
- Collaborate intimately with the Technical Director and Production Manager to ensure timely and accurate execution of designs while being respectful of design budgets.
- Source and purchase items required for design execution.
- Attend design launches, production meetings, technical rehearsals and first rehearsals.
- Present designs at first rehearsal.
- Present designs at first rehearsal if the production’s scenic designer is unable to attend.
- Head the paints department, including serving as the charge artist on all productions.
- General work calls including:
- Participate in scenic strikes and changeovers.
- Participate in stage cleaning and preparation leading into technical rehearsals and build processes.
- Participate in prop department execution and management.
Management
- Manage one full-time Properties Manager and overhire painters on an as-scheduled.
- Approve time cards bi-weekly.
- Regularly oversee CSC interns in production department rotations.
- Oversee paint shop.
- Schedule work in paint department to meet production deadlines.
- Manage scene shop, equipment, and regular maintenance.
- Maintain inventory of expendables; order supplies and stock items as needed.
- Keep shop and storage areas clean and organized.
- Participate in staff annual review processes.
- Maintain and enforce high safety standards.
Fiscal
- Collaborate with Production Manager to establish annual scenic and paint department budgets, including:
- Material budgets per production
- Overhire budgets
- Annual shop and expendable supply budgets
- Capital expense recommendations
- Weekly expense reporting.
- Analyze financial reports to observe spending patterns, budgetary issues, identify reporting or processing errors, and avoid overspending.
General
- Must have a reliable mode of personal transportation.
- Adhere to company policies and regulations per the CSC Company Handbook.
- Maintain a safe, fair, and ethical working environment.
- Collaborate with the Production Manager and Producing Artistic Director to improve overall aesthetic product and production processes.
- Other duties as requested by the Production Manager.
Compensation & Benefits
This is a full time, salaried, exempt position with an annual salary of $35,568 (received through biweekly payroll). In addition to this salary, the Resident Scenic Designer receives:
- Ten days of paid vacation, accrued seasonally.
- Six days of paid sick leave, accrued seasonally.
- Paid holiday leave.
- At-risk compensation includes participation in CSC’s profit sharing bonus program starting with second season of employment.
- Access to group health insurance through Anthem with 50% of employee premiums paid by CSC.
- Optional enrollment in Health Savings Account plan.
- Access to dental insurance through Dental Care Plus with 50% of employee premiums paid by CSC.
- Life and AD&D coverage for the employee paid by CSC.
- Maternity/paternity leave, short-term medical leave.
- Access to group vision insurance (premiums paid by employee).
- Optional health, dental, and life insurance coverage for dependents (premiums paid by employee).
- 401k Retirement Savings Plan with employer match.
- Free access to CSC educational programming for dependents (Groundlings Junior, Groundlings, Summer Camp).
- Complimentary and discounted tickets to all CSC productions.
To Apply
To apply, please send cover letter, résumé, three references, and a selection of relevant work samples to Abbi Howson, Production Manager, at
abbi.howson@cincyshakes.com. No phone calls please. Position will remain open until filled.