Assistant/Associate Professor of Acting

Shenandoah Conservatory, one of the country’s leading centers for collaborative work across the performing arts, is seeking nominations and applications for an exceptional actor invested in diversity, inclusion, and equity to join the Meisner-based Acting program faculty in the Theatre Division. This full-time and benefited position located on our main campus in Winchester, Virginia, with rank dependent upon qualifications, begins August 2023.

Responsibilities:

The successful incoming artist/practitioner will bring a depth of industry experience, connections, and knowledge to further strengthen Shenandoah Conservatory’s profile and reputation as a national center of inclusive excellence in theatre training.

Specifically, the desired candidate:

● Will provide superior mentorship for acting students as they prepare to enter the profession, teaching Acting for the Camera and other courses in the acting curriculum as needed;
● Will have direct experience with inclusivity efforts, and be positioned to further advance the Conservatory’s reputation as an inclusive and premier place of study where promising actors from diverse backgrounds engage around innovative and collaborative work; and
● Will play an important and innovative role in student recruitment. Service on school-wide committees and participation in meetings, auditions, and recruitment activities are expected.

Required Experience

Qualifications include the following:

● An established or growing profile of performance in acting, coaching, or directing across the industry;
● A demonstrated commitment to the work of inclusion and equity manifested in actions, initiatives, and articulated philosophy;
● Experience in teaching, preferably within a conservatory-type program and setting; and
● Eligibility to work in the United States. An MFA degree is preferred but not required.

About the Theatre Division:

Shenandoah Conservatory’s Theatre Division is in an exciting period of development. Beyond having one of the country’s most distinguished Musical Theatre programs, the Theatre Division – which focuses exclusively on undergraduate BFA training and is uniquely situated within a comprehensive performing arts conservatory - includes an innovative Meisner-based Acting program, and an intensive undergraduate Theatre Design and Production program. The three programs maintain a reputation for excellence in pre-professional training and keep a constant eye on the industry, providing highly individualized education in a rigorous yet supportive environment. The Conservatory maintains multiple performance spaces across campus. Main theatre performance spaces include Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre (a 632-seat proscenium theatre), Glaize Studio Theatre (a flexible black box), as well as Hal Herman Lab Theatre (a uniquely flexible teaching and student performance space that is scheduled for completion in February 2021). Other Conservatory-related performance spaces include Armstrong Concert Hall, Goodson Recital Hall, and Shingleton Black Box. In addition to a robust traditional production calendar, Shenandoah Conservatory also hosts a resident professional summer stock theatre, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre. As one of the country’s largest campus-based summer musical theatre seasons, SSMT welcomes over 20,000 patrons annually, producing three full-scale musicals, and employing student and professional actors in the company.

About Shenandoah Conservatory:

Shenandoah Conservatory was founded in 1875 and has an extraordinary legacy of shaping music and the performing arts in Virginia and beyond. Located at the head of the historic Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA, 70 miles west of Washington DC, the Conservatory is now home to over 640 award-winning students from across the nation and globe enrolled in baccalaureate, master, and doctoral curricula in the areas of music, theater, and dance, and includes a distinguished faculty of over 125, half of whom are full-time. Beyond being a comprehensive performing arts school, Shenandoah Conservatory is home to exceptional artists and scholars who are unusually oriented towards collaboration and innovative approaches to the career preparation of students. The Conservatory’s ShenCoLAB (formerly titled Student Performance Week) is but one example of the Conservatory’s nation-leading embrace of innovation and collaboration: a (first-in-the-country) week-long stoppage of all classes and rehearsals across all programs with the school turned over to students for student-
led (and faculty-mentored) collaborative projects. The Conservatory’s proximity to Washington, DC and Dulles Airport, ensures easy access to and regular interaction with professionals from around the country and world.
www.su.edu/conservatory

How to Apply:

The complete application will include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references. The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a qualified candidate is selected.

Shenandoah University is committed to enriching its educational experience and culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration, and staff. All candidates are strongly encouraged to include a statement in their cover letters addressing ways in which they may be able to contribute to that commitment.

**Note: A pre-employment background check and a satisfactory driving record will be required as a condition of hire.

Shenandoah University values the unique and diverse perspectives of individuals and communities locally and globally and seeks to foster mutual understanding in an inviting community where individuals are welcome and respected. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran’s status, or on any other basis protected under applicable law.

Salary Type
Not Applicable