Casting Director - Children's Theatre Company

Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Casting Director. This full-time benefits-eligible position requires someone who has a demonstrated ability to work well with creative team members and actors, who has strong organizing and relationship building skills, who is knowledgeable about talent scouting for theatre, and who has the ability to positively contribute to an anti-racist organization and assist in dismantling structural racism in theatre. Applicants for this role should have exceptional communication and collaboration skills, and demonstrated time-management, and project management skills. This position also requires someone who can work occasional weekends and evenings to attend auditions, or outside performances and events to scout for acting talent.



CTC is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and justice in our organization and our community, and thus we seek a broad spectrum of employees. We strongly encourage and welcome applicants who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color, as well as those who are from other underrepresented communities.



ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

Led by Artistic Director Rick Dildine and Managing Director Jill Andersen, Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is the nation’s leading theatre for multigenerational audiences and is one of the 25 largest producing theatres in the United States. A winner of the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, CTC creates extraordinary theatre experiences that educate, challenge and inspire young people. It has set standards of excellence in the quality of its productions, commitment to new work, and innovative education and community partnerships.



DESCRIPTION OF MINNEAPOLIS AND THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA

Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area has a thriving and vibrant arts scene. The Twin Cities metro area is one of the largest theatre markets in the country, with over 150 theatres. Minnesota year in and year out ranks near the top nationwide in federal and state arts funding and has a strong history of private arts philanthropy.



The Twin Cities area is the second largest economic center in the Midwest and is annually ranked as a top area in terms of quality of life. It is home to several restaurants and chefs who are James Beard nominees or winners. The Minneapolis parks system has been called the best-designed, best-financed and best-maintained in America.



DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT



CTC is dedicated to increasing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our audiences, our programs and in all of our hiring for staff, artists, and recruiting of board members. CTC is committed to a future where our theatre is a home for all people, all families, and is truly reflective of our community. We are also committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination. CTC prohibits discrimination in employment against any employee or job applicant because of that person’s race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, veteran status, status with regard to public assistance, membership in a local human rights commission or any other legally protected status.



POSITION SUMMARY



The Casting Director provides all casting support for Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) artistic teams. This is a position that scouts acting talent for both student and adult actors, runs adult and student actor auditions and provides CTC artistic teams with lists for casting their shows. The Casting Director is also responsible for writing and executing contracts with all adult actors, making offers to student actors, tracking acting talent in the casting database and building and maintaining relationships within CTC and with schools, theatres and community groups to ensure strong connections between CTC and artists.



This position reports to the Artistic Director.



ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS



Auditions and Scouting

• Organize all adult and student actor auditions for all productions, readings, workshops and tours

• Organize and publicize season auditions as required by AEA and for non-AEA actors and students

• Attend regional and local auditions for both adults and students as a representative of CTC

• Work with Marketing Department and Artistic Director to publicize the Performing Apprentice Program and to enlist interest in auditioning for the program in the Twin Cities and across the country

• Organize auditions and scout for Performing Apprentices both in the Twin Cities and across the United States

• Scout talent by attending local theater events, school performances and studio showcases



Casting, Contracting and Tracking

• Work with creative team to facilitate casting of adult and student actors for all shows, workshops, readings, tours and theatre events such as the annual fundraising gala

• Solicit feedback from directors, stage managers, the Education Department and the Production Stage Manager about casting prior to offers being made to ensure there is as much information as needed to mitigate potential areas of concern

• Execute contracts for all adult and student actors

• Work with families of student actors and their schools to understand the protocols, policies and nature of the commitment when cast

• Work with creative team to create and write breakdowns for all roles in each show with character descriptions, talents sought and skills needed

• Create and update database of all adult and student actors

• Track performers in Twin Cities theatres and enter names and contact information into CTC casting database

• Track and ensure that CTC meets the goal of 50% of our actors being BIPOC for each season

• Work to identify and eliminate barriers to participation for adult and student actors

• Perform payroll onboarding tasks and enter and review payroll for all contracted actors

• Procure VISA’s for all international guest artists

• Act as main point-of-contact for Actors’ Equity Associate (AEA) including having full understanding of CTC’s CBA with AEA and overseeing the generation of compliance reporting and correspondence with AEA



Collaboration and Relationship Building

• Work with Education and Community Engagement to create opportunities for young people to interact with, learn from and collaborate with CTC artists and teaching staff

• Work across departments to build community connections for the development of young artists and to create connections with CTC staff and artists and communities across the Twin Cities

• Work collaboratively with the Twin Cities theatre community to share resources, build relationships and alliances in order to facilitate casting

• Work with Theatre Arts Training (TAT) leadership to build connections between TAT students and classes and CTC casting needs and goals

• Plan and schedule, in conjunction with the Production Stage Manager, check-in meetings and educational opportunities for Performing Apprentices

• Schedule regular check-in meetings for Company Actors with the Artistic Director



Collaborate with all staff in the furtherance of CTC’s goal of being an anti-racist theatre that works towards Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• Assist with monitoring and ensuring access, representation, participation and decision making for historically marginalized communities within the Artistic Department

• Encourage and empower everyone to speak out against racist workplace practices and policies

• Study topics that lead to a deeper understanding of how white supremacy, racial violence, and systemic racism have shaped American society and how that shapes CTC’s workplace and the lives of CTC employees

• Positively contribute to the ACT One platform, creating a future where our theatre is a home for all people, all families, reflective of our community



Other Responsibilities

• Lead other special projects at the direction of the Artistic Director

• Other duties as assigned



POSITION QUALIFICATIONS



Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Accurate - Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly

• Autonomy - Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

• Collaboration - Ability to work with others and be a positive team member contributing to a positive culture

• Communication - Ability to communicate clearly and concisely

• Computer skills – demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office Suite, email and calendar programs

• Diversity Oriented - Ability to work effectively with people regardless of their age, gender, race,

• ethnicity, religion or physical abilities

• Inclusive – Skill and value of providing equal access of opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized

• Initiative - Ability to make decisions or take actions to solve a problem or reach a goal

• Judgment - The ability to formulate a sound decision using the available information

• Liaise Effectively –Ability to facilitate effective communication between parties

• Patience - Ability to act calmly under stress and strain, and of not being hasty or impetuous

• Project Management - Ability to organize and direct a project to completion

• Relationship Building - Ability to effectively build relationships with customers and co-workers

• Tactful - Ability to show consideration for and maintain good relations with others

• Time Management - Ability to utilize the available time to organize and complete work within given

deadlines



Experience

• Demonstrated ability to work well with theatre artists and actors

• Previous casting experience preferred



Other Qualities

• A commitment to ethical conduct in all respects of the work environment

• A commitment to creating a just, equitable and inclusive work environment

• A commitment to the protection of confidential information to which this position has access

• Knowledge of Twin Cities and/or broader theatre community



COMPENSATION



The starting salary range for this full-time position is between $55,000 and $62,000 annually. Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance; short-term and long-term disability and life insurance; vacation and sick leave; nine paid holidays; and a 403(b) retirement savings plan.



TO APPLY



Please send a cover letter and resume to Andrew Robertson, Director of Human Resources at jobs@childrenstheatre.org. Please include the name of the position(s) to which you are applying in the subject line of the email.
Salary: Starting salary between $55,000 and $62,000