Manhattan Theatre Club

 

Manhattan Theatre Club

Executive Director

Organization

Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), incorporated in 1970 as a not-for-profit organization, is one of the leading producers of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, and it is known for its highest quality, award-winning theatrical productions of new works by American and international playwrights. The 2022-2023 season marks Lynne Meadow’s 50th anniversary as Artistic Director, and over these past five decades, she and outgoing Executive Producer Barry Grove have grown MTC from a small off-off-Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most prestigious theater companies, creating approximately 600 world, American, New York, and Broadway premieres. Plays that premiered at MTC have been produced throughout the country and around the globe and have contributed a proud legacy to the American theatrical canon.

In 1978, MTC’s production of Ain’t Misbehavin’, a revue comprised of the songs of Fats Waller which won the Tony Award for Best Musical, was its first high-profile success. Since then, MTC productions have earned seven Pulitzer Prizes, 28 Tony Awards, 50 Drama Desk Awards, and 49 Obie Awards, amongst many other honors. Former productions include Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s Lackawanna Blues; Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau; the Broadway premiere of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel; Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney; August Wilson’s Jitney and The Piano Lesson; Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes; The Father by Florian Zeller and translated by Christopher Hampton; Doubt by John Patrick Shanley; The Assembled Parties by Richard Greenberg; Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire; The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez; Ruined by Lynn Nottage; Proof by David Auburn; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife by Charles Busch; Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley; and Love! Valor! Compassion! by Terrence McNally, among many others.

MTC’s artistic mission, which Meadow created in 1972, is to develop and present new work in a dynamic, supportive, environment; to identify and collaborate with the most exciting new as well as accomplished artists; and to produce a diverse repertoire of innovative, entertaining, and thought-provoking plays and musicals by American and international playwrights in its three theaters each season. MTC’s commitment to excellence extends to every aspect of the company, including a gifted staff, a supportive and committed Board of Directors, to a first-rate education program, a robust behind-the-scenes development program for new work, and a high quality paid career training program, which prepares the next generation of theater professionals for jobs at MTC and beyond. MTC’s six separate education initiatives have served more than 100,000 students of all ages in New York City, nationally, and internationally, and its Artistic Development program offers a wide range of commissions, dramaturgical support, readings, and workshops.

MTC performs in three venues, including its Broadway home at the 650-seat Samuel J. Friedman Theatre—formerly Biltmore Theatre—which was restored and reopened in 2003 and two at New York City Center Off-Broadway, where MTC created the 300-seat Stage I and the 150-seat Stage II. The 2022-2023 season includes: Cost of Living by Martyna Majok; The Collaboration by Anthony McCarten; Summer, 1976 by David Auburn; Where the Mountain Meets the Sea by Jeff Augustin; The Best We Could by Emily Feldman; and King James by Rajiv Joseph. Already announced for the 2023-2024 season are Jaja’s African Hair Braiding by Jocelyn Bioh and Poor Yella Rednecks by Qui Nguyen.

MTC is committed to being an anti-racist organization that respects and honors all voices while upholding the values of community, equity, access, and belonging. To this end, MTC has been reviewing and updating its policies and practices in order to create an inclusive, anti-racist environment for its artists, staff members, and audiences. Some recent actions, among many, include ensuring that the artists whose work is on MTC stages represents a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives; providing hundreds of seats to productions at discounted community rates; supplying select community groups with complimentary seats to each production; establishing a portal for the companies of MTC shows to report Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) concerns; providing administrative staff with Unconscious Bias Training, delivering access to training materials to company members of all shows.

MTC’s 36-member Board of Directors (Board) is led by Chairman David C. Hodgson. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, MTC has an operating budget of $27.2 million and anticipates total revenues of $20.2 million, plus  Covid relief funding and special Board support to achieve a balanced budget, with $9.5 million from ticket sales, $9.2 million from contributions and grants, and $1.5 million from royalties, rentals, investments, and miscellaneous revenues.

Position Summary

The Executive Director works with the Artistic Director, both of whom report to and serve as members of the Board of Directors, and leads MTC’s strategic direction. The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing all MTC activity and supervising the administrative staff in creating an annual budget. This individual will support the Artistic Director’s vision and commitment to producing new works on and Off-Broadway. In addition to serving on all seven standing committees of the Board (Executive, Development, Nominating, Finance, Investment, Audit, and Artistic), the Executive Director is a member of MTC’s wholly owned for-profit subsidiary, Manhattan Theatre Club Productions (MTCP). While overseeing the organization’s fundraising, marketing, financial, legal, information technology, production, and education departments, the Executive Director is responsible for maintaining excellent union relations along with the General Manager, whom the Executive Director oversees. The Executive Director will embody an organization that respects and honors all voices while upholding the values of community, equity, diversity, inclusion, access, and belonging. This individual will partner with the Board, senior leadership team, and EDI Committee to lead the ongoing process of understanding critical issues, addressing key elements, and expanding MTC’s commitments to its ethical responsibilities and organizational goals.

Roles and Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership and External Relations

  • Focus on the organization’s strategic direction, in tandem with the Artistic Director, and advance an organizational culture that values and supports the artistic mission with solid management practices.
  • Collaborate with the Artistic Director and artistic team to ensure fiscal responsibility.
  • Ensure equity, diversity, inclusion, and access are prioritized in all aspects of artistic, management, and board governance decisions that respect different perspectives and nurture an empowered MTC community.
  • Sustain an effective relationship with the Board in ensuring that members engage in their roles in policy setting, fundraising, advocacy, and as community ambassadors.
  • Engage Board members with wide-ranging perspectives to address organizational and diversity priorities that authentically represent the interests of all constituencies.
  • Partner with the Nominating and Development Committees to identify, cultivate, and recruit Board prospects to ensure the continued engagement of diverse, qualified, and engaged directors and to ensure the organization’s financial future.
  • Supervise, guide, and mentor an experienced senior staff, providing for professional development and growth opportunities that advance the overall organizational culture and goals of MTC.
  • Represent MTC in the broader theater field through membership in The Broadway League, League of Resident Theatres, the Off-Broadway League, and associated funding panels locally, regionally, and nationally.
  • Lead various team meetings periodically, attend other staff functions, integrate professional mentoring, and monitor progress.
  • Embrace other organizational leadership and external relations responsibilities, as needed.

Contributed and Earned Revenue Generation

  • Serve as a primary fundraising officer in conjunction with the Artistic Director, Board, and Development Director, including tactical planning and solicitation of $10-15 million in annual and campaign support.
  • Partner with MTC’s campaign consultants and Board members to complete the capital campaign supporting the renovation of MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre as well to support MTC’s Artistic Development program, MTC Education, other initiatives and the preservation of cash reserves.
  • Deepen relationships with government agencies at the local and state levels to maintain strong advocacy and funding for MTC.
  • Develop relationships with key individual donors and cultivate relationships with major foundations and corporations, including attending and speaking at patron events, receptions, and benefits throughout the year.
  • Oversee the organization’s efforts to promote and sell the MTC season in the crowded marketplace of both commercial and non-profit productions, including tracking MTC’s performance metrics in Broadway and the non-profit community, including appropriate messaging around awards and notable accomplishments.
  • Supervise the Marketing Director and staff, the subscriber ticketing team, the embedded telemarketing and tele-fundraising firm, the outside advertising agency, press office, and social media consultants.
  • Embrace other contributed and earned revenue generation responsibilities, as needed.

Financial Stability and Resiliency

  • Manage budget development, monitoring, and reporting with the Director of Finance, which includes establishing financial goals, controlling expenditures, maximizing revenues, understanding cash flows, creating forecasts, and assessing scenario plans.
  • Report regularly to the Board oversight committee (Finance, Investment, and Audit) and collaborate with the appropriate committee and outside advisors to manage the assets of the organization.
  • Develop long-range plans, multi-year budgets, and regular forecasts related to the overall financial health and resilience of the institution.
  • Embrace other financial stability and resiliency responsibilities, as needed.

Labor Relations, Production Management, and Facilities Oversight

  • Engage with 12 separate theatrical unions and ensure accountability for multi-year contracts in partnership with the general management and production management teams, as well as outside legal counsel.
  • Develop and maintain productive relationships with the various unions’ leadership outside the specific contract negotiation process.
  • Maintain current and extensive knowledge of other types of contracts to facilitate MTC’s partnerships with various organizations, including local, national, and international in both commercial and non-profit sectors.
  • Support MTC’s commissions and developmental programs and collaborate with the artistic team to negotiate individual author agreements.
  • Oversee MTC’s three theaters, as well as the office and storage spaces, ensure appropriate capitalization for upcoming renovations, and guide renovation design and construction.
  • Embrace other labor relations, production management, and facilities oversight responsibilities, as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The Executive Director will be a collaborative leader who deeply considers the investment in human, financial, and technological resources needed to advance MTC’s mission and goals. With a tremendous ability to be versatile and highly interactive, the Executive Director will have a continuous learning mindset and be a people-oriented leader, mentor, and guide. Instinctive by nature and with a deep commitment to all those who interact with the organization, the Executive Director will be proactive in identifying, analyzing, and resolving challenges that arise in a dynamic, and crowded, New York City theater community. Embracing opportunities that are supported by complex interactions of the many parts of the MTC organization and industry, the Executive Director will be an innovative, tenacious, and harmonious professional with a proven track record of success.

Other key competencies include:

  • Leadership and Personal Accountability – The dexterity to effectively communicate, build rapport, and relate well to all kinds of people.
  • Decision Making and Resiliency – The ability to make prompt, sound decisions with the acumen to quickly recover from adversity while readily modifying, responding, and adapting to change with minimal resistance.
  • Negotiation – The capability to reach mutually beneficial agreements, organize and influence people to believe in a vision, and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues.
  • Time and Priority Management – The capacity to prioritize tasks, mobilize teams, and deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have comprehensive knowledge of and experience in the theater field with at least 10-15 years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience. Although no specific educational credentials are required, candidates must demonstrate a track record of success in managing complex budgets, experienced teams, and production environments that maximize earned or contributed revenues in the performing arts or entertainment industry. Deep experience in negotiating a wide variety of labor and other contracts in reaching mutually beneficial outcomes is required. An understanding of the New York City Broadway and Off-Broadway commercial and nonprofit environments is strongly preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

MTC provides a competitive and equitable compensation package anticipated in the range of $300,000 to $380,000 with a full benefits package that include group health insurance with options for spousal, family and/or domestic partner coverage; voluntary dental coverage; basic life and long term disability insurances; employer-funded pension; paid time off; and optional 401(k) and flex savings plans for healthcare, dependent care,  and commuting expenses.

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/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Bruce D. Thibodeau, President
Flora Stamatiades, Associate Vice President
ACG 25
1040 First Avenue, Suite 352
New York, NY 10022-2991
Tel        (888) 234.4236 Ext. 201 (Dr. Thibodeau) or Ext. 238 (Ms. Stamatiades)
Email    MTC-ED@ArtsConsulting.com

Manhattan Theatre Club believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion should be essential elements of all activity within the organization. MTC has made it a priority to create and maintain an environment that is attractive to and supportive of all individuals regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender identity, age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, military or veteran status, etc. MTC is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. 

Click here for the downloadable PDF.

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