Literary Manager

JOB TITLE: Literary Manager

REPORTS TO: Artistic Director

FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

PAY RANGE: $72,000 - $76,000 Annually

POSITION OVERVIEW 
 
The Literary Manager at Chicago Shakespeare Theater is a member of the artistic team and will work directly with the Artistic Director, Edward Hall, on commissioning and developing new work and providing dramaturgical support to productions each season. The Literary Manager will oversee play submissions, solicit scripts, network with playwrights, composers, and other creative artists and see a broad range of Chicago theater and beyond. The Literary Manager will be a collaborative colleague, working cross-departmentally on various projects and initiatives with multiple internal departments including Education, Casting, Marketing and Communications, Operations, Production, the Business Office, and Development. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Actively engage with the Artistic Director and support the ongoing long-term artistic vision for Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Work collaboratively with the Artistic Director, Executive Director and Artistic Administrator when commissioning and contracting writers.

• Serve as first point of contact for all scripts submitted. Solicit, read, and evaluate original script submissions from multiple sources and create reports on each submission.

• Maintain a submission log and shared tracking system, as well as communications with agents and writers. Ensure the CST database is up to date with script submissions and script reports.

• Regularly report to Artistic Director on script evaluation and progress.

• Research and develop a list of playwrights for consideration; network, research, and meet with playwrights, composers, and lyricists.

• Partner with creative teams in nurturing new commissions and in developing a developmental plan for fostering relationships with commissioned writers, including arranging readings and workshops. Collaborate with and support writers developing work with CST as required.

• Steward new plays through development phase and provide dramaturgical support for creative team through rehearsal process. Provide creative input and feedback to the artists.

• Manage, execute, and  participate in new play developmental readings and workshops offering operational and dramaturgical support.

• Seek and keep abreast of new writing and revival work in Chicago and nationally;  contribute ideas to season planning.

• Provide dramaturgical support as needed to all programming including Shakespeare.

• Support creative teams in production in all areas to do with dramaturgy.

• Maintain knowledge of sources of current original plays and maintain relationships with a broadly diverse set of playwrights locally and nationally.

• Provide, coordinate and curate written dramaturgical and education materials for CST audience programs for each production.

• Support grant opportunities and provide written statements and grant language as requested by the Development Department

• Support Education Department as requested with content and presentational materials.

• Model CST’s core values of service, ingenuity, and collaboration as well as its customer service ethos.

• Champions the organization’s commitment to a respectful, inclusive and equitable workplace.

EDUCATION, SKILL AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in English, Dramatic Literature, Theatre, or related field, or commensurate experience.

• Significant experience with the new play development process, either as an artist, producer, a literary manager, or dramaturg. Experience with both new play development and reinvestigation of classic texts.

• Institutional theater experience is welcomed.

• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to support the artistic vision for CST.

• Ability to work collaboratively across all departments, incorporating CST’s  IDEA values in every facet of the process.

• Broad knowledge of live performance of all mediums and genres, theater history, American playwrights, and the contemporary theater landscape.

• Ability to professionally communicate with equal clarity to artists, crew people, administration, and the many other colleagues making work at CST.

• Literary evaluation skills sufficient to identify themes, characterization, dialogue sets and staging.

• Experience writing readers reports for scripts reviewed.

• Must demonstrate a high level of writing, proof-reading, editing, and communication skills.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel)

COMPETENCIES

• Service, ingenuity, and collaboration

• Emotional intelligence

• Mission-driven

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Work hours are generally 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

• Overtime hours may be necessary.

• Evening, weekend, and holiday hours will be necessary.

• Worksite is primarily at the CST facilities on Navy Pier in Chicago, IL but will at times work in other locations and other off-site performance venues.

PHYSICAL DEMAND

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

CST is dedicated to increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in our audiences, our programs and in all our hiring for staff and artists. We are committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination. CST prohibits discrimination in employment against any employee or job applicant because of that person’s race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, veteran status, status with regard to public assistance, membership in a local human rights commission or any other legally protected status.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.