Assistant Stage Director

Central City Opera - Assistant Stage Director (Festival Production Staff)

Application Deadline: March 12, 2025

Reports to: Stage Director; staff supervisor-Director of Production

Classification: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 am-10:30 pm (frequent evenings and weekends); Monday is a dark day

Company

Founded in 1932, Central City Opera (CCO) is the fifth oldest professional opera company in the country and is renowned for exquisite world-class productions, a robust young artist training program, creative education activities, and community engagement. Our annual summer opera festival takes place at 8,500 feet above sea level in the Colorado mountain town of Central City, only 35 miles west of Denver, where the company owns and maintains 28 Victorian-era properties, including the intimate 550-seat jewel box opera house built in 1878.

The Vision and Mission of CCO includes using the power of the arts and historic preservation to enhance lives and communities while enriching the lives and communities of those we serve and providing a welcoming, inclusive environment of beauty and meaning.

Central City Opera’s 2025 season features mainstage productions of Rossini’s THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, Vrebalov & Brevoort’s THE KNOCK, and Mary Rodgers’ ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. Additionally, the Assistant Stage Director to BARBER will lead the staging of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program artists in the Nina Odescalchi Kelly Young Artist Matinee performance of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE in the historic jewel-box opera house.

Position Summary:

Central City Opera is seeking Assistant Stage Directors for two mainstage productions in the 2025 Festival Season. The Assistant Director supports a single production of the 2025 mainstage season and collaborates across production and artistic departments to assist in the development and maintenance the artistic vision of the Stage Director by assisting in all rehearsals and production meetings, maintaining necessary paperwork, collaborating on the logistical needs of the production including scheduling, and communicating blocking notes and other essential information on behalf of the Stage Director. In addition to working on a mainstage show, Assistant Directors will have the opportunity to direct members of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program in “Short Works” opera scenes auxiliary programs presented in the intimate Williams Stables.

Responsibilities Include:

• Assisting the Stage Director in all staging rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and production meetings.


• Taking detailed blocking notes


• Preparing necessary paperwork in collaboration with stage management (i.e. character scene breakdown, critical duties lists, bow sheet, etc.)


• Coordinating daily rehearsal schedules with the Festival Production Scheduler.


• Leading rehearsals and runs with covers


• Delivering notes to the company on behalf of the Stage Director during rehearsals and maintaining the show after its opening


• Researching and delivering pre-show “Opera Talk” lecture for patrons prior to each performance

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in theatre, music, voice, or related field


• Graduate degree and/or 2+ years of related work experience preferred;


• Knowledge of opera, theater, music, and/or the performing arts strongly preferred;


• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills


• Strong computer skills, including MS Office products: Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint;

Skills & Abilities:

• An appreciation for and fluency in discussing and describing opera, music and the performing arts;


• Patron-centric and customer service focused;


• Meticulous attention to detail;


• Strong organizational and analytical skills;


• Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to function in a collaborative environment while also working independently;


• Knowledge of opera strongly preferred;


• High level of intercultural competence and experience working with diverse communities;


• Takes independent actions and proactively seeks opportunities to connect resources, people and organizations with Central City Opera.

Benefits:

THE ASSISTANT STAGE DIRECTOR belongs the Production Staff category of Artists covered by the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and is eligible for all benefits as designated in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between Central City Opera and AGMA. Central City Opera employs singers, actors, dancers, and production staff under an AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) agreement and pays competitive wages.  

Equal Employment Opportunity

CCO is committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive and equitable work environment. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values and we are currently working to expand our capacities in these areas with company-wide understanding that this is an ongoing process that must be embedded into the fabric of the organization. We encourage candidates who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, otherwise-abled, and other underrepresented identities to apply. All applications will receive consideration for employment.