Open Positions

Various positions with the company are open on a rolling basis year around as needed for seasonal, project based, and freelance positions.

SpeakEasy Stage Company is an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate based on race, religion, age, sexuality, gender identification, or physical ability. The company is deeply committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

RELEVANT DATES FOR TECHNICAL PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES:

FAIRVIEW – FEB 17 – MARCH 11, 2023
WILD GOOSE DREAMS – MAR 17 – APR 8, 2023
THE PROM – MAY 5 – JUN 3, 2023

Executive Director

SpeakEasy is a robust and thriving theatre company with an annual budget of approximately $2 million. Based in Boston’s vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming South End neighborhood, it is a resident company at the prestigious Boston Center for the Arts and the Calderwood Pavilion, where it has been providing loyal audiences transformative theatrical experiences for over 30 years.

SpeakEasy has a reputation for producing shows that tell engaging and thought-provoking, bold stories that spur conversation and community engagement. SpeakEasy is committed to working with Boston-based actors, directors and designers. In this manner, it functions as an irreplaceable anchor for the Boston theater community, providing employment for hundreds of area creatives each year.

The Company has recently refined and strengthened its anti-racist platform, and strives to center the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level of its hiring, staffing, programming, engagement, and board practices. For this position, SpeakEasy welcomes interest from all qualified candidates and strongly encourages the application of individuals identifying as BIPOC, LBGTQIA+, neuro-diverse, and differently-abled.

The Executive Director is a new position created to function as the chief executive of SpeakEasy Stage. This position has been designed to complement the visionary artistic leadership of the organization’s Artistic Director and the talents of a dedicated and energetic staff. The position will function as a dual report with the Artistic Director, to the Board of Directors. This trio will lead the organization into its next chapter of artistic and management excellence.

ABOUT THE ROLE
For over thirty years, SpeakEasy has been led artistically and managerially by its founder and Producing Artistic Director. Recognizing that both roles have increased in scope and complexity as the company has grown, Mr. Daigneault recommended to the Board of Directors that the organization split the artistic and management leadership positions. Contemplating an ambitious future envisioned to include a capital campaign, an amplified community engagement effort, and an opportunity to increase philanthropic support, the Board concurred, and recently voted to create the new role.

DIRECT REPORTS TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Reporting to the Executive Director are the following roles:

• The Director of Marketing and Communications
• The Development Manager
• The General Manager, who oversees finance and human resources functions

OVERARCHING RESPONSIBILITIES
Key Responsibilities of the Executive Director are as follows:

• Senior Strategist and Executive Spokesperson – The Executive Director will work with the Artistic Director and Board of Directors to set and implement Strategic Direction for the company – aligning mission, strategy, and outcomes in pursuit of artistic excellence; deepened community engagement; anti-racism, equity and inclusion; and financial and operational strength. The Executive Director will be highly-relatable, personally committed to the advancement of the SpeakEasy Equity and Anti-Racism plan, and comfortable in public settings, functioning as the company’s chief executive spokesperson.
• Chief Fundraiser and Marketer – SpeakEasy benefits from the talents of a Director of Marketing and Communications, who has led the company’s marketing efforts since its inception. The company’s search for a development manager is underway; SpeakEasy is operating under the goal to present the incoming Executive Director with final candidates for interview and selection, in partnership with the Development Committee of the Board. Each of these roles will report to the Executive Director, who will guide their efforts in partnership with respective Board Committees.
• Senior Financial and Operations Manager – The Executive Director will oversee SpeakEasy’s annual operations and budget, in collaboration with the Executive Committee. As the company’s senior financial officer, the Executive Director will oversee the General Manager’s administration of production budgets and the annual budget, providing regular and transparent reports to the Board of Directors. The Executive Director will provide oversight of all operations in accordance with SpeakEasy by-laws, policies, and the requirements of labor unions and employment law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• Board of Directors – As an ex officio member, the Executive Director will work closely with the Board of Directors to report on financial and operational status and results, participate in discussion of issues and plans, and support Standing Committees.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Director is the senior responsible officer for achievement of results in the areas of marketing, fundraising, finance, operations, and governance. Specific responsibilities of the position include:

• Lead SpeakEasy’s culture of collaboration, team-building, mutual respect, equity and inclusion, partner with the Artistic Director, staff and Board to implement the company’s Anti-Racism and Equity Plan.
• In collaboration with the Artistic Director and the Community and Artistic Programs
  Manager, manage and enrich partnerships with community organizations and institutions.
• Function as the senior executive ‘face of SpeakEasy’ in external communication with the press, individual, and institutional donors and other benefactors, volunteers, and
  community collaborators.
• As the company’s senior fundraiser, work with company development personnel and the Development Committee of the board to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, institutional and government funders.
• As the company’s senior marketer, work with the Director of Marketing &
  Communications to design and implement strategies to build earned revenue from ticket sales, subscriptions, and other available means.
• Manage and support direct reports, helping to define annual plans and goals, as well as individual annual performance plans. Work with direct reports to monitor progress against those plans throughout the year and conduct a performance evaluation at the end of each year.
• Identify new opportunities and/or new approaches to accomplishing goals within areas of responsibility; share with Artistic Director and/or Board Chair as relevant.
• Identify emerging issues that may/will affect achievement of planned results; share with Artistic Director and/or Board Chair as relevant.
• Oversee methods for tracking progress on all operational and financial goals throughout the season; report to Executive Committee of the Board and the Board of Directors at scheduled meetings and respond to ad hoc requests as requested.

PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Seven to ten years of progressive leadership experience in a non-profit arts management role, including budgeting and financial management, fundraising, marketing, and knowledge of the intersection of these functions
• Proven ability to steer fundraising and marketing efforts in the non-profit context
• Occasional evening and weekend work is required, including to attend evening meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, fundraising events, and key events in the performance calendar
• Excellent interpersonal relationship skills to lead, inspire and motivate within a multifaceted organization; collaborative and supportive approach to management and supervision
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Ability to establish relationships with donors and patrons; discretion in handling
  confidential information
• Personal characteristics: mission-driven, goal-oriented, multi-tasker, strategic thinker, able to make hard decisions when faced with competing priorities

LOCATION
SpeakEasy’s office is located in Boston’s South End at 551 Tremont Street; all staff have the option of working one day a week from home.

HEALTH AND SAFETY
Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 is required (or proof of medical/religious exemption). Employees will also be required to disclose COVID 19 test results for testing provided by the employer or other test suppliers. All employees must adhere to safe and sanitary working conditions as described in the Production Health and Safety Plan.

COMPENSATION
$115,000-$125,000

HOW TO APPLY
Since SpeakEasy strives to become a fully anti-racist organization and has an inclusive and equitable culture, we strongly encourage applicants from historically marginalized communities.

To apply, please upload your resume and cover letter to the online application here.

For questions in advance of applying, please contact us at jobs@speakeasystage.com.

Please click the link below to complete a voluntary demographic census. Responses are anonymous, are not required for employment and are not used in hiring decisions
https://forms.gle/2UvUoWXS8BkqJk1K6

To learn why SpeakEasy asks for this information, please see SpeakEasy’s Equity and AntiRacism Plan here.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

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THE BASICS: HOW PRODUCTION HIRING WORKS AT SPEAKEASY

Traditional paths to a theatre career can be a maze of twisty passages with no obvious entrance.  In the interest of making our hiring more equitable, SpeakEasy is offering this guide to the different positions and the paths to hiring.

Job Postings:

SpeakEasy posts jobs to multiple sources:  our web page at www.speakeasystage.com, StageSource at www.stagesource.org, the Boston Theatre Freelance facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/bostontheatrefreelance and Hire Culture www.hireculture.org

We also will send targeted emails to past employees, past job applicants, and people on our list of overhire technicians.

Any person may apply at any time by emailing materials to jobs@speakeasystage.com.

OVERHIRE CREW

SpeakEasy relies on overhire crew with a variety of technical skills for hourly work.  This work is advertised via an internal email list of overhire workers, and also posted to the Boston Theatre Freelance facebook group.  

Job Description: We hire these workers during the week immediately prior to public performance when we need many hands to assemble the physical elements of the show.  These jobs do not continue during rehearsals or performances.  The supervisor is the department head – TD for carpenters/loaders, Master Electrician for electricians, Sound Designer or Audio Supervisor for sound engineers, Props Master for props and craft artisans, and Wardrobe Supervisors and Costume Designers for stitchers.

Compensation: Rates are $17-$20/hour, paid with a 4-hour minimum.  That means that if the work call is only one or two hours, the worker is still paid for 4 hours.  The “4 hour mini” is an industry standard that makes the travel time worth it though short maintenance or notes calls may be brief in duration.

How to apply: To gain entry to the overhire list, we require an e-mailed resume describing training and past or current jobs in technical theatre, that is descriptive about skills including:

• Theatre lighting – electrician, hanging, cabling, and focusing lights   
• Sound technician for audio gear setup, troubleshooting, and take down   
• Stage carpentry   
• Scenic painting   
• Props or crafts work   
• Stitching or altering costumes   
• Driving, vehicles such as car, cargo van, or box truck   
• Loading (less skilled, more ability to move items and equipment)

It is common to have multiple areas of expertise listed for one person on the overhire list.

