The Abbey Theatre is the only theatre in Ireland with a full time in-house Casting Department dedicated to seeking out new and emerging talent, as well as keeping abreast of the continued work and development of previously established actors from all over the country and abroad. The Casting Department uses its base of knowledge to aid the writer and director in realising their artistic ambition for each role within any given production. The department is responsible for casting all productions for the Abbey and Peacock stages as well as all readings, workshops and studio initiatives.

In 2010 alone the Casting Department facilitated 229 auditions for productions on both the Abbey and Peacock stages as well as seeing many other actors across a wide range of productions outside the Abbey.

The number of new actors making their debut at the Abbey increased 150% between 2009 and 2010. In 2010 23 actors made their Abbey Theatre debut. In 2010 the department cast almost three hundred roles for all productions, readings and workshops within the Abbey Theatre and in the first three months of 2011, 125 roles were cast employing 100 actors.

There are two strands to this role. The Casting Assistant will work three days a week within the Casting Department and two days in providing support to the Executive, as required.

The Casting Department consists of the Casting Director and the Casting Assistant. The Department is responsible for casting all shows for all Abbey productions, and all readings and workshops and Literary Department initiatives. In achieving this, the Casting Director acts on behalf of the theatre as a researcher in the field of acting for directors and writers. It is within the remit of the Casting Director to actively seek out new and emerging talent and support the work and development of more established actors. The position of Casting Assistant is responsible for assisting the Casting Director in all aspects of achieving these goals - providing a committed support structure within the department to allow the Casting Director focus primarily on the creative process and help ensure the creative integrity of the department.

The Executive is comprised of the Director of the Theatre, the Literary Director, the Director of Finance and Administration, the Development and Public Affairs Director and the Technical Director. Each of these areas will, at times, need extra support in fulfilling particular projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties of the Casting Assistant include but are not limited to:

General

• Assisting the Casting Director in casting all Abbey productions and all readings and workshops;
• Providing additional support to members of the Executive as required;
• Administrating all Casting Department systems and operations, including, but not limited to –
- Providing a consistent point of contact for actors working within the Abbey and those wishing to engage with the Abbey.
- Acting as office manager for the Casting Department, to include: answering calls; replying to correspondence; managing diaries; co-ordinating appointments; booking tickets, travel arrangements and accommodation; maintaining significant and valuable relationships with agents throughout Ireland and the UK; checking actors’ availabilities; scheduling auditions and organising audition venues; photocopying scripts; maintaining casting files; dealing with general public enquiries; etc.

Other

• Providing support in sourcing accommodation for out of town actors;
• Being the main point of contact for visiting actors pre-commencement of engagement and a point of support outside of the rehearsal room or stage, during their engagement;
• Attending all Abbey Theatre opening nights and other events when required;
• Seeing a broad range of independent productions, some of which the Casting Director may not be able to attend, enabling the departmtent to continue building its database and knowledge of actors while also allowing both the Casting Department and the Abbey Theatre to continue its engagement with the independent theatre community;
• Maintaining and updating casting records on the Abbey’s contact database, Tessitura, and casting files;
• Arranging general auditions when required;
• Assisting the Voice Director in the administration of classes and workshops.
• Any other duties as may be deemed reasonable and appropriate.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The post holder will have:
• The ability to conduct all business with the utmost discretion and confidentiality;
• Experience of working in the Arts and a genuine desire to develop their casting skills;
• A good knowledge of the Irish acting community;
• Demonstrable ability to excel in developing interpersonal relationships with a
broad range of stakeholders;
• The ability to consistently meet strict deadlines;
• The ability to work across many projects at any one time;
• The ability to work in a pressurised environment;
• Proven proactive and detail orientated work ethic;
• Excellent interpersonal/communication skills;
• Excellent computer skills;
• Proven organisation and administration skills;
• A passion for theatre and the Arts.


KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal External
Casting Director Actors
Director of the theatre Actors’ Agents – Ireland, UK, and international
Development Irish Equity
Literary Department Directors
Resident Assistant Director Writers
Stage Management
Finance
Production
Press and Publicity
Marketing
Human Resources
Engage and Learn

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Post: This is a one year fixed contract.

Hours: Standard hours are 10am to 6pm with an hour for lunch.

Salary €25,149.02

Probationary period: 6 months.

Holidays: 24 days per annum (including Good Friday & Christmas Eve)

Public Holidays: 9 Public holidays per annum
Apply Now / Email: Send Message

Deadline: 23 June 2011