POSITION: Non-Union Actor/ Teaching Artist
POSTED: July 1, 2025
TERM: Seasonal, January 12 – May 3, 2026 (possible extension to May 10)
SUPERVISOR: Northeast Regional Tour Manager Kirstin L. Daniel
SCHEDULE: Full-time, 5-days of travel per week typical
SALARY: $724.00 weekly + travel stipend; local housing available
About the Organization
Shakespeare & Company is a professional live theater company in the heart of the Berkshires, presenting a vibrant summer performance season featuring the works of Shakespeare in repertory with classic and contemporary plays. The Company offers one of the most extensive actor training programs by a regional theater in the country and is home to an award-winning and nationally recognized theater-in-education program. Shakespeare & Company is committed to evolving its approach to diversity and inclusion to engender an active process and positive change toward equity in its employment and artistry. Our goal is to engage ourselves in endeavors that enrich and promote a more just society, and we seek to engage those who will embrace our vigorous commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility as well as anti-racism initiatives. We strongly encourage applications from groups historically underrepresented in theater and theater administration including People of the Global Majority, LGBTQIA+, women, people who are neurodiverse, and people with disabilities.
Position Summary
The Education Program at Shakespeare & Company invites and empowers students to explore the classical poetry and plays of Shakespeare in ways that are personally inspiring, educationally rigorous, and theatrically compelling, offering innovative, socially responsive, and education ally challenging performances, workshops and residencies. The Education Program sends productions of Shakespeare’s plays, along with a variety of related workshops, into schools, colleges, large-scale performance venues, and community centers, reaching more than 20,000 students, and is recognized nationally as an innovative leader in teaching Shakespeare and integrating theatre arts into education. The Actor will perform two or more characters in a 90-minute touring production of Hamlet; lead 15-minute post-show talkbacks; lead 45-minute educational workshops in the schools; share in stage management duties; assist with lights, sound, sets, costumes, props, driving, and administrative tasks relating to the 2026 Regional Tour.
Roles & Responsibilities
- Prompt attendance at all rehearsals, performances, travel times, and other sessions as called;
- Committing all lines and business on stage to memory;
- Participating in fittings, feedback meetings, and other show-related activities;
- Performing at indoor and outdoor venues as scheduled, including sensory-friendly and open-captioned performances for the community;
- Participating in I.D.E.A. training and training for leadership in student workshops;
- Leading and/or participating in workshops facilitated at any and all tour venues;
- Sharing in rehearsal and tour running responsibilities including daily load-in and set-up, technical execution of each presentation as assigned (sound operation, dressing, etc.), daily strike and load-out, maintenance as assigned between shows (wardrobe, props repair, etc.);
- Sharing in transportation duties including driving and regular maintenance of tour vehicles;
- Sharing in information communication / dissemination, including scheduling and communicating rehearsal and performance calls, costume fittings and production meetings;
- Supporting and assisting on the execution of the Tour and other Education Program activities;
- Successful completion of a Criminal Offense Record Information check (CORI) before employment term (at Company expense).
Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Characteristics Sought
- Experience with student-aged audiences and/or teaching a plus, but not required;
- Experience with or interest in Shakespeare & Company’s aesthetic and ideals including interactive actor-audience experiences;
- Experience in organizing, working, and communicating effectively with groups of individuals from diverse backgrounds, identities, abilities, and experiences;
- A commitment to values of anti-racism and anti-oppression and the ability to cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment that prioritizes the safety and dignity of students and colleagues of all races, abilities, ethnicities, classes, orientations and gender identities;
- The desire and ability to stay curious about your own directing and teaching artistry, and be open and adaptable to feedback;
- Excellent personal, organizational, time management and communication skills;
- A positive attitude and energy;
- Willingness to listen, play and show up authentically, patiently and respectfully;
- Willingness to bring a sense of humor and flexible mindset to ever-changing, potentially stressful situations;
- Some technical theater experience preferred (stage mgmt., costumes, lighting, sound, etc.);
- Valid driver’s license preferred;
- Experience driving a passenger and/or cargo van preferred;
- Ability to lift 40 lbs.;
- Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Word and Google Workspace;
- Completion of a COVID-19 vaccine regimen and booster, if eligible, before employment term, and willingness to test as per Company safety guidelines (at Company expense).
