Summer Residency Lab Production Assistant

Classification: Over hire, non-exempt
Department: The Ground Floor
Reports to: General Manager of The Ground Floor
Work schedule: Monday–Sunday, 40 hours per week max. Evening and weekends required. Minimum one day off a week.
Start date: July 1, 2024
End date: August 9, 2024
Compensation: $22.50 per hour
Posting date: January 2024

Position summary

Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Berkeley Rep), established in 1968, is one of the nation’s prominent theatrical institutions with a long, proud history of developing Broadway-bound productions such as Green Day’s American Idiot and Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations along with high caliber artists and comedians like Mike Birbiglia, John Leguizamo, and social commentator Fran Lebowitz. Former Ground Floor artists include Lauren Yee, Anaïs Mitchell, Larissa Fasthorse, Dave Malloy, Lauren Gunderson, and many more. Berkeley Rep is seeking production assistants to support with the production, administrative, and artistic needs of the Ground Floor 2024 Summer Residency Lab.

The production assistant position offers highly motivated, responsible individuals the opportunity to learn about and provide support for every aspect of a new play development process at a major regional theatre. Production assistants will serve as liaisons between visiting artists, Berkeley Rep’s year-round staff, and the Berkeley community. They will foster a welcoming environment that is conducive to artists developing new work, including assisting with artist arrival, ground transportation, and prepping project workspaces. Additionally, this position assists with the preparation of the communal, catered dinner in which all Lab participants (production assistants, artists, and staff) partake each evening. The Summer Residency Lab is a hectic, fast-paced, changeable environment — responding to the artists’ processes keeps us all on our toes — and the program is designed around our belief that responsiveness, creativity, and flexibility are paramount to creating good art. Berkeley Rep prioritizes the creation of inclusive spaces, so an ideal candidate will welcome the chance to work alongside individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Engage in artistic administration and hospitality roles as guided by Ground Floor staff.
• Assist in setup of all office spaces, rehearsal halls, and other workspaces.
• Assist in fulfilling technical and production-related requests from rehearsals, including props, furniture, costumes, and sound equipment, as instructed by the production coordinator.
• Support the preparation and cleanup of catered dinners.
• Facilitate artist transit, including airport pickups and shuttling artists in a 15-person passenger van from their housing to the Ground Floor campus, as requested by the company manager.
• Provide front of house support.
• Participate in setup and breakdown of large meetings, readings, and any special presentations.
• Actively participate in workshops and trainings as requested, including harassment prevention, bystander intervention, anti-bias, and other equity, diversity, inclusion, and access initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and skills

• Must be local to the Bay Area or able to secure your own local housing.
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
• Must be comfortable driving a 15-passenger van.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, access, and inclusion.
• A passion for delivering outstanding service and support.
• Ability to work in a detail-oriented manner while remaining resourceful and flexible.
• Ability to multi-task and re-prioritize responsibilities quickly, meet deadlines, and remain calm under pressure.
• Outstanding verbal communication skills and attention to detail.
• Creative problem-solving skills.
• Comfort handling ever-evolving challenges.

Application procedure

Berkeley Rep is an equal opportunity employer and offers a diverse, congenial, casual environment conducive to professional growth.

Please complete the application form and attach your résumé as a PDF. Your résumé should include education, administrative, training, and any other related work. Applications must be received by 6pm PT on Friday, February 9, 2024 to be considered. Positions will be filled on a rolling basis. Persons from diverse backgrounds are highly encouraged to .

Berkeley Rep will contact candidates of interest. Please, no calls or faxes. Only complete submissions will be considered.