Category Archives: Leadership

Leadership, Technical Theatre

Hiring: Technical Director Assistant Position

Town Theatre is seeking a Technical Director Assistant. The ideal candidate will have a working knowledge of all aspects of technical theatre including set design, construction, lighting and sound. Town Theatre is in the middle of its 102nd season of operation with a heavy emphasis on musicals. Generally, the theatre produces five main stage shows during the season (September to May), a large summer main stage musical, two to three youth theatre productions as well as various special event shows. The theatre itself is a proscenium stage theatre with a fly system. Sets are built onsite in a workshop and on the stage. Town Theatre values the ability of all staff to work in and promote a harmonious work environment.

Candidates should:

  • Be at least 18 years old with a valid driver’s license
  • Have a high school degree or a GED equivalent
  • Have a basic theatre knowledge of how productions are put together and run
  • Showcase an ability to effectively work with and support volunteers
  • Show the desire and ability to work collaboratively and cordially with fellow staff, stage managers, directors and volunteers
  • Be able to meet deadlines with quality results
  • Have a flexible schedule that will vary depending on the life cycle of each show

Preferred skills include, but are not limited to carpentry, overhead rigging, stage electrics, scenic painting and sound/audio tech experience.  

Basic duties of the position will include, but are not limited to:

  • Assisting the Technical Director with the building, rigging, props, painting of scenery, lighting and any audio needs for the productions
  • Assisting in the maintenance of equipment in the scene shop, light booth and sound booth
  • Keeping up with the props, organization of the props room and basement storage
  • Working offsite at the warehouse to pull and maintain stored scenery
  • Staffing the actual productions as the on-site technician when needed
  • Working in the attic over the auditorium as well as on the grid over the stage as needed
  • Assisting with the maintenance needs of the general facility

Ideally, this hire will be a full-time position with weekday hours during the show build and evening hours during the run of the show, shared by the theatre’s Technical Director. However, the position may be split depending on the candidates. To apply, please send a cover letter, résumé, visual examples of scenic design work and three references with current contact information. Packages may be sent electronically to Shannon Willis Scruggs, Executive Director, at shannon@towntheatre.com.

Posted Dec. 7, 2021

Leadership

Annual meeting

From the Board of Governors

The Columbia Stage Society will hold the annual meeting on Tuesday, August 25 at 5:30 PM at Town Theatre. At this time, members of the Board will be elected. All persons who hold memberships with the Theatre for the 101st season are eligible to vote. Due to COVID, those wishing to attend should email shannon@towntheatre.com so that we can ensure social distancing.

Events, Leadership, Main Stage, Youth Theatre

“May” we update you?

May 4, 2020

Hello Town Theatre members and ticket purchasers!

First – THANK YOU. Thanks for hanging in there with us as we continue to navigate the unknown. Of course, we have more questions than answers it seems, but we have been fortunate in so many ways. I wanted to update you on a few things with the information that I have available to me.

Midlands Gives
Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5, is Midlands Gives. This is a community-wide day of giving. We know that everyone is in a different place right now, but we think it is important to seek support for the theatre from those who are able. We will host our “$20 for Town” campaign again inviting you to make a $20 gift through the Midlands Gives platform. Click here to make your gift. We received word on Friday that that we will receive a match of up to $3,000 from The Cheerful Giver – an anonymous donor. We feel so fortunate! (And if you so inclined and able to make a gift larger than $20, of course we would appreciate that too!)

Please know that this ask does not come without understanding of what a rough time this is for everyone. We sincerely want to find the balance between the tough situations that everyone is facing and making sure we can open the doors at 1012 Sumter Street after the pandemic is behind us. If this is not the right time for you to receive this request, no pressure at all. We simply present it as an opportunity.


The “State” of Town Theatre

So far, Town Theatre is hanging in there! The quarantine has created job loss and a great deal of financial instability for so many. Our heart aches for everyone who has faced a loss of any magnitude. Town went from a time of incredibly strong ticket sales in an amazing season of shows to an immediate halt. The theatre was fortunate to receive a PPP loan which is allowing us to retain our staff and not face layoffs at the moment.

Our job duties and descriptions have altered just a bit, but everyone is working as best they can. We are grateful for the time to tackle some of those “to do” list items that never seem to get done. We are hopeful that our Midlands Gives event will be fruitful and that we will be able to generate some revenue from virtual camps. We’re counting on the return of our shows and in-person camp activities.

But we have no crystal ball, so we are moving forward with great care and caution – doing our best to make decisions on a rolling basis. We continue to communicate with theatres and arts organizations locally and across the country to understand their best practices upon a return to the theatre. We constantly seek and apply for any relief funds that might be available to non-profits. We gently fundraise because we want to find the balance between the tough situations that everyone is facing and our own goal to stay in business.

101st Season
It is still our intention to complete our 101st season including our run of Mary Poppins and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. We must have details on what we can do, when we can do it as well as guidance on appropriate social distancing before any of those decisions can be set in stone. When they are – we promise to share our plans with you. As a reminder, if you had already made reservations for Mary Poppins, you will have the first opportunity to re-reserve your tickets for our new slate of performance dates. Once an appropriate amount of time has passed, we will open ticketing for others. We continue to appreciate your patience as we wait until that time to communicate about ticketing.

Classes

We are continuing our virtual youth theatre classes through May. In another month we believe we will have more information about how we can continue to serve our 150 students. Just like with the 101st main stage shows, it is still our intention to allow the students to perform when possible. We know that it won’t be exactly the same as we originally planned, but we will deal with that when details are provided from our state and local officials.

