Writers Assistants

About The O'Neill

The National Medal of the Arts and Two Time Tony Award Winning Eugene O'Neill Theater Center is the country's preeminent organization dedicated to the development of new works and new voices for the stage.

From its 11-acre campus in Waterford, Connecticut, the O'Neill has been home to more than 1,000 new works for the stage and thousands more emerging artists. O'Neill programs include the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, National Critics Institute, National Puppetry Conference, Cabaret & Performance Conference, and the National Theater Institute, which offers six credit-earning undergraduate training programs.

The O'Neill is committed to diversifying the future of the American theater through the stories we tell, the artists telling those stories, the staff supporting our work, and the audiences in our theaters. We strive to cultivate a healthy and diverse community that recognizes the value of each individual and helps foster safety, civility, and respect for all people.

Writers Assistant

Reports to: Literary Manager

Department: Literary

Compensation: $4500 stipend, housing, meals

Dates: Mid-May to early August

Job Description

Writers Assistants will provide direct literary support to two or three projects in residence during the National Playwrights Conference and the National Music Theater Conference. This includes attending rehearsals, tracking and communicating script changes, providing research support to creative teams and project dramaturgs, and serving as the liaison between the rehearsal room and the literary office. When their projects are not in rehearsal, Writers Assistants will participate in the day-to-day operations of one of the most active literary offices for new work in the country. Core responsibilities include filling research requests for guest artists; maintaining the script database; tracking and distributing script revisions across the institution. Writers Assistants will also provide literary support to the National Puppetry Conference and the Cabaret & Performance Conference. This position reports to the Literary Manager and will work closely with the Artistic Associate. Detailed overview of job responsibilities below:

Literary Administration

• Attending two or three weeks of rehearsal during the National Playwrights Conference (NPC) and/or National Music Theater Conference (NMTC); serving as the literary office liaison and point-person for the playwright, creative team, and dramaturg on those projects.
• Tracking the playwright or book writer's revisions and communicating these changes to the literary office.
• Facilitating the printing, tracking, compiling, and distributing of script revisions and new pages across the O'Neill campus and rehearsal room.
• Updating the master copies of each script and maintaining a master script distribution database.
• Occasionally transcribing NMTC and NPC readings, talkbacks, and dream design sessions.

Dramaturgical Support

• Assisting NMTC and NPC creative teams and dramaturgs. This typically includes supporting playwright and dramaturg research, creating workshop glossaries, and finding reference images as requested.
• Filling research requests for playwrights and other guest artists.
• Opportunity to observe rehearsals and attend all public and private readings of the work presented at all O'Neill conferences.
• Writers Assistants may also attend rehearsals and assist in the script creation process for new works in development at the National Puppetry Conference and the Cabaret & Performance Conference.

Office Operations

• Support literary office operations with a once-a-week "office lead" shift, including responsibilities like maintaining a comprehensive daily log of department activity; delegating tasks and activities throughout the day; managing correspondences via phone and email.
• Opening and closing the script office and libraries; welcoming writers and guest artists to the literary wing of the O'Neill campus.
• Corresponding with artists and staff members via phone, email, or in-person; fielding questions and requests, or passing them along to others in the literary office or O'Neill staff as appropriate.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an early career dramaturg or arts administrator interested in new play development, dramaturgy, playwriting, or producing. The position requires excellent written and verbal communication skills and meticulous attention to detail. Proficiency in one or more word-processing programs such as Microsoft Word, Final Draft, or Pages is essential.

As part of The O'Neill's ongoing commitment to developing the future leaders of the American Theater, Writers Assistants will also be offered professional development and networking opportunities.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Applicants should submit a cover letter, a resume, and contact information for at least two references.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center is committed to being an equal-opportunity employer. The O'Neill aims to foster a diverse culture that is inclusive of race, ethnicity, culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, national origin, veteran status, socioeconomic class, religion, professional status, and the intersections thereof. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.