Assistant Professor, Theatre for Youth and Community and Acting

School of Music, Dance and Theatre

Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University

Description:

The School of Music, Dance and Theatre at Arizona State University seeks an exceptional artist-teacher in Theatre: Theatre for Youth and Community with an emphasis in Acting to join our faculty. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated expertise in the creation and/or study of theatre for youth and community and established acting-based pedagogy and practice. This is a full-time tenure-track assistant professor appointment, beginning fall 2022.

About ASU

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 80,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

About the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is the largest comprehensive design and arts school in the country, located within a dynamic research university focused on transformative change. Built on a unique combination of disciplines, the Herberger Institute comprises the Schools of Art; Arts, Media and Engineering; Music, Dance and Theatre; The Design School; The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, and the ASU Art Museum. The Herberger Institute is committed to redefining the 21st-century design and arts school through developing and scaling ideas that strengthen the role of designers and artists across all areas of society and culture, increasing the capacity of artists to make a difference in their communities. For more information on the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, visit herbergerinstitute.asu.edu.

About the School of Music, Dance and Theatre

The School of Music, Dance and Theatre in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University is widely recognized for preparing artists, scholars, visionaries and entrepreneurs to become creative leaders who transform society through their art. Our internationally recognized faculty artists, scholars and guest artists are motivating and compassionate mentors who work with students to cultivate excellence and personal growth. Our nationally recognized programs feature a comprehensive range of degrees plus minors and certificates and more than 600 concerts, events, performances, productions and recitals each year. Located in the culturally rich Southwest in one of the most vibrant, expanding urban centers, our programs afford students access to a diverse environment and engagement in Phoenix’s flourishing arts community. Above all, we value the creativity, personal experience and voice each student brings to the school. For more information on the School of Music, Dance and Theatre, visit musicdancetheatre.asu.edu. 

The theatre program, with its emphasis on new work and socially engaged practice, is a collaborative community of artists, scholars, students, faculty, and staff who are shaping the future of theatre through inventive curricula and innovative programming. We foster creativity, community, collaboration, and collegiality in our classrooms and studios while supporting faculty research endeavors, public programming and community engagement. With over 250 undergraduate theatre majors and over 35 MA, MFA and PhD students, the theatre program fosters a dynamic environment in which creative practice, scholarly research and pedagogy are mutually supportive. Every year we present an extensive season of production supported with engagement initiatives that connect us to stakeholders within the ASU and metro Phoenix community. The internationally recognized theatre for youth and community program features distinguished faculty, excellent facilities, comprehensive coursework and practical experiences in all areas of theatre, educational theatre, community cultural development and theatre for youth. The faculty provide students individualized attention and focused mentorship in a challenging and supportive atmosphere designed to educate future leaders in the field. Our program re-envisions the role of the artist in society who focuses on the devising and development of new work, and provides students with a rigorous academic and hands-on theatre education that emphasizes performance in both live theatre and recorded media.

The Assistant Professor of Theatre for Youth and Community/Acting will work to advance the mission of the theatre program within the School of Music, Dance and Theatre and will collaborate with current area faculty, to teach undergraduate and graduate level coursework consistent with school and program needs in: teaching artistry with a wide range of populations (examples: preK-12, creative aging, intergenerational); performance with, by, and for young people; various facets of performance practice with a specific focus in acting; and specialized courses in the candidate’s specific research area or creative practice. Additional responsibilities include: maintaining an active research and creative activity profile through scholarly publication and conference participation and/or performance activity; mentoring students in field experiences, professional internships, and student teaching; directing and serving on student committees including BA capstones, Honors and MA theses, MFA applied projects, and PhD dissertations; and providing service to the institution, the field and the community, including maintaining connections between the university and K-12 schools in the metro area and state, and/or regional and national theatres and community organizations with a specific focus in theatre for young audiences, community cultural development, and/or applied drama/theatre.

Instructions to Apply:

Please submit:

• Letter of interest addressing how the candidate uniquely meets the qualifications for the position, in particular: work experience, creative activity and/or research, collaboration, innovative teaching, and service.
• A current curriculum vitae.
• A 1–2-page teaching philosophy statement.
• A 1–2-page statement addressing the candidate’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Contact information for three references (email, phone number).
• A statement of research or artistic practice and 2 to 5 samples of scholarly or creative work (examples include but are not limited to published articles or book chapters, recorded performances, performance programs and professional reviews.
• One sample undergraduate course syllabus developed by the candidate.

Video and/or audio samples must be submitted via live hyperlinks to media sharing websites (ex. YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, etc.). To submit multiple video and/or audio samples, please provide one document with all hyperlinks and any supporting details or description. You may also provide hyperlinks in the same document to articles and/or published written material, or you may provide a pdf of that material. For detailed instructions on how to create a document with live hyperlinks, please click here.

All applications must be submitted electronically via http://apply.interfolio.com/99321.

Application Deadline:

The application deadline is February 16, 2022. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool.  Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses and certifications.

Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

(See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.)

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COVID-19 Vaccination - Arizona State University is a federal contractor and subject to federal regulations which may require you to produce a record of a COVID-19 vaccination.  For questions about medical or religious accommodations, please visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s webpage.

We acknowledge the 22 tribes who are native to Arizona, and more specifically the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Piipaash or Pee Posh (Maricopa) tribes on whose ancestral homelands ASU’s Tempe campus resides.

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in Theatre or a related field, or commensurate experience. A master’s degree is required for international applicants.
• Two or more years of successful teaching as a lead instructor at a college or university or a superior record of teaching and service as a facilitator or teaching artist in an educational context.
• Scholarly/research/creative activity as demonstrated through performance, publications and/or presentations.
• Exemplary pedagogical skills and knowledge.
• A record of professional activities in theatre for youth and community (teaching artistry, theatre for young audiences, applied drama/theatre, community-based performance, etcetera) and acting or related areas.
• Evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in creative activity and research, teaching and service.

Desired Qualifications:

• National/international recognition in research and creative activity.
• Ability to design and implement Theatre curriculum and programs for both online and in-person courses.
• Ability to conduct socially engaged research and creative work in an interdisciplinary community of scholars and artists and among scholars in the sciences and humanities.
• Demonstrated ability to provide pedagogical and artistic leadership in one or more of the following performance practices: movement, community-based theatre, puppetry, devising new work, directing, dramatic writing.
• Ability to develop, launch, and manage grants or large-scale initiatives.
• Experience working or collaborating with non-profit organizations, community partnerships; collaborations with community/other universities/etcetera.