Flashback Theater Co. (FbTC) seeks to build a roster of designers of various backgrounds, including sound, costumes, scenic, and lighting, to hire in the upcoming season.
Location: Somerset, Kentucky
Pay: Contract amount, based on experience and design complexity. For 2021 shows, we plan for that to be about $1,000-$1,500 for sets/costumes and $500-750 for lights/sound.
Design budgets: $250 – $1500, based on production complexity and elements required.
About the Season
Our productions take place in a black box style space with flexible seating and setting arrangements. We are located in downtown Somerset, and the space can hold 40-90 audience members, depending on the stage set up.
For this season, we are seeking to hire designers who can work on two summer productions, in order to simplify the quick turnaround of two productions in two months. The shows for this season are:
- The Dollmaker will open on June 17, 2021. It is an intimate portrait of an Appalachian woman trying to preserve her identity.
- The Lady’s Not for Burning will open on July 22, 2021. It is a period piece set in the 1400’s illustrating the absurdity of rigid social structures.
Design concepts will be due at the end of January, with final designs due at the end of February, and builds beginning once final designs are refined and approved.
Description and responsibilities:
Designers will work with the director, stage manager and other crew members of a production to design and execute production elements. You are expected to attend production meetings, first reads, all technical rehearsals, and strike. Production meetings are typically held on Fridays, but are subject to the availability of the production team. Designers may attend meetings virtually, with the exception of the design presentations. COVID appropriate guidelines will be followed for all in-person meetings.
You will create a design plot and a visual or audible representation of your design (renderings/model/etc), and will help to coordinate the execution of your designs by building, renting, or sourcing the items needed. FbTC will assist the process by helping to coordinate volunteers as needed.
The unit set can be styled differently for each production, but major construction changes will be impossible between closing night and opening of the two, due to our rehearsal schedule. The Scenic Designer may enlist the help of our volunteer base for set construction and painting.
Each show will have 10-12 actors, and costumes can be pulled from our stock, borrowed from nearby theater companies, purchased, or built. A sewing studio is available for the Costume Designer to work from, if necessary.
COVID considerations: Our 2020 season ended in July with a show that was moved to an open air venue suitable for social distancing, and required actors to wear face masks. Should the climate at the time of production warrant a similar adjustment, we will do so. In extreme cases, we may also consider streaming or recorded versions of the productions. The production team will be expected to work together to find appropriate ways to adjust design elements in any case.
To apply:
Email a design resume and cover letter by December 15, 2020, including your availability for summer productions, to: [email protected]. If you have an online portfolio, please include a link in your email.
New to Flashback?
If you have never seen a Flashback production, we encourage you to browse our production history and about page. This is a great way to see the style of show we typically produce, and learn more about who we are.