We add technicians with high-school level of skills and experience to the overhire list all the time.  While we could not succeed with a crew consisting of all workers of limited skill, there is often room for a variety of skills to round out a crew.  Jobs get assigned on the fly and there is room for as-you-go learning of specific tasks.

For this reason it is suggested that the overhire list be the first way to gain employment backstage for skilled work.

To gain access to the overhire list, please send a resume, and we may contact you for a brief phone, video, or in-person interview before adding you to the list.

DESIGNERS: LIGHTING, SOUND, SET, COSTUMES, PROJECTIONS/VIDEO

Job Description: Designers (Sound, Set/Scenic Lighting, Costumes, Sound, Projections/video) are key creative contributors to productions.  The job requires a great deal of artistry as well as technical knowledge and practical problem-solving.  Designers do a mix of realizing their own design to handing off detailed drawings or specifications to have the design elements build, shopped, or acquired by other workers.

We start with the art first, so in addition to a resume and experience, a portfolio is essential to getting hired as a designer.  Portfolios on a publicly accessible website are preferred, but any form that can be easily viewed electronically will work.

How to apply: Designers who are new or unknown to the company usually are hired by scheduling a portfolio review with the Production manager and/or Artistic Director, and then by arranging other short interviews with Directors or other lead artistic staff on a project.  These interviews may be by phone or video or in person.

We also accept references from directors, designers, and stage managers who often recommend designers they have worked with in the past.

Compensation: Designers are freelancers, paid a flat fee, starting at $1,500 for mainstage productions.  Special projects or second stage productions may start lower.  The job is hired as a freelance contractor, with the designer doing most of the creative work at their own studio or residence on their own schedule.  Paid as 1099.  We hire a mix of union (USA Local 829) and non-union designers.  Union designers may receive benefits according to the contract, non-union designers do not receive benefits above the fee.

Costume Designers usually do more hands-on work to realize designs (buying, building, or altering) and are offered additional fee towards that work based on the cast size and period or complexity of the show.

RUN CREW: WARDROBE SUPERVISORS, WARDROBE RUN CREW, BACKSTAGE CREW, AND BOARD OPS

Run crew positions are hired hourly to fill key roles in running and maintaining our productions.  We begin by hiring the supervising positions: Wardrobe Supervisors, Stage Managers, and Assistant Stage Managers at the beginning of each season.  Based on the needs and budgets of the show, we hire run crew to fit the needs of the show.  All crew jobs share in basic maintenance and cleaning of the stage and backstage areas and pre-show prep.  Crew do not do building maintenance or specialized work on set, lights, or sound equipment.

Run Crew positions require skills and experience working backstage on live theatre events.  We tend to hire with stage management experience for most general crew jobs, but if the production has a special technical element we will look for skilled applicants.  Board operators must have some background operating lighting, sound or video systems but are often trained on our particular setup during rehearsals.

Compensation:

Wardrobe Supervisors $17/hr W2 eligible for overtime

Run Crew – $15 per hour W2 eligible for overtime over 40 hours per week

STAGE MANAGERS, AND ASMS

Job Description: All Stage Management jobs and some ASM (Assistant Stage Management jobs) are union positions for SpeakEasy mainstage shows.  Stage Managers are hired mostly upon personal recommendation from directors, choreographers, and artistic directors.  Stage Management candidates who are new to the company are hired after several in-person or remote job interviews and extensive checks of references.  The communication between the stage manager and the director, cast, creative team, and run crew is critical.

How to apply: Assistant Stage Managers are hired as union and non-union depending on the production.  ASM candidates often come from resumes submitted directly, by promoting a run crew or overhire employee, or from a personal recommendation from another stage manager or director.

Compensation: Union Stage Managers are paid $550-700 per week salary plus overtime and benefits, with rates set by a Union Collectively Bargained Agreement.  Non-union Assistant Stage Managers are paid $15 per hour, eligible for overtime, no benefits, and minimum salary of $250/week.

TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT HEADS: PROJECT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR (TD) MASTER ELECTRICIAN, AND PROPS MASTER (ADD HIDE/REVEAL)

SpeakEasy stage does not own and operate a theatre full time, so we hire technical department heads on a show-by-show basis, to be resident and working on-site the week prior to opening our shows.  For consistency we try to hire for multiple projects.  We hire candidates that come to us through resume submission, personal recommendation from other theatres and production managers, and by promoting employees with past experience in Overhire and crew positions.

How to apply: In addition to a resume and reference check, we require several interviews that include in-depth descriptions of past projects and examples of technical abilities as well as people-management skills.

Compensation: Project TD and ME positions are paid a salary starting at $1,600 per show.  Props Masters are paid a similar salary OR hourly at $25/hour depending on the complexity of the project.