Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Literary Manager
Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR
Position Overview:
Organizational Background
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) was founded in 1935 in Ashland, OR, and has grown from a three-day festival of two plays to a nationally renowned theatre arts organization that presents a rotating repertory season of up to 10 plays and musicals, including illuminating interpretations of Shakespeare, other enduring classics, and new works. OSF productions have been presented on Broadway, internationally, and at regional, community, and high school theatres across the country. OSF received the 1983 Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and is one of the largest nonprofit theatres in the nation with three stages, including an outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre.
Statement of Purpose
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival creates world-class theatre, revealing our collective humanity through illuminating interpretations of new and classic plays, and inspiring a love of our art form for current and future generations.
Company Values
Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions**):
Other Duties and Responsibilities:
Supervision Received:
Position will be supervised by Director of Literary Development
Supervision Exercised:
None.
Qualifications & Skills:
REQUIRED:
Education: B.A., B.F.A, M.A., or M.F.A. in Dramaturgy, Artistic or Creative Producing, Dramatic Literature or related field, or commensurate experience.
Work Experience: Background in, and detailed knowledge of, theatre practices and dramatic literature across the globe is requiredIndividual must demonstrate a high level of writing, proof-reading, editing, and communication skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, Teams) and Final Draft.
Physical Ability: Work is performed in a variety of environments, including standard office settings, rehearsal spaces, and theatre backstage areas and auditoriums.
Other Skills, Ability and/or Knowledge: A strong self-motivator adept at working autonomously with a high degree of independent judgment and discretion in a fast-paced and often-changing environment. Demonstrated inter-personal and communication skills with cultural sensitivity and ability to maintain a positive and inclusive work atmosphere are fundamental. Must have strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and flexibility to process. Ability to prioritize and make decisions regarding routine matters independently, accurately interpret policies and procedures, maintain confidentiality of information, and analyze and implement methods and procedures to enhance work performance. Demonstrate strong relational skills for interfacing with actors, directors, playwrights, agents, and guest artists.
Special Hours Requirements: Some evening and weekend hours will apply; Travel is required on a project-by-project basis.
PREFERRED:
Experience in artistic engagement, including connectivity programming, digital dramaturgy, and immersive performance.
Prior knowledge of other script management software (Scrivener, Fade In, WriteWay Pro, Movie Magic Screenwriter, etc.)
- All OSF employees are expected to respect diverse ideas, races, genders, sexualities, abilities, cultures, and religions, and contribute to working in an anti-racist theatre committed to the values of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA).
- The Literary Manager acts as an essential artistic advisor and collaborator to both the Artistic Director and the Director of Literary Development regarding season selection, commissioning and developing new work, and project management and producing for a variety of literary and cross-departmental initiatives. The position manages the organization and implementation of the administrative responsibilities of Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Literary Office while maintaining effective relationships with multiple internal and external contacts including Artistic, Education & Engagement, Marketing, Production, the Business Office, Development, and Support Services.
Organizational Background
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) was founded in 1935 in Ashland, OR, and has grown from a three-day festival of two plays to a nationally renowned theatre arts organization that presents a rotating repertory season of up to 10 plays and musicals, including illuminating interpretations of Shakespeare, other enduring classics, and new works. OSF productions have been presented on Broadway, internationally, and at regional, community, and high school theatres across the country. OSF received the 1983 Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and is one of the largest nonprofit theatres in the nation with three stages, including an outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre.
Statement of Purpose
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival creates world-class theatre, revealing our collective humanity through illuminating interpretations of new and classic plays, and inspiring a love of our art form for current and future generations.
Company Values
- We are committed to working toward inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, creating a space of belonging for all audiences and employees-through concrete actions and systemic improvements.
- We nurture and support our artists, attracting and retaining diverse, innovative talent across the organization.
- We believe in the transformational power of collaborative artmaking and performance.
- We recognize the importance of responsible stewardship of resources and sustainable business, financial, and environmental practices.
