Teaching Artist & Education Program Manager - Playwriting

The application window for this position has an anticipated end date of 05/10/2024.

Company Overview

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is one of the largest non-profit theatre organizations in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals, and innovative, immersive experiences. Through these experiences and alongside our robust Education program, we engage hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The DCPA’s workforce includes more than 300 employed team members in non-union and union positions (in partnership with seven unions). In addition, we employ hundreds of artists and contractors annually. We have a strong volunteer program which includes more than 300 volunteers.

Our Mission: “We engage and inspire through the transformative power of live theatre.”

Culture Statement

For more than 40 years, creativity and community have been the foundation of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ success. As a leading cultural organization in the Rocky Mountain West, we are actively participating in a cultural evolution of belonging and anti-racism. Our commitment to reflect the diversity and priorities of our community — in our workplace, audience and programming — has never been more present.

We believe that the theater can transform us — and be transformed by us. We invite you to be part of our Team.

Job Purpose

The Teaching Artist & Education Program Manager – Playwriting works with the Education and Community Engagement team, teaching artists, program managers and department directors to develop and deliver high quality theatre education for children, teen and adult students, teachers, schools, school administration, corporations, theatre professionals and DCPA theatre artists. Programming happens on site and off site in schools across the Denver area and occasionally in schools outside of the metro area. This position works specifically to manage the Regional Middle School and High School Playwriting Program.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Teach theatre-based curriculum to students ages three through adult across all programming of Education and Community Engagement.
• Teach theatre arts-integrated curriculum to students in Pre-K through 12th grades.
• Develop new curriculum for the breadth of DCPA Education offerings and teaching responsibilities as requested:
  1. Development of curriculum is a combination of personal artistry/experience in collaboration with Executive Director and Director of Education and Curriculum Development and the DCPA Teaching Team.
• Collaboration with full-time faculty and part-time teaching artist team across all programs including opportunities for co-facilitation in supporting, bolstering, and advancing the mission of the DCPA, including the support of the breadth of programming for Education and Community Engagement initiatives.
• Coach students within one-on-one sessions to support private acting coaching programming.
• Deliver Saturday on-site classes, within multi-week summer programming, and other workshops - onsite and in-schools and communities.
• Create and deliver curriculum for professional development and educator training.
• Partner with the Program Manager for Bookstars, the DCPA’s PreK-Kindergarten literacy program to support program facilitation, scheduling with schools, educators, and teaching artists.
• Partner with the Director of Education and Curriculum Development on annual Denver Public Schools Shakespeare Festival to support program facilitation, scheduling with schools, educators, and teaching artists.
• Schedule, plan, and manage all aspects of the annual Regional Middle School and High School Playwriting Workshops and Competition including – but not limited to:
  1. Serve as point of contact for all schools, educators, students, teaching artists/staff participating in the program.
  2. Continued collaboration with the Executive Director of Education and Community Engagement on the vision, strategy, and deliverables of the playwriting program
  3. Annual collaborative review/revision of curriculum for workshops with Director of Education and Curriculum Development
  4. Statewide workshop scheduling – in person and virtual – with schools and teaching artists; maintaining/updating workshop support materials; onboarding teaching artists with workshop facilitation training; occasional needs for workshop facilitation.
  5. Managing the submission, reading process and finalist process in collaboration with Executive Director of Education and Community Engagement and Director of Education and Curriculum Development; collection and management of contact information and final manuscripts; liaison with DCPA departments partnering with communication and production on the competition and its staged readings.
  6. Managing the staged reading rehearsals and New Play Summit and community productions; serving as student/family liaison for finalists; curating, editing, and creating the yearly hardcopy anthology of winners.
  7. Partner with the DCPA Education & Community Engagement Admin team to produce and manage the week of rehearsals and the final readings – studio reservations including set up and strike, catering, creation of program, coordinating staff duties, house management.
  8. Track, culminate and aggregate programmatic engagement and data.

Qualifications

• B.A., B.F.A, M.A., or M.F.A, degree in theatre, musical theatre, production management, theatre education, or similar or equal professional experience.
• 5 to 7 years of experience drama/theatre teaching, including demonstrating proficiency in developing and teaching arts-integrated curriculum, articulating and teaching the breath of the theatre experience and the craft of acting, proficiency with rubric-based assessment preferred.
• Experience working with a diversity of classrooms, programs, and ages.
• Strong writing and reporting skills required. Possess highly collaborative and organizational skills. Assessment proficiency preferred.
• Possess highly collaborative and organizational skills within demanding production processes with the ability to remain positive and solution flexible.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Well versed in working and collaborating with schools, teachers, school districts and community partners.
• Experience working with pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle school and high school students including devising and directing.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office suite.
• Excellent collaboration, speaking and communication skills.

Working Conditions

Must be able to accommodate a highly variable schedule. Must be available to work nights and weekends. Must be able to travel throughout metro-Denver and statewide. This position operates in a professional office environment using standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and fax machines.

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but in some classroom settings can be loud.

Benefits

Full time positions include the following benefits:

Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance and Pet Insurance

401k Plan with employer contributions

Time off benefits including personal days, sick days, vacation days and 10 paid holidays.

The DCPA is located in Denver, CO and all roles are based at our on-site location: 1101 13th Street, Denver, CO 80204. Some roles at the DCPA may be eligible for hybrid work options. More information is available through the interview process.

In order to provide high quality, culturally competent care to our patrons, students, guests and team members, it is of highest importance that our hiring practices reflect our values by offering an environment that celebrates diversity and embraces inclusion. All of our team members – regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, language, abilities/disabilities, socioeconomic status, geographic region, or other defining characteristics – should feel welcome and valued.