Assistant Professor or Associate Professor in Musical Theatre

Classification Title:

AST/ASO PROF

Classification Minimum Requirements

Candidates for the rank of Assistant Professor shall hold the highest degree appropriate to their field or possess equivalent qualifications based on professional experience. A candidate shall be expected to demonstrate successful experience pertinent to the position they are being recommended and have demonstrated qualities relevant to the goals of the academic unit in which they will be employed.

Candidates for the rank of Associate Professor shall hold the highest degree appropriate to their field or possess professional qualifications above those equivalent to the highest degree relevant to their field. They are expected to have produced creative work, professional writing, or research and successful teaching or professional experience. A candidate for this rank must have a distinguished record of achievement beyond the assistant professor level.

Job Description:

The University of Florida School of Theatre and Dance (SoTD) seeks an Assistant or Associate Professor of Musical Theatre to provide collaborative leadership for the BFA Musical Theatre program through teaching, creative/professional practice, student mentorship, recruitment, and service. The successful candidate will bring professional performance experience in musical theatre, including experience in established regional, national, touring, commercial or comparable professional markets along with a demonstrated ability to support the artistic, academic and professional development of undergraduate students through teaching, coaching, directing, mentorship, professional training or related experience.

The successful candidate will teach a range of courses from introductory through advanced levels, with responsibilities that may include Musical Theatre performance and scene study, professional preparation, audition techniques, musical theatre history, acting through song, and other courses appropriate to the candidate's expertise and the instructional needs of the School. The faculty member may also contribute to beginning and intermediate acting and introductory directing.

This position requires substantial engagement with performance curricula and student mentorship across the program. The successful candidate will guide the coordination and continued development of the Musical Theatre program in collaboration with faculty colleagues while mentoring BFA Musical Theatre and Acting students in their academic, artistic, and professional development. The candidate will value collaborative, integrated Musical Theatre training and work effectively across acting, voice/music, and dance curricula in support of the development of well-rounded contemporary musical theatre artists. The candidate will also contribute to curriculum development and assessment, as well as student recruitment and retention.

The successful candidate will contribute to the School’s production season through directing the fall musical and/or concert musical productions, as assigned, and will work collaboratively across both production and academic areas of the School. This includes collaboration with directors, choreographers, designers, accompanists, production personnel, guest artists, and student artists, as well as close collaboration with the School Director, SoTD Producing Director, Degree Coordinators, Theatre Studies and Performance faculty, SoTD Accompanist, and other faculty and staff within the School of Theatre and Dance. The successful candidate should be able to work effectively within the School’s existing resources and production structures while maintaining an active professional practice and connections to regional and national professional markets. The position requires a strong commitment to collegiality, collaborative work, and excellence in undergraduate education within a broad-based liberal arts university.

The faculty member will actively recruit promising students for the Musical Theatre program and participate in School of Theatre and Dance recruitment activities, which may require travel. The faculty member will also participate in School, College, University, and professional service; shared governance; academic advising; campus outreach; and donor-relations activities.

The School values faculty who maintain an active professional practice while contributing fully to the educational mission of the University. Candidates should demonstrate an interest in helping shape the evolving future of musical theatre training and in preparing students for the changing professional landscape.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate technological fluency and adaptability across contemporary digital environments, both in preparing students for the professional musical theatre industry and in effectively navigating the teaching, communication, collaboration, and administrative responsibilities of a major research university.

The University of Florida College of the Arts intends to be a transformative community, responding to and generating paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond. As artists and scholars, we embrace the complexity of our evolving human experience and seek to empower our students and faculty to shape that experience fearlessly through critical study, creative practice, and provocation. We seek a colleague who identifies as a change-maker. We seek a colleague who will position emerging artists and researchers as catalysts for justice on local and global levels.

This position is covered by the United Faculty of Florida Contract.  You can view this employment union contract here <https://admin.hr.ufl.edu/compliance/employee-relations-and-ethics/union-negotiations/united-faculty-of-florida-contract/>.

**Responsibilities

Teaching and Student Mentorship**

* Teach undergraduate Musical Theatre courses at beginning through advanced levels, which may include:

* Musical Theatre performance and scene study
* Introduction to Musical Theatre Studies
* Musical Theatre Professional Preparation
* Musical Theatre audition techniques
* Acting through song
* Musical Theatre history
* Musical Theatre workshops
* Other courses within the candidate's expertise and the instructional needs of SoTD

* Teach beginning and intermediate acting as appropriate.

* Teach introductory directing as appropriate.

* Mentor BFA Musical Theatre and Acting students in academic, artistic, and career planning.

* Prepare students for professional auditions, including traditional Musical Theatre, contemporary Musical Theatre, pop/rock, monologue work, and acting through song.

* May have opportunity to teach courses in theatre studies and/or UF Quest courses

* Contribute to curriculum development, assessment, and program development.

* Active participation in our learning community, finding innovative ways to connect the arts to critical discourse in other disciplines.

* Prepare students to navigate contemporary digital tools and platforms used in professional auditioning, self-promotion, networking, portfolio development, and career development.

**Creative and Professional Practice**

* Direct the fall musical and/or concert musical productions, as assigned.
* Contribute to the School's production season through coaching or other professional expertise.
* Maintain an active professional practice and professional connections appropriate to the field.
* Bring current professional practices and expectations into the classroom and production environment.
* Contribute to student preparation for professional rehearsal, audition, and performance environments.

**Recruitment, Advising, and Program Development**

* Recruit promising students to the Musical Theatre program and participate actively in SoTD recruitment activities.
* Contribute to recruitment and retention initiatives.
* Develop and maintain relationships with professional and regional markets relevant to Musical Theatre students.
* Provide collaborative leadership in the coordination, strategic development, and continued growth of the Musical Theatre program, building upon the strengths and expertise of existing faculty.
* Participate in campus outreach and donor-relations activities as appropriate.

**Collaboration and Service**

* Work collaboratively with the School Director, Degree Coordinators, Theatre Studies and Performance faculty, SoTD Accompanist, Design & Production faculty, Dance faculty and staff.
* Collaborate effectively with directors, choreographers, designers, accompanists, production personnel, guest artists, and student artists.
* Participate in School of Theatre and Dance, College of the Arts, University, and professional service activities.
* Attend School of Theatre and Dance, College of the Arts, and full faculty meetings.
* Participate in shared governance and other University responsibilities appropriate to the position.
* Contribute to a collegial, collaborative, and inclusive School community.
* Perform other duties appropriate to the position and assigned by the School Director.

**SCHOOL OF THEATRE + DANCE:** The light-filled Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion is home to the School of Theatre + Dance (SoTD). The School’s international full-time faculty of 35 recognized artists and researchers, complemented by adjunct and guest faculty and staff, including full- and part-time professionals. The School offers MFA curricula in acting and in design, which includes scene design, lighting design and costume design; BFA programs in acting, musical theatre, and theatrical production with concentrations in costume, digital media, lighting, scenic, and sound; and a BA with concentrations in general theatre, stage management, and theatre management. The School features two degree programs in dance designed to develop the individual voice of the dance artist, a BFA and a BA. Approximately 200 students major in the artistically diverse curricula of the School of Theatre + Dance. Through its production program, out