Summer Camps
Next week, we will outline summer camps for the first few weeks in June. These will be planned as virtual offerings with small groups of students. Classes will be held via Zoom and will vary in topic. This is a first for us and we welcome the opportunity to deliver arts education in a new way. If we need to continue to roll out virtual camps for a longer time frame, we will do so.

We appreciate your support as we all make this journey together.

Shannon Willis Scruggs
Executive Director
Town Theatre

Leadership

Ahearn-Chalfant, Goins and Parks to Join to Theatre Board

Left to right: Ahearn-Chalfant, Goins, Parks

Town Theatre is pleased to welcome Pamela Ahearn-Chalfant, Dr. Felicia L. Goins and Craig Parks to the Board of Governors for the Columbia Stage Society.

Pamela Ahearn-Chalfant began volunteering at Town Theatre 12 years ago when her daughters became involved on stage. This “family affair” continued as she and her girls have performed, crewed, assisted with classes, and stage-managed at Town. Pamela’s professional experience has been in teaching, leadership development and sales. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan (BA Ed. ’88), and her graduate degree from the University of South Carolina (MA School Leadership ’99). Pamela taught in schools in Los Angeles County, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and South Carolina, and she also homeschooled her children for 15 years.  Pamela has long been involved in nonprofit work, volunteering for a variety of nonprofits around the country.  Some of her favorite nonprofits besides Town Theatre include the Los Angeles homeless shelter Jovenes and Atlanta-based Curing Kids Cancer.

Dr. Felicia L. Goins was born and raised in Washington, D.C.  She is a graduate of George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and she received her Doctor of Dental Surgery from Howard University College of Dentistry. Dr. Goins completed her advanced training in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center and received her Certificate of Pediatric Dentistry from Georgetown University School of Dentistry. She is well decorated having earned many accolades and honors in dentistry. Dr. Goins is extremely dedicated to the community. She co-founded the Links Inc. Dental Sealants Program at W.A. Perry Middle, the Health Reach Program at Prisma Health Tuomey Regional Medical Center and has served on many boards including the YWCA of the Upper Lowlands, Sumter Museum of Art, Tuomey Hospital Foundation, Kershaw County Historical Society, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School and The Columbia Chapter of Links. She was also a Board member of the University of South Carolina Commission on Higher Learning and continues to be a member at Wake Forest University College Board of Visitors. In 2006, Governor Mark Sanford appointed Dr. Goins to the South Carolina State Board of Dentistry where she served until 2015. Since 2004 she has been a member of the State Dental Board Disciplinary Panel. For the past 16 years, Dr. Goins has administered the Pediatric Dental Specialty Examination for the South Carolina State Dental Board. She also serves on the Executive Board of the South Carolina Ac of Pediatric Dentists and has been a member of the South Carolina Dental Association Medicaid Ad Hoc Committee since 1999.  Dr. Goins has been a proud sponsor of March of Dimes and the Special Olympics for many years. She and her family established the Will Moreau Goins Memorial Fund at Town Theatre in honor of her late brother who performed at Town for 20 years.

Craig Parks is Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy for the University of South Carolina, serving as a link between the university system, elected officials and other stakeholders across the state, helping to match the university’s strategic plan with the needs of the South Carolina.  Prior to joining USC in 2018, Craig served as Assistant Director for Tax Policy for the South Carolina Senate Finance Committee and was the committee’s Senior Budget Analyst for Higher Education, capacities in which he was responsible for state tax policy and higher education finance analysis and development. In 2009, Craig was selected as lead staffer for the South Carolina Tax Realignment Commission, an independent blue-ribbon panel charged with assessing the effectiveness of the state’s tax structure. Before moving to the State Senate in January 2006, Craig was a Fiscal Policy Analyst with the SC Board of Economic Advisors, Budget and Control Board from 2000 to 2005, and he also worked as a Labor Market Analyst at the SC Department of Employment and Workforce from 1999 to 2000 after finishing graduate school. Craig received his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in Government from Wofford College and his master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of South Carolina. In 2010, Craig was named Wofford College “Young Alumnus of the Year” and in 2011, was appointed by Richland County Council to serve on the Hospitality Tax Advisory Committee, a committee on which he served for many years, including serving several terms as Chairman. Craig is married to Amy, his wife of 19 years, and they have four children, Anna Grace (14), Coleman (11), Addyson Virginia (8), and Margaret Heyward (1).



Leadership, Special Events, Youth Theatre

Beyond the stage

Town Theatre is proud to partner with FACES ~ Foreign Academic & Cultural Exchanges Services ~ to assist with a special project taking our acting chops into a classroom setting. FACES works with teachers from other countries to help them succeed in the academic arena of the United States. As one might imagine, the classroom setting in America is quite different. Teachers from other countries often encounter situations that they are not used to seeing in their home country. FACES reached out to our Town Theatre to see how we might help and we knew that many of our Town Teen Troupe actors would be perfect for the job! At the end of July, these actors will role-play classroom scenarios that showcase issues that FACES teachers might see. The action will “freeze” while a moderator addresses ways in which teachers might handle these scenarios.

We are so proud of our youth theatre program and delighted to have this very special opportunity to use our stage skills in a way that will bring such value to academia.

FACTS about FACES…
*FACES is a Columbia-based company that recruits foreign teachers for South Carolina schools K-12.

*FACES recruits international teachers, evaluates their credentials for appropriate experience and certification requirements and then provides the selected teachers for possible selection by local South Carolina districts who are seeking teachers for the cultural enrichment opportunities for the school.

*Before leaving for the school, FACES provides an intensive staff development program to prepare the teachers for their role in an American classroom.

*FACES is unique for providing training in academic subjects and classroom management before they report to school.

*To learn even more about FACES, please visit facesinc.org.