Associate Artistic Director

TITLE: Associate Artistic Director / Creative Producer

STATUS: Full-time Exempt

DIVISION: Artistic

DEPARTMENT: Artistic

REPORTS TO: Artistic Director

POSTITION AVAILABLE: Late September 2025

ONSITE REQUIREMENTS: Regularly on-site at least three days a week

IRREGULAR SCHEDULE DESCRIPTION: Some weekend and evening work

ABOUT STUDIO THEATRE

Studio Theatre is a longstanding Washington cultural institution dedicated to the production of contemporary theatre. We are a community of artists and audience members who believe in the power of theater to help us understand the world, engage with some of the most important ideas and issues of the day, and affirm our common humanity. Our work is marked by its emphasis on excellence in acting and design and the signature intimacy of our four theatres, which all seat fewer than 225 patrons. Unforgettable plays and electrifying performance delivered up close have been Studio hallmarks for our entire history.

Each season, we present a diverse roster of thought-provoking contemporary plays, featuring local, national, and international artists. We also invest in the incubation and development of new work, and nurture the next generation of arts leaders through workforce development programs. Studio is a values-focused organization that pursues artistry and inclusion, and brings characteristic thoughtfulness and daring to our efforts, onstage and off. We make a concentrated effort to proactively dismantle barriers that have excluded people from joyful participation in our art form.

Rooted in our mission to foster a more thoughtful, empathetic, and connected community, Studio strives to open our doors to a wide and diverse audience. Our community engagement efforts include access and affordability initiatives, a growing community partner program, dedicated performances for students, and a commitment to building openness that allows us to function as a hub for our neighborhood and city. In all that we do, Studio endeavors to make an essential contribution to the quality of life in our nation’s capital.

Studio recently completed a major renovation of its main facility. We transformed a theater into a state-of-the-art ‘raw room’ with no fixed seating, rearranged and renovated public spaces with an eye toward building openness, created a new indoor/outdoor café space, and made other improvements throughout the building. Recent seasons have begun to reveal what the new theatre and renovated spaces make possible.

THE POSITION

Serving as the right-hand to the Artistic Director, this position manages the theatre’s day-to-day artistic operations. This is a full-time position, reporting to the Artistic Director.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Overseeing casting operations: serving as local casting director, collaborating with out-of-town casting professionals, managing the actor budget, and ensuring that casting systems are well-functioning and up-to-date
• Working with Artistic Director and visiting directors to assemble creative teams for all productions
• Acting as a primary liaison for visiting directors and other artists
• Helping shepherd shows to stage by providing day-to-day stewardship and helping solve problems
• Directing productions, benefit entertainment, and/or play readings, if appropriate to candidate’s experience and interests
• Regularly scouting talent, especially locally
• Spearheading Studio’s community engagement efforts, and proactively maintaining and building relationships with community partners like Howard University, Duke Ellington School for the Arts, and Whitman Walker Health
• Collaborating with the Production department to create out-of-town housing matrix, season calendar, and production budget
• Working collaboratively with other departments, especially marketing to help craft marketing content and development to help develop artistic content for development events
• Participating in season planning -- i.e. reading and recommending plays for production, developing ideas for future productions
• Supervising and mentoring two artistic fellows-in-residence
• Maintaining a meaningful network of professional connections, especially in the DC area
• Working to strengthen and implement Studio’s EDI practices

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Studio Theatre seeks an individual with considerable talent, passion for the theatre, and ability to advance institutional aims. We are open to candidates with a range of experiences – applicants need not be directors, and the position will be tailored to some degree to an individual’s skills and experience. We expect a candidate will have:

• A degree in theatre or equivalent professional experience
• Experience helping to advance artistic aims at a professional theatre
• An eye for talent
• Experience managing people and collaborating across disciplines
• A track record of effective communication orally and in writing
• Enthusiasm for working with teams with diverse identities
• Willingness to work on a dynamic and flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals, especially any individuals with disabilities, to perform the functions.

• Significant screen time (5-8 hours daily)

Features of the work environment will include:

• Dedicated desk space in an open office environment with crosstalk and background noises; multiple collaborative workspaces are available but with minimal privacy.
• Theatre space work involves bright and occasional flashing lights or total darkness, and loud sometimes unexpected sounds.

COMPENSATION:

This position is a full-time salaried exempt position with an annualized salary between $64,000 and $74,000

Studio Theatre offers a generous benefit package including medical with a partial employer contribution and a funded HRA, dental, and vision insurance and FSA; long-term disability insurance; life insurance; 401K with an employer match; and commuter benefits. Studio Theatre time off policies include ten paid holidays, five floating holidays, separate sick leave, and annual vacation leave accrual starting at ten days for new hires.

Studio Theatre’s administrative hours are Monday thru Friday 10am to 6pm. Studio Theatre’s remote work policy allows certain positions to work remotely up to two days a week plus exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested applicants can apply using this form.

If you need assistance filling out the form, please email employment@studiotheatre.org or call 202.232.7267 x 0 for assistance.

Studio Theatre is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, and all qualified applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.