Assistant Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies – School of Film, Dance and Theatre

Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University

 

The School of Film, Dance and Theatre in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University seeks an advanced assistant professor in theatre and performance studies, with a focus on the history and theory of theatre and performance practices in the African diaspora in the Americas.

 

Arizona State University’s model for the New American University dissolves the barriers between disciplines, promoting collaboration among diverse. ASU is a place where local solutions have a global impact. The university has four campuses located throughout metropolitan Phoenix, the nation’s fifth largest city. The university champions intellectual and cultural diversity and has 72,000 students and 2,800 faculty from all 50 states and more than 100 nations across the globe.

 

The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is a vibrant example of the philosophy of the New American University. The institute is built on a combination of disciplines unlike any other program in the nation. In addition to The Design School, the Herberger Institute comprises of the School of Art; School of Arts, Media + Engineering; School of Film, Dance and Theatre; School of Music; and the ASU Art Museum. The Herberger Institute is part of a university community comprising five campuses, each positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves.

 

At a time when many universities are choosing to reduce or eliminate studies in design and arts disciplines, ASU has elevated creative practice to one of the core values of the nation’s largest research institution. We believe that designers, artists, architects, performers and creative scholars are essential to our world today. We know that creativity not only enhances our culture, it broadens our vision, deepens our understanding and enables us to innovate, grow and change.

 

The School of Film, Dance and Theatre is widely recognized as one of the most innovative producers of performing arts and artists in North America. The highly experienced international faculty and staff offer a broad approach to developing artists, educators and scholars who are actively engaged with the rapidly expanding range of global contexts for artistic practice; from performance to education, from community to online contexts. We recognize and value the creativity and meaning that each student brings to the program. Our dance programs are nationally recognized as some of the best in the world and our annual slate of guest artist faculty represents a collection of the most influential artists from the world of dance culture. The film program combines a unique emphasis on ethical decision-making with exemplary productivity, including full-length features and more than two hundred student films, web series and television pilots every year. Theatre students are provided with a bleeding-edge education in devising processes and new work creation, professional development and digital technologies for design, production and interaction.

 

Facilities include three film and media production teaching studios, high definition and digital video equipment, three editing labs, a sound recording and mastering studio, the 482-seat Paul V. Galvin Playhouse with adjacent scene, costume and lighting shops, the 162-seat Lyceum Theatre, the flexible Prism Theatre, the Margaret Gisolo Dance Theatre and 11 well-outfitted classroom and rehearsal studios.

 

The School is a dynamic teaching, learning and discovery environment composed of approximately 750 undergraduate students (350 in filmmaking practices, 80 in film and media production, 230 in theatre and 100 in dance and dance education) and 50 graduate students in the PhD programs in theatre and performance of the Americas and theatre for youth and MFA programs in performance, performance design, directing, dramatic writing, theatre for youth, interdisciplinary digital media, dance and theatre for youth.

 

The theatre and performance of the Americas doctoral program produces scholar/artist/teachers versed in the multiple histories that have produced and informed contemporary subjectivities throughout the Americas, including the United States. The successful candidate’s research will expand the theatre and performance of the Americas program’s strengths in indigenous and immigrant theatre and performance practices, into the area of theatre and performance in the African diaspora in the Americas. The candidate’s research is expected to cross disciplinary/national boundaries and be informed by performance historiography, critical race theory, post-colonial theory, socially engaged performance practice and/or feminism/gender/queer studies as they relate to performance and theatre. Teaching duties will include core courses in the undergraduate theatre BA and in the school’s two doctoral programs, theatre and performance of the Americas and theatre for youth, as well as in the candidate’s area of expertise. A key aspect of this position is the mentorship of doctoral students.

 

Required Qualifications:

 

PhD in theatre or performance studies or related field. A minimum of two years teaching and/or research, post-doctorate. Established record of publication and evidence of ongoing research in the African diaspora in the Americas.

 

Desired Qualifications:

 

Experience teaching and mentoring graduate students. Background in socially engaged performance practice, broadly defined. Evidence of cross-disciplinary work, also broadly defined (e.g., resonant with the school’s own disciplines of film, dance and theatre, its curricular offerings in urban theatre and dance and/or with the larger academic community at ASU). Familiarity with ethnographic and cultural studies approaches to the study of performance in transnational contexts.

 

Start date for this position is Aug. 16, 2014. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

 

The application deadline is January 13, 2014; if not filled, every two weeks thereafter until search is closed. Electronic submissions are preferred.

 

Please submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, a substantial writing sample (book chapter or published article) and the contact information of three references to fdtjobs@asu.edu, or mail to:

School of Film, Dance and Theatre

Chair, Theatre and Performance of the Americas Search Committee

c/o Cynthia Noldy

Arizona State University

PO Box 872002,

Tempe, Ariz. 85287-2002

 

To learn more about the school and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, please visit fdt.asu.edu and herbergerinstitute.asu.edu.

 

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions, which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses and certifications.

 

Arizona State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. See ASU's complete non-discrimination statement at asu.edu/titleIX.