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Jobs and Auditions

CAREERS AND AUDITIONS

APPLYING FOR JOBS

What type of jobs do you hire for?

Seven people work behind the scenes for every actor you see on our stages!  

We regularly hire in these areas:

  • Production (Props, Wardrobe, Stage Management)
  • Marketing and Fundraising
  • Audience Development (Call Centre, Cafés & Catering, Retail, Ushers)
  • Education
  • Administration
  • Facilities & Building Maintenance

…and the list goes on!  The majority of our positions are seasonal.

When do you hire for next season?

Hiring decisions for most production and backstage positions occur in the fall for the upcoming season. Recruitment for customer service roles takes place in the spring. For general questions, please send us an email.

Also, when applying, please submit your cover letter and resume by the closing date, ensuring that you have the job title in the subject line.


OPEN POSITIONS

Based in Stratford, Ontario, the Stratford Festival is one of the world’s foremost repertory theatre companies. It operates year round, presenting a season of about a dozen plays each year between the months of April and November, a rich stream of digital content and hundreds of Forum events, designed to deepen understanding of the plays. For every person a theatregoer sees on our stages, we have seven people working behind the scenes, some of the world’s most dedicated and experienced arts workers. At this time we are undergoing a culture shift to support anti-racism and anti-oppression in all areas of our work, including play selection, casting, marketing and public relations efforts, education programs, production, recruitment of staff and volunteers, and the composition of the Board of Directors. Members of equity deserving groups are always encouraged to apply.

If you would like to be part of this change and contribute your own remarkable talents to North America’s largest not-for-profit theatre, we’d like to hear from you. We are currently welcoming applications for:

Payroll Assistant (15 Month Contract, Possibility of Extension)
Posted: May 5, 2023

Payroll Assistant (15 Month Contract, Possibility of Extension)

 

This position reports to the Payroll Manager and is part of the Human Resources department.  

 Responsibilities:

  • Prepare and administer payroll for all non-union departments, and act as the primary Payroll contact for those department employees and managers.
  • Complete Records of Employment as required.
  • Data entry
  • Balancing of bi-weekly Greenroom deductions in preparation for payroll processing. 
  • Run payroll related reports for distribution to various departments/managers.
  • Assist employees with accessing HRIS account. 
  • Assist with the maintenance of the HRIS data. 
  • Provide administrative support to the Payroll Manager; mail distribution, filing, faxing, and photocopying, maintaining the payroll filing system, ordering office supplies and, other general office duties.
  • Adhere to the Stratford Festival's Health & Safety Commitment, Policies and Procedures, and inform your Supervisor of any unsafe condition immediately.
  • Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

  • Post-secondary degree or diploma related to Payroll or Human Resources is an asset.
  • Strong administration skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
  • Motivated and proactive team player with strong communication and interpersonal skills
  • Organized and detail oriented with excellent time management skills
  • Experience with and or working knowledge of Ceridian Dayforce is an asset

This Contract position is located in Stratford, Ontario and will begin effective immediately.

Job Type: 15 Month Contract, Possibility of Extension

The posting will be open until filled.

The Festival is working diligently toward a safe and healthy workplace for everyone.  We welcome applicants of every identity, and encourage applications from Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Deaf, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ folks. We are committed to accommodating people with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and beyond. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know.

No candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

If you feel you could make a meaningful contribution to the Stratford Festival, please apply by submitting your resume and cover letter in a single PDF to:

 

Human Resources
Stratford Festival
E-mail: resumes@stratfordfestival.ca
Subject: Payroll Assistant

Publicity Assistant
Posted: June 7, 2023

Publicity Assistant

This position reports to the Publicity Director or designate and is part of the Publicity team.  

