Lecturer - Theatre & Performance

confidential; United States; On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Spelman College seeks a dynamic theatre scholar-practitioner and educator for a full-time Lecturer position in Theatre Studies, beginning in AY 2027, with expertise in theatre history, dramaturgy, script analysis, and African American theatre. The successful candidate will support the intellectual and artistic development of undergraduate theatre students while contributing to the continued development of an innovative and evolving curriculum.

The Lecturer carries a 4/4 teaching load.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses in Theatre History, Dramaturgy, Script Analysis, African American Theatre, Theatre Insight, and additional courses within the candidate's areas of expertise and departmental curricular needs.
• Serve as production dramaturg for departmental productions, with one full production dramaturgy assignment per academic year eligible to substitute for one course assignment.
• Support and mentor student production dramaturgs throughout the research, rehearsal, and production process.
• Collaborate with directors, designers, performers, and student dramaturgs to integrate dramaturgical inquiry into the production process.
• Mentor students in dramaturgical inquiry, critical writing, script analysis, and production dramaturgy.
• Contribute to new work development and other creative projects within the department.
• Develop interdisciplinary and experiential learning opportunities that connect critical inquiry with theatrical practice.
• Participate in curriculum development, assessment, recruitment, advising, and other departmental initiatives.
• Participate in departmental and College service.

Job description

Lecturer - Theatre & Performance

Begins Fall 2027

About the College

Spelman College seeks teacher/scholars dedicated to excellence in teaching and to the continued enhancement of the academic environment for students and colleagues. Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a private four-year liberal arts college located in Atlanta, GA. The oldest historically Black college for women in the United States, Spelman is a member of the Atlanta University Center Consortium and Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education.

Position Description

The Department of Theatre & Performance at Spelman College seeks a dynamic theatre scholar-practitioner and educator for a full-time Lecturer position in Theatre Studies, beginning in AY 2027, with expertise in theatre history, dramaturgy, script analysis, and African American theatre. The successful candidate will support the intellectual and artistic development of undergraduate theatre students while contributing to the continued development of an innovative and evolving curriculum.

The Lecturer carries a 4/4 teaching load. As part of this load, the Lecturer may serve as production dramaturg for one departmental production per academic year in place of one course assignment. The position participates actively in both the academic and artistic life of the department.

The Department of Theatre & Performance centers innovation, experimentation, and interdisciplinary creative practice rooted in Black performance traditions and informed by global aesthetics. We prepare students to lead across the evolving landscape of theatre and performance through the integration of artistic practice, critical inquiry, collaboration, and creative exploration.

We invite candidates interested in connecting historical and cultural inquiry with contemporary theatre-making and in developing inventive, interdisciplinary courses that support experiential learning and expand the curriculum. We welcome candidates who approach theatre history and dramatic literature through critical inquiry, examining cultural context, artistic form, representation, and their relationship to contemporary theatre-making. Areas of interest and experience might include African American, Black, and diasporic theatre traditions; global and transnational theatre; performance criticism; new work development; directing and devising; digital and emerging technologies; arts advocacy; and community engagement.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellence in undergraduate teaching and advising within a collaborative liberal arts environment; enthusiasm for working with students across levels of experience; and a commitment to critical inquiry and artistic practice as integral to teaching and learning. We value culturally affirming and inclusive pedagogical practices, strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, and an interest in engaging students across disciplines through theatre-making, dramaturgical inquiry, and creative practice.

Primary Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses in Theatre History, Dramaturgy, Script Analysis, African American Theatre, Theatre Insight, and additional courses within the candidate's areas of expertise and departmental curricular needs.
• Serve as production dramaturg for departmental productions, with one full production dramaturgy assignment per academic year eligible to substitute for one course assignment.
• Support and mentor student production dramaturgs throughout the research, rehearsal, and production process.
• Collaborate with directors, designers, performers, and student dramaturgs to integrate dramaturgical inquiry into the production process.
• Mentor students in dramaturgical inquiry, critical writing, script analysis, and production dramaturgy.
• Contribute to new work development and other creative projects within the department.
• Develop interdisciplinary and experiential learning opportunities that connect critical inquiry with theatrical practice.
• Participate in curriculum development, assessment, recruitment, advising, and other departmental initiatives.
• Participate in departmental and College service.

Preferred Qualifications

• African American, Black, and/or African diasporic theatre.
• Global and international theatre traditions, including transnational exchange and migration.
• Performance criticism and critical writing.
• Directing and/or devising.
• Interdisciplinary approaches to theatre-making.
• Production dramaturgy and new work development.
• Digital media and emerging technologies in theatrical practice.
• Arts advocacy and community engagement.
• Mentoring undergraduate creative work and student-generated projects.

EEO Statement

Spelman College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are a smoke-free campus.

Deadline to Receive Letter(s) of Reference

12/04/2026