The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Augustin Family Artistic Director

Organization

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) creates bridges between people in the St Louis region and beyond through expertly crafted theatrical experiences that are joyful, unique, inspiring, and thought-provoking. Founded in 1966, The Rep is a fully professional League of Resident Theatres member and a prominent arts organization in St. Louis that has received national recognition for its artistic work, including its mainstage productions and the Imaginary Theater Company for young people. The Rep seeks to present an array of theatrical styles and periods within their programming and sees the development of new work as important additions to this heritage. Collective excellence, equity and anti-racism, resource stewardship for sustainability and growth, and life-long learning are key values of The Rep. The theatre seeks to be a welcoming home where a full spectrum of artists and audiences engage with one another to expand their appreciation and understanding of the world.

Having performed in various venues across St. Louis City and County in the past, including the Catherine B. Berges Theatre at Center for Creative Arts, The Rep will focus their performances at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus at the 763-seat Virginia Jackson Browning Theatre, featuring a three-quarter thrust stage and the Emerson Studio Theatre, a flexible black box space.

Under previous artistic director, Hana S. Sharif, The Rep produced the world premiere of Somi Kakoma’s Dreaming Zenzile, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: Parts One and Two for the first time on its stages, Dominique Morisseau’s Confederates in collaboration with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy in association with Huntington Theatre Company. Their resident youth company, the Imaginary Theatre Company, has produced top-flight theatre for young audiences in the St. Louis area for more than 40 years. They are committed to bringing the finest in theatre to young people where they live and learn. Additionally, The Rep has deepened its engagement with community and learning communities through new programming such as REPresentSTL, a civic conversation series focused on highlighting and unpacking the issues that matter the most to the residents of the Greater St. Louis region, and Story2Stage, a 10-session residency program that unlocks the power of storytelling by way of mining lived experiences, imaginations, and aspirations. Since 2012, the Ignite! Festival of New Plays has served as a launching pad for numerous fresh and exciting works, including Mike Lew’s Teenage Dick, Dael Orlandersmith’s Until the Flood, and Ayad Akhtar’s The Invisible Hand.

The Rep is supported by a 27-member Board of Directors, led by President Dr. Brian L. Clevinger, and Danny Williams became The Rep’s Managing Director in January 2022. The staff includes 50 full-time and 16 part-time and contract team members. In the fiscal year ending May 2023, The Rep reported annual revenues of $7.8 million, with $3.2 million from contributions and grants, $2 million in earned revenue, and $2.6 million in pandemic relief funding and endowment spending.

Community

St. Louis, known as the gateway to the West, is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Illini Confederacy, a group of 12-13 Native American Tribes. From colonial change under French, Spanish, and American governments, the area’s growth exploded with the arrival of steamboats, manufacturing, and critical immigrant communities in the 1800’s, becoming the nation’s fourth largest city by the 1890’s. Population shifts into suburban communities and the Great Migration of African Americans from the South during the 20th Century have shaped this vibrant community. The greater St. Louis metropolitan area remains the largest city in the state with a population of 2.8 million. It is a major transportation and distribution center with extensive rail and highway networks and an international airport.

The iconic Gateway Arch began construction in 1965 and started a downtown building boom that continued into the 21st Century. Fortune 500 Companies and major manufacturers have supported the local economy and workforce. St. Louis is home to three major league sports teams, major research universities, and a well-developed art and cultural community. The St. Louis Symphony is one of the oldest in the United States and several major cultural institutions are located in Forest Park, home to the 1904 World’s Fair, including The St. Louis Art Museum, The St. Louis Zoo, The Saint Louis Science Center, and the Missouri History Museum. It is also home to the Missouri Botanical Garden which is a leading research and preservation organization. The city is home to dozens of unique neighborhoods. Grand Center Arts District is recognized as the cultural hub of the region. It is home to more than 50 arts organizations and hosts more than 1,500 arts and festival events each year.

Revitalized neighborhoods and new cultural, recreational, and entertainment options have contributed to the city’s growth and quality of life. St. Louis ranks among the best places to live, a big city with small town charm. The Rep is located in Webster Groves, a picturesque, tree-lined suburb of St. Louis and located just a few miles southwest of downtown. It is known for its historic charm, well-preserved neighborhoods, and a strong sense of community.

Sources: Stlouis-mo.gov; Britannica.com; explorestlouis.com

Position Summary

The Augustin Family Artistic Director (Artistic Director) of The Rep will be an exceptional artist and leader with significant experience in similar roles. They will plan and implement The Rep’s vision for the future, securing its artistic and financial health in partnership with the Managing Director and reporting to and working in concert with the Board of Directors. While building on existing relationships and creating new ones, the Artistic Director will develop and maintain programs to increase audience growth, diversity, and engagement. Acting as the face of the organization, they will engage with donors, subscribers, and the board to collectively re-build the theatre’s presence. It is expected that the Artistic Director will be an active artist, leading with their own work and curatorial aesthetic. A gifted collaborator, with a wide network of artists in every area, they will engage with those artists and new ones to attract and grow a contemporary audience, while encouraging the continued support of the existing patrons.

Roles and Responsibilities

Artistic Vision, Planning, and Execution

Set and execute The Rep’s artistic direction and overall aesthetic with a commitment to artistic excellence.
Create, nurture, and refine a long-term artistic vision for the organization that inspires the staff, board, artists, and larger community.
Lead the season planning process that will navigate the organization’s current obstacles, meet the needs of each stakeholder group, and move the organization toward greater financial stability.
Select and manage artistic personnel, both staff and visiting artists who are skilled in a broad range of theatre production and who will attract and inspire a growing contemporary audience.
Guide the production process through the work of the production team and artists.
Embrace other artistic vision, planning, and execution responsibilities as needed.

Strategic Planning and Organizational Leadership

Co-lead the long-range planning processes, in partnership with the Board, staff, and other stakeholders to secure The Rep’s long-term artistic and financial health.
Analyze the theatre’s operational status and develop strategies supporting organizational success and sustainability.
Partner with the Managing Director to provide exceptional, aligned, and stable leadership.
Build an effective organization that ensures each member understands their role and contributions, has the required skills, and is committed to the organization’s vision and artistic initiatives.
Embrace other organizational leadership and strategic planning responsibilities as needed.

Community Engagement and Board Relations

Develop and maintain programs that engage and grow audiences, support diversity and inclusion, and support the community.
Be the principal spokesperson in the theatre industry and the St. Louis community.
Connect with The Rep’s stakeholder groups—patrons, donors, and community members at large.
Engage in board development and recruitment activities as appropriate.
Embrace other community engagement and board relations responsibilities as needed.

Financial Management and Fundraising

Create annual budgets, in conjunction with the Managing Director, with direct responsibility for determining annual artistic and programmatic expenses.
Control artistic and programmatic expenditures in line with pre-approved fiscal outcomes.
Inspire and attract financial support for The Rep’s mission, with the Board, Managing Director, and development team.
Embrace other financial management and fundraising responsibilities as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The Artistic Director will be visionary, pragmatic, and committed to the human element of the work. An effective and energetic communicator, they will not hesitate to make decisions while always considering the larger impact of those decisions. Relying on guidance rather than oversight, they will give the staff agency as part of the larger team. They will face challenges with commitment and excitement and a flair for creative problem solving.

Other key competencies include:

Leadership, Decision Making, and Resiliency – The ability to organize and influence people in support of a common vision, making appropriate decisions in a timely fashion, and recovering and adapting quickly from adversity.
Diplomacy and Personal Accountability – The sensitivity to effectively and tactfully address difficult situations and be answerable for personal actions in context.
Customer Focus and Goal Orientation – The clarity to ensure customer needs, wants, and expectations are met or exceeded, while being mindful of the organization’s goals.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will be an accomplished artist with at least 7 to10 years of experience in leadership roles and a significant network of existing relationships and connections to artists across the country. They will demonstrate a deep understanding of production and technical needs. Experience in partnering with fundraising and donor cultivation teams is required. Understanding of and interest in building public visibility through marketing and other initiatives is preferred. Candidates must have a record of commitment to and demonstrable results in inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and anti-racism policies.

Compensation and Benefits

The Rep provides a competitive and equitable compensation package in the range of $185,000 to $225,000 with benefits that include paid time off and holidays; health insurance (medical, dental, vision, and prescription drugs); long-term disability and life insurances; and an employer contributed 403(b) retirement plan.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/opensearches. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, including the anticipated salary range, please contact:

Wyona Lynch-McWhite, Senior Vice President
Adam Davis, Vice President

4579 Laclede Avenue, Suite 456
St. Louis, MO 63108
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 225 (Lynch-McWhite) or Ext. 215 (Davis)
Email TheRepStLouis@ArtsConsulting.com

Equity Statement:
We value diversity. The Rep strives to provide opportunities for diverse artistic expression, as well as diverse artists, staff, and audience. Diversity is a wide-ranging value, encompassing but not limited to diversity in aesthetics, age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, geography, race, and sexual orientation. We value the contribution of our artists and our staff. The Rep seeks to attract outstanding professionals to join our work. We support the concept of The Rep as an “artistic home” which engenders a sense of pride, involvement, and mutual support among all who work here. This means that we must provide these individuals with the best possible working environment, compensation, benefits, and support, within the constraints of our available resources.
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Click here for the downloadable PDF.