Assistant Professor-Musical Theatre Performance

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Assistant Professor-Musical Theatre Performance at its Detroit campus location. 

DESCRIPTION:  Located in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center, Wayne State University is seeking a full-time, tenure track, Assistant Professor in Theatre with a teaching emphasis in Musical Theatre Performance in the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance.

The ideal candidate is, first, excited to come to Detroit. Wayne State University’s distinct characteristic is its Detroit location. Detroit's diverse culture has had both local and international influence, particularly in music, with the city playing an important role in the development of American music. WSU’s Theatre and Dance programs have long played integral parts of performance in the city.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The successful candidate will teach courses in musical theatre performance and may teach in other areas of the department that connect to the candidate’s research expertise. The individual selected for this position should be an exceptional teacher, dedicated to designing an innovative undergraduate curriculum to cater to a diverse student body with varying identities and backgrounds, who aspire to explore a broad range of educational opportunities and career paths. The appointee will specialize in teaching musical theatre performance, encompassing audition techniques, song analysis, vocal coaching, and musical theatre scene study. Knowledge of vocal pedagogy is desired. Classes may include musical theatre acting, styles, or history, with the potential for direction or music direction of one university production annually. The appointee should develop and sustain a prominent national and profile as a performer, scholar, and educator and aid in recruiting and retaining exceptionally promising students. The candidate will teach courses during the fall and winter terms and participate in department committees and activities.

MAGGIE ALLESEE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE: The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance serves as a creative incubator for the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders in theatre, dance, and performance. While the department is grounded in praxis, it is committed to creating thinking artists who have strong foundations in theory, history, and performance studies.

The theatre and dance programs prepare students for professional careers as performing artists, choreographers, designer/technicians, directors, stage managers, and theorists within the urban, metropolitan context of Wayne State University. The Department of Theatre and Dance is committed to providing  students  the  opportunity to develop within their disciplines through an extensive performance program that includes twelve theatrical productions and dance concerts, four community outreach performance companies that target the city and metropolitan area’s schools, a summer children's theatre tour designed to bring affordable quality summer entertainment to the youth of Detroit, and the Underground Theatre Company—a student-run summer theatre.  It maintains professional relations with artistic institutions throughout Southeast Michigan.

THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY: As a university, we have a responsibility to uphold diversity as a value, and demonstrate commitment, through our policies and actions. Through our everyday activities and interactions, creative and scholarly practices, curricular design and teaching, and service and community engagement, we seek to create an inclusive institutional atmosphere that recognizes and celebrates the inherent value of a diverse campus community.

We are a university of access and opportunity, and we have a responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to our mission of providing access to an excellent and affordable college education. We are here to make our students’ lives and futures better. Financial aid avenues that help support this commitment are the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Wayne State Guarantee (a tuition-free program open to all Pell Grant-eligible Michigan residents, as well as most families who earn less than $70,000) for first time students, and Michigan Reconnect for transfer pathways. In addition, the Detroit Promise award ensures any eligible Detroit-resident student graduating from a high school in the city will have a tuition-free path to a bachelor's degree.

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance is one of four departments in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts; the other constituent units are the Department of Communication, the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History, and Design, and the Department of Music. The college offers 17 undergraduate programs, 10 graduate programs and three graduate certificate programs. It is home to today’s aspiring artists, performers, scholars, teaching artists, dancers, debaters, entrepreneurs and communication professionals who all represent the college’s legacy of excellence in our respective fields.

From debate to dance, jazz to journalism, and fashion design to center stage, our students create captivating performances, inspire artistic and academic excellence, and conduct innovative research on behalf of our Detroit community. The college’s alumni include a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and winners of and nominees for the Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe, Obie, Screen Actors Guild and Caldecott awards.

Wayne State University is a Carnegie Tier 1 Research (R1) university enrolling more than 24,000 students in 350 undergraduate and graduate programs offered through the University’s 13 schools and colleges. Wayne State’s immediate neighbors in our Midtown Cultural Center include the Detroit Public Library, Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Science Center, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Detroit Opera Theatre. The vibrant Midtown and Downtown areas are also home to active theatres, galleries, professional sports stadiums, and entertainment venues ranging from Detroit Artist Market and the Fox and Fisher Theatres.

QUALIFICATIONS: We are seeking an exceptional teacher in musical theatre performance or a related field. We require an appropriate terminal degree in performance, direction, music direction relevant to musical theatre, or a closely related field; evidence of teaching excellence; and evidence of potential to conduct a program of creative or scholarly work consistent with the expectations for a tenure track position at a research university. Other qualifications: The successful candidate must possess an intense knowledge and passion for musical theatre and theatre education. Demonstrated ability to empower, advocate for, and value a diverse range of students is essential, as evidenced through pedagogy, mentoring, and related activities. The candidate should demonstrate expertise in acting as a discipline and familiarity a Stanislavski-based actor training approach and vocal pedagogy. Embracing diverse training methodologies is crucial for fostering a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)-focused lifelong practice in students, nurturing their creative journey, and guiding them to become future innovators.

APPLICATIONS: All applicants must use Wayne Talent at https://jobs.wayne.edu, and submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and a list of five references - including names, addresses and contract information.

The search committee will begin reviewing applications on March 4, 2024.  Applications remain open until the position is filled.  The position begins August 16, 2024; salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. 

Inquiries about the position may be directed to:

Billicia Hines
Musical Theatre Search Committee
Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre & Dance
[email protected]

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

H04 - Fine & Performing Arts

H0405 - Theatre (H0405)

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Academic/Faculty

• Compensation type: Annual Salary
  
• Salary minimum: TBD
• Salary hire maximum: TBD

• Number of openings: 1
• Reposted position: No
• Reposted reason: None (New Requisition)
• Prior posting/requisition number:

University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.

Wayne State University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. The university encourages applications from women, people of color and other underrepresented people. Wayne State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.