Guest Costume Designer and Technician
Westtown School is seeking a Guest Costume Designer and Technician for our educational theatrical productions in the 2024-2025 season; “Shakespeare’s Tempest, Reimagined,” “The Edgar Allen Poe Afterlife Radio Show,” and “The Addams Family.” The Guest Costume Designer and Technician is responsible for designing, coordinating, and constructing costumes for all productions. For productions, the Guest Costume Designer and Technician is expected to supervise wardrobe and be available for dress rehearsals and performances. While this role is educational in nature due to direct interaction with students, this is not a teaching position. This is a part-time contracted position.
The Guest Costume Designer and Technician will work in Westtown’s Center for the Living Arts. The theater facilities available include a well-stocked costume inventory, a fully functioning costume shop, state-of-the-art dressing rooms with individualized stalls and green room, and a 526-seat newly renovated proscenium venue, the Barton-Test Theater.
Westtown School is an independent, Quaker co-educational, pre-K to 12 day and boarding school located in suburban West Chester, PA, approximately 30 miles from Philadelphia. Situated on a beautiful 600-acre campus, Westtown offers state-of-the-art facilities where our committed faculty and staff inspire and prepare our students to be stewards and leaders of a better world.
Essential Responsibilities
Design costumes for the fall Upper School production of “Shakespeare’s Tempest, Reimagined”;
Construct and coordinate costumes for “Shakespeare’s Tempest, Reimagined”;
Design costumes for the winter Middle School production of “The Edgar Allen Poe Afterlife Radio Show”;
Construct and coordinate costumes for “The Edgar Allen Poe Afterlife Radio Show”;
Design costumes for the spring Upper School production of “The Addams Family”;
Construct and coordinate costumes for the Upper School production of “The Addams Family”;
Work in the Costume Shop and costume stock;
Attend measurement and costume fittings and production meetings;
Collaborate with the Technical Director and Production Manager;
Collaborate with the Directors on each production;
Develop a costume construction schedule with benchmarks for completing designs, pulling stock pieces, arranging necessary rentals, custom fabrication, fittings, and alterations on all costumes as needed;
Plan and prepare for dress rehearsals, including hair and make-up;
Maintain costumes during the performance period including, but not limited to, making repairs, doing laundry, shoe repair, etc.;
Collaborate with the Production Manager to create costume breakdowns/costume change plots and run sheets;
Attend designer-run rehearsals;
Assist student stage managers in preparing for and facilitating quick changes during dress rehearsals and performances;
Be available for strike after final performances for laundry and restocking;
Collaborate with the Technical Director to clean all costume items, restock in-house pieces, return rentals, and coordinate dry cleaning;
Collaborate with the Technical Director to purchase items.
Essential Dates
“Addams Family”
Production meetings begin in late January 2025
Rehearsals start in mid-February 2025
Costume parade on April 18 from 3:45 p.m.- 5:45 p.m.
Dress rehearsals on April 28, 29, 30 from 3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.(4/28, 4/29), 6 p.m.-9 p.m.(4/30)
Performances on May 1 and May 2 at 7:30 p.m. and May 3 at 4:00 p.m.
Compensation
Qualifications
Experience in costume designing
Experience in costume construction and technology
Experience in educational theater or working with young performers
Competency in body positivity and sensitivity
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues
A commitment to enhancing an inclusive school community based on cultural competence, commitment to social justice, and respect for all voices
Commitment to Quaker-informed pedagogy
Enthusiasm for the mission of Westtown School and the school’s Quaker values
For additional information about Westtown School and to explore current career opportunities, please visit our website westtown.edu/careers. Interested applicants can apply online by submitting their resume, cover letter, and three professional references directly to the specific job posting on the faculty employment portal.