Oregon Shakespeare Festival is hiring: Wardrobe Technician (Seasonal) in Ashland
Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR, US
Job Description
Position Overview:
All OSF employees are expected to respect diverse ideas, races, genders, sexualities, abilities, cultures, and religions, contribute to working in an anti-racist social justice theater, and value Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA).
Prepares and maintains costumes for OSF shows and runs costume show tracks, including assisting actors with dressing and costume changes.
This position is represented by IATSE Local 154. Please note that this is a seasonal position.
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**):
- Prepares and maintains costumes for OSF shows and runs costume show tracks. Assists actors with dressing and costume changes during each show; checks in and pre-sets costumes and accessories for each performance. Post-show collects and maintains costumes and accessories.
- During tech, create show tracks by collaborating with stage managers, problem-solving complicated show moments, taking notes, and creating run lists and other paperwork.
- Models and supports the mission and values of OSF by:
- Demonstrating inclusive behavior and creating an environment of belonging
- Maintaining a safe and anti-racist working environment
- Recognizing micro-aggressions and interrupting othering behaviors
- Launder items that need immediate attention during the show or post-show.
- Show maintenance includes laundry, basic repairs, steaming, ironing, etc., of costumes and accessories
- Other laundry and maintenance duties as assigned.
- Collaborate with supervisors, actors, stage managers, and fellow run crew members to ensure the show is successfully run and maintained for the full season.
- Act as Crew Head of production if assigned by Wardrobe Manager, acting as a conduit between the Wardrobe crew and the stage management team during the running of a show.
- Act as an understudy for other wardrobe crew-run tracks.
- Participate in striking of shows, including, but not limited to, cleaning, sorting and restocking of costume pieces.
Other Duties and Responsibilities:
- Attend meetings, rehearsals, training, etc., as scheduled by management.
- Maintain wardrobe spaces, equipment, supplies, and storage.
- Other duties as assigned by management.
Supervision Received:
Wardrobe Manager
Wardrobe Supervisor
Supervision Exercised: None
Minimum Qualifications & Skills:
Work Experience: At least 2 years’ experience of professional theater or live entertainment as a costume run crew technician (or dresser). Experience in a higher education technical theater program may be considered in lieu of professional experience.
Qualifications/skills: Ability to read, listen, and prioritize tasks. Ability to communicate about body proportions, hair textures and styling, skin tones and genders using respectful and equitable language. Basic hand and machine sewing skills; experience with home and industrial sewing and overlock machines. Comfortable with processing laundry of costumes made of many different textiles with specific treatment needs; comfortable with industrial and domestic ironing and steaming equipment. Knowledge of how to do craft repairs such as jewelry repair, shoe maintenance, riveting, etc. Experience with domestic and industrial washers and dryers.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and cloud-based information sharing systems.
Physical Ability: Able to lift and carry 40 lbs; regularly climb ladders, stairs, ramps; regularly push and pull loads and carts; regularly reach above shoulders to restock boxes.
Other Skills, Ability and/or Knowledge: Ability to problem solve under time pressure; ability to both work independently and as part of a team. Ability to maintain a positive and respectful work atmosphere and to rebound from challenges or unexpected changes. Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
Hours Requirements: Standard workweek is Tuesday through Sunday. Night-time and weekend hours are regularly required. Overtime is required, especially during technical rehearsal periods. The ability to work a variable, split-shift schedule is required.
Pay rate: $24.00 hourly