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Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor of Theatre (Technical Director and Scenic Designer)

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening.

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Applicants should submit:

• Letter of application that specifically addresses your interest in, and qualifications for, the job responsibilities listed.
• Curriculum vitae with relevant professional and/or educational experience.
• Statement of teaching philosophy in which you describe your goals for student learning, the methods that you use (or would use) to help students achieve them, and how you assess (or plan to assess) student learning. This statement should also explicitly address how you create (or plan to create) an inclusive learning environment that is attuned to diversity and equity.
• Design Portfolio including process elements (e.g., production photos, technical drawing examples, scenic representation such as digital or physical models, renderings, and paint elevations etc.)
• Full contact information for three references.
  

For questions or more information, please contact Amanda Sweger ( ), Associate Professor of Theatre, Chair of Theatre and Dance, and Chair of the Search Committee.

Posting Number:

Posting Number: 0602921

Recruitment Type:

Recruitment Type: Open to All Applicants

Position Title:

Position Title: Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor of Theatre (Technical Director and Scenic Designer)

Position Type:

Position Type: Faculty

Benefits Status:

Benefits Status: Benefits Eligible

FLSA:

FLSA: Exempt

Hiring Range:

Location

Tacoma, WA 98447

Department:

Posting Date:

Posting Date: 05/22/2025

Closing Date

Closing Date Review of application materials will begin June 12, 2025, and continue until the position is filled.

Work Schedule:

Part-time, Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor position available January 5, 2026.

General Description:

The School of Music, Theatre & Dance ( SMTD ) at Pacific Lutheran University invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor, Technical Director and Set Designer, beginning January 5, 2025. The Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2013, provides a venue for most Opera, Theatre, and Dance productions, and a secondary space for some music performances. This includes the 600-seat proscenium Eastvold Mainstage and the 120-seat reconfigurable Becvar Studio Theatre. Facilities include a carpentry shop with some metalworking capability.

The ideal candidate would be able to scenic design, build, and paint our two spring productions while acting as the scene shop manager for about 15 student employees and major practicum students. The two spring productions are 33 Variations in our black box theatre, and The Light in the Piazza on the Eastvold Mainstage. Performance dates for 33 Variations are March 11-15, and May 8-10 for Light in the Piazza .

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and direction for student employees and majors working in the scene shop.
• Design, plan, and execute high-quality scenic designs and properties for two theatre productions within trade standard specifications.
• Other duties as assigned based upon the appointee’s strengths and School needs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with, teach, and mentor groups and students from diverse backgrounds.
• Knowledge of and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Strong communication, leadership, and advocacy skills.
• Knowledge of theatrical carpentry and scenic painting techniques.
• Ability to graphically communicate ideas and technical plans.
• Ability to maintain theatrical trade, local and federal safety standards
• Ability to plan, organize, and execute a scenic build within budget.
• Generalized knowledge of college-level theatre curriculum, including production practicum (i.e. shop hours).
• Ability to communicate visually through drawings, sketches, models, renderings or digital art.
• Knowledge and experience with double purchase fly systems, weight arbors and rigging safety standards.

Required Qualifications:

• BA/ BFA in Design/Technical Theatre with requisite professional level experience in Technical Direction. Applicants with an MFA may be considered for a Visiting Assistant Professor position, while those with a BA/ BFA may be considered for a Visiting Instructor position.
• Applicant must be legally eligible to work in the United States on hire date AND legally authorized to work in the United States for Pacific Lutheran University without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree ( MFA ) in Technical Direction and/or Scenic Design, or a closely related field.
• Prior teaching experience at the college level or background in other educational/professional theatre settings.
• Ability to use a computer-aided drafting program such as Vectorworks or AutoCAD.

Work Conditions:

Well-equipped woodshop with some metal-working capacity.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to physically build and paint large set pieces. Regularly lift 50+ pounds. Exposure to loud noise, bright lights, and heights.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Applicants should submit:

• Letter of application that specifically addresses your interest in, and qualifications for, the job responsibilities listed.
• Curriculum vitae with relevant professional and/or educational experience.
• Statement of teaching philosophy in which you describe your goals for student learning, the methods that you use (or would use) to help students achieve them, and how you assess (or plan to assess) student learning. This statement should also explicitly address how you create (or plan to create) an inclusive learning environment that is attuned to diversity and equity.
• Design Portfolio including process elements (e.g., production photos, technical drawing examples, scenic representation such as digital or physical models, renderings, and paint elevations etc.)
• Full contact information for three references.
  

For questions or more information, please contact Amanda Sweger ( ), Associate Professor of Theatre, Chair of Theatre and Dance, and Chair of the Search Committee.

Other Information:

Pacific Lutheran University purposefully integrates the liberal arts, professional studies and civic engagement in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Our faculty lead with a bold commitment to expanding well-being, opportunity, and justice and instill this commitment in their students. PLU educators work to create an environment where students feel heard and valued, nurturing lifelong learners who aren’t afraid to do things differently to make the world better for everyone. PLU supports faculty as they help students turn ambition into purpose, skills into tools, and their caring into a transformative force.

Because PLU is a community committed to the creation and advancement of knowledge through diversity and inclusion, the university actively recruits a faculty, staff, and student body from all religions, races, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientations, and gender expressions and from all over the world. For the 2023–24 academic year, 41.0 percent of PLU undergraduate students are from the first generation in their families to attend college; 50.0 percent self-identify as students of color; and 36.0 percent are Pell Grant–eligible.

Offering distinctive opportunities for global engagement, collaborative student-faculty research, and purposeful learning, our faculty guide 2,700 students from all faiths and backgrounds to discern their purpose through relevant coursework, inclusive mentoring, and internships at world-class Puget Sound-area businesses and institutions. PLU is located on a 156-acre woodland campus in the Parkland neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington and about 40 minutes south of downtown Seattle. The campus reflects consciously green practices and is in proximity to the natural beauty of Mount Rainier, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and the Puget Sound.

PLU administration supports and respects the strong culture of faculty-shared governance by working closely and collaboratively with faculty leadership to sustain and strengthen existing structures and procedures while working together on key institutional, academic and curricular decisions. PLU is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from members of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research, or other work activities. For general application questions or if you need accommodations at any point in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 253-535-7185 or Click here for detailed benefits information.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Will you have a Bachelor's degree or higher in hand by the time of appointment?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Are you legally eligible to work in the United States on your hire date AND legally authorized to work in the United States for Pacific Lutheran University without sponsorship?
  • Yes
  • No

12180 Park Ave. S
Tacoma, WA 98447
(253) 535-7185
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