Creative & Experience Assistant

Description

POSITION:    Creative & Experience Assistant

CLASSIFICATION:  Full-Time, Seasonal

STATUS:    Non-Exempt

REPORTS TO:   Creative Development Manager

SUPERVISES:  N/A

LOCATION:    Position may begin work remotely, depending on start date. Position requires relocating to Williamstown, MA from June - August, during which housing is provided.

COMPENSATION:   $20/hour

HIRING TIMELINE: Applications to be accepted until position is filled, with a priority application deadline of March 24, 2025. Application review and interviews to be conducted starting the final week of March with an anticipated full-time start date of June 21st with arrival in Williamstown June 20th. Exact start date is flexible, depending on schedules/conflicts.

Job Summary

This role supports the artistic endeavors of the institution. A focus is on Creative Development and Experience activities for the Festival, supporting development pipeline and activities of the organization. Duties include: 

Primary Responsibilities and Expectations

• Supports activities related to the summer phase of Weissberger Prize adjudication, such as tracking nominated scripts, managing readers, and providing coverage on scripts.
• Supports the process for experience development for the season.
• Supports the commissions program and the pipeline of new work commissions by upholding workflows and deadlines with artists coordinating developmental stages.  
• Works with producing and creative development teams to integrate programming into Festival operations.
• Supports the Producer and the producing team in producing the new work reading series.  
• Supports the development process for any season dramaturgy.
• Supports summer artist residencies and artist experience in partnership with Company Management and leadership.
• In partnership with the creative development and producing team, supports workshops being produced at the Festival.
• Supports any talkbacks or panels featuring actors, creative team members, experts, and/or WTF staff, moderating as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a literary office writing script coverage 
• Attention to detail and organizational skills
• Experience with heavy email communication 
• Experience managing a team 
• Public speaking skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once 
• Experience interacting with artists in a close capacity 
• Familiarity with new work development

We appreciate the value of myriad life and work experiences, and we recognize that many paths might adequately prepare someone for this role. We encourage anyone who believes they would be a good fit to apply.

About Williamstown Theatre Festival

After seven decades of helping to shape the American theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival is bringing emerging and professional artists together in the Berkshires to create a thrilling summer festival that expands the expression of theater and its essential role in society. The Festival will continue to produce the world premiere plays and musicals and bold new revivals that it’s come to be known for, while expanding into other forms of theatrical expression that brings many art forms together in exciting and innovative ways.

Williamstown Theatre Festival has always been, and continues to be, a creative hothouse for established and emerging artists and their work. More than 75 productions have transferred from the Festival to other regional theaters, Off-Broadway, and Broadway, with many productions being adapted for television and film. Thousands of actors, writers, designers, directors, and aspiring theater professionals from all fields that have come through the Festival to challenge themselves and their craft have gone on to prominence and recognition on Broadway, in Hollywood and beyond. Learn more at wtfestival.org.

Working and Living in Williamstown

Williamstown Theatre Festival’s season takes place on the beautiful campus of Williams College in Williamstown, MA with backdrops of the Berkshire, Green, and Taconic mountain ranges. Williamstown, MA (estimated pop. 7,813) is located in Berkshire County (estimated pop. 128,657) in Western Massachusetts and is an hour’s drive from Albany, NY and 30 minutes from Pittsfield, MA. 

The Williams College campus and the 62’ Center for Theatre and Dance are within walking distance of Spring Street, which has several restaurants with dine-in and takeout options, a coffee shop, an ice cream shop, an independent movie theater, and several stores. The nearest grocery store is a 10-minute drive from campus and not within walking distance. Having a personal vehicle does provide more flexibility in grocery-shopping and expands dining and activities options. For those who bring vehicles, parking is free at designated locations on Williams campus with a parking pass.  For a list of all the things to do and see in Williamstown and the Northern Berkshires, visit DestinationWilliamstown.org.  

All seasonal staff are provided housing free of charge on campus at Williams College. Housing is dorm-style with private bedrooms and shared common areas, including bathroom and kitchen. Williams College housing is not air-conditioned. Weather ranges from evenings on the cooler side but can also be quite warm with temperatures in the 90s with high humidity.

We acknowledge that Williamstown Theatre Festival is a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) located in a county that is 91% white, according to the US Census Bureau. We are actively engaged in the work of becoming a more equitable, diverse, inclusive, accessible, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive institution that not only welcomes BIPOC artists and staff but nurtures an environment that allows everyone to thrive. More specific actions on these efforts can be found in our Progress Report on our website: https://wtfestival.org/work-learn/.

Williamstown Theatre Festival is committed to telling diverse stories and to fostering an inclusive environment both onstage and off. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. We believe that opportunity, access, resources, and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all. Therefore, WTF is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants shall be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, sex/gender (including pregnancy and gender identity), disability, military status, veteran status, marital status, familial status, ancestry, genetics, or any other class or characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Candidates from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply.

Salary : $20