- We serve the public good and engage with and respect our community of artists, audiences, staff, local citizens, patrons, donors, and the greater theatre community worldwide.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions**):
- Advise the Artistic Director and Director of Literary Development in season play selection by reading, researching, scouting, and recommending individual scripts and season models.
- Manage all logistics for Oregon Shakespeare Festival's season selection process including meeting arrangements, correspondence with the season selection committee, and script acquisition and distribution. Work with Music Supervisor to acquire and distribute music, as needed.
- Oversee the management of the Literary Office in concert with Director of Literary Development, including new play commissioning and development, grant administration, budgeting, line producing readings, workshops, and residencies, and designing and proposing new Literary office policies and practices.
- Maintain and regularly update the Literary office script and music library and playwright database, and manage the process of receiving, responding to, and tracking scripts submitted to the Festival.
- Develop and maintain relationships with playwrights, agents, dramaturgs, literary managers, and other artists around the country and track developments in the new work field nationally.
- On occasion when requested by the Director of Literary Development, provide notes and dramaturgical feedback to the Artistic staff for rehearsal hall runs, dress rehearsals, and preview performances.
- Manage special literary office guest travel and itineraries (i.e. playwrights, dramaturgs, textual consultants, authors, executors or trustees of author or playwright estate) and act as concierge during their time at the Festival.
- In collaboration with the Director of Repertory Producing and the Head of Stage Management, create an annual timeline to track script formatting and distribution from season selection through first rehearsal; assist Script Coordinator in formatting, proofing, editing, and distributing scripts, annotations, and side-by-side references for productions as needed; coordinate scripts for publication at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Gift Shop ; photocopy scripts and other materials as needed for readings, workshops, and rehearsals; and track Final Draft license agreements.
- Collaborate with the Publications editorial team to write, design, and edit content for OSF publications as needed. .
Other Duties and Responsibilities:
- Depending on experience and production needs, serve as a Production or Associate Dramaturg on productions in the repertory season, as assigned by Director of Literary Development
- Represent the Literary office at interdepartmental meetings, company meetings, and events.
- Provide additional support to Director of Literary Development as needed.
- Attends Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, and Access (IDEA) sexual harassment, and any other anti-bias training and workshops as scheduled by the institution.
- Models and supports the mission and values of OSF by:
- Demonstrating inclusive behavior.
- Maintaining a safe working environment free from any aggressions.
- Recognizing micro-aggressions and interrupting behaviors that hinder OSF's diversity and inclusion efforts.
Supervision Received:
Position will be supervised by Director of Literary Development
Supervision Exercised:
None.
Qualifications & Skills:
REQUIRED:
Education: B.A., B.F.A, M.A., or M.F.A. in Dramaturgy, Artistic or Creative Producing, Dramatic Literature or related field, or commensurate experience.
Work Experience: Background in, and detailed knowledge of, theatre practices and dramatic literature across the globe is requiredIndividual must demonstrate a high level of writing, proof-reading, editing, and communication skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, Teams) and Final Draft.
Physical Ability: Work is performed in a variety of environments, including standard office settings, rehearsal spaces, and theatre backstage areas and auditoriums.
Other Skills, Ability and/or Knowledge: A strong self-motivator adept at working autonomously with a high degree of independent judgment and discretion in a fast-paced and often-changing environment. Demonstrated inter-personal and communication skills with cultural sensitivity and ability to maintain a positive and inclusive work atmosphere are fundamental. Must have strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and flexibility to process. Ability to prioritize and make decisions regarding routine matters independently, accurately interpret policies and procedures, maintain confidentiality of information, and analyze and implement methods and procedures to enhance work performance. Demonstrate strong relational skills for interfacing with actors, directors, playwrights, agents, and guest artists.
Special Hours Requirements: Some evening and weekend hours will apply; Travel is required on a project-by-project basis.
PREFERRED:
Experience in artistic engagement, including connectivity programming, digital dramaturgy, and immersive performance.
Prior knowledge of other script management software (Scrivener, Fade In, WriteWay Pro, Movie Magic Screenwriter, etc.)