Job Description

University of Utah Job Description

Job Summary

Supervises the design, cutting, sewing, fitting, and care of costumes for Pioneer Theatre Company main stage productions and the University of Utah Theater Department.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Costume Design, or related field, or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience); four years professional costume design experience; and training in textiles, theatrical cutting and draping, dying, scheduling, personnel management, budgetary supervision, and theatrical design required. Excellent oral and written communication skills; supervisory and training skills; the ability to work in a detail- and deadline-oriented environment; and a committment to service excellence also required.

A Master of Fine Arts in Costume Design is preferred.

Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Disclaimer

This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

Essential Functions

1. Supervises the Costume Shop by hiring, firing, disciplining, making salary recommendation, work assignments and answering grievances as they arise.
2. Maintains budgets for seven productions per year on Pioneer Memorial Theatre's Lee Main Stage.
3. Maintains files of resources necessary for ordering supplies for the costume area. The file contains both local (Salt Lake City) and nation wide vendors.
4. Coordinates the needs of the individual productions by working directly with guest and local designer(s).
5. Attends costume fittings with the actors, follows the progress of the costumes and helps with fitting problems as needed.
6. Evaluates each production costume designs to determine if their completions is possible in the time allowed of if independent contractors are necessary in order to achieve the goals.
7. Schedules the priorities of work within the costume shop and make assignments accordingly.
8. Represents the costume shop at all staff meetings of the Pioneer Theatre Company, makes recommendations and responds to inquiries concerning costumes for current or upcoming productions.
9. Attends dress rehearsals for the Pioneer Theatre Company productions and make minor alterations as requested