Responsibilities:

  • Monitor and distribute media clippings related to the business of the Festival
  • Prepare daily media scans related to the business of the Festival and the theatre industry
  • Create, maintain and update databases on all media coverage, conducting detailed research through various means, and providing bibliographical reference for archival purposes
  • Maintain media lists and databases
  • Assist with media ticket requests
  • Compile, gather, edit and proofread biographies for Festival staff and artists, maintaining a uniform standard of excellence
  • Coordinate the collection of headshots
  • Set up and facilitate media interviews
  • Provide journalists with information regarding the activities of the Festival
  • Create news releases and material for various publications, as required
  • Write credits and alternative text for production and other photos
  • Create and edit web content, including online image galleries, press releases, and headshots and bios
  • Adhere to the Stratford Festival's Health & Safety Commitment, Policies and Procedures, and inform your supervisor of any unsafe condition immediately
  • Perform other duties as assigned

 Qualifications:

  • Exceptional written and verbal communications
  • Exceptional organizational skills
  • Interest in and knowledge of theatre
  • Interest in and knowledge of entertainment media
  • Ability to work quickly when required
  • Strong research skills
  • A dedication to accuracy
  • A keen proofreader's eye
  • University degree or equivalent education and experience in Public Relations, Communications or Journalism

Preference will be giving to candidates with previous PR experience working in the performing arts or live entertainment industry.

This full-time position is located in Stratford, Ontario, and will begin as soon as possible. Candidates must be available to embrace a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends as required.

Job Type: Full time

This position will be open until filled.

The Festival is working diligently toward a safe and healthy workplace for everyone.  We welcome applicants of every identity, and encourage applications from Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Deaf, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ folks. We are committed to accommodating people with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and beyond. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know.

No candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

If you feel you could make a meaningful contribution to the Stratford Festival, please apply by submitting your resume and cover letter in a single PDF  to

Human Resources
Stratford Festival
E-mail: resumes@stratfordfestival.ca
Subject: Publicity Assistant

Retail Sales Associate
Posted: May 9, 2023

Retail Sales Associate

This position reports to the Retail Manager or designate and is part of the Audience Development team.  

Responsibilities:

  • Provide outstanding sales and customer service to Theatre Shop patrons. Assist in product selection, provide courteous and knowledgeable information to patrons regarding all inquiries. 
  • Acquire and retain extensive product knowledge that will assist in selling and upselling of the merchandise.
  • Operate point of sale system quickly and efficiently under periods of high volume. 
  • Restock stores as required, including merchandise, packaging and office supplies.  Some heavy lifting may be required when restocking.
  • Provide patron information regarding the Festival season and productions as well as general tourism information.

 Qualifications:

  • You are an outgoing people person who enjoys meeting and engaging with fellow theatregoers.
  • You are passionate about live entertainment.
  • You can acquire and retain extensive product knowledge that will assist you in selling and recommending merchandise, to maximize customer satisfaction.
  • You can deliver that personal touch of a world class organization to every patron you meet.
  • You have previous retail experience including proficiency with Excel, Word and POS systems.

This Seasonal position is located in Stratford, Ontario and will begin in May 2023.

The posting will be open until filled.

Job Type: Seasonal

The Festival is working diligently toward a safe and healthy workplace for everyone.  We welcome applicants of every identity, and encourage applications from Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Deaf, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ folks. We are committed to accommodating people with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and beyond. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know.

No candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

If you feel you could make a meaningful contribution to the Stratford Festival, please apply by submitting your resume and cover letter in a single PDF  to:

 

Human Resources
Stratford Festival
E-mail: resumes@stratfordfestival.ca
Subject: Retail Sales Associate

AUDITIONS

The Festival is intent on continuously evolving its understanding of equity, inclusion and anti-racism. We welcome actors of every identity and encourage artists who identify as First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Black, People of Colour, D/deaf, disabled and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 

We are committed to accommodating people with disabilities throughout the auditioning process. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible audition site, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) please let us know when submitting your request to audition.

General Auditions are customarily held annually across Canada, usually between late January and early March. Audition notices will be posted in several locations including this website, the Equity e-Drive and Casting Workbook.

Actors selected to audition are asked to prepare two contrasting monologues; at least one should be a Shakespeare speech and each monologue should be no longer than two minutes. As our goal is to meet as many new artists as possible each year, we ask that you do not submit an audition request if you have been seen in the previous 2 years.

If you would like to be considered for an audition, and are eligible to work in Canada (as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident) please send your headshot and resume to casting@stratfordfestival.ca. Please include "General Auditions" in the subject line of your email.

Members of Canadian Actors' Equity are given priority when appointments are scheduled.

Non-Equity child and jobber auditions are usually held in the fall. Please check the website in September and October for postings and details about these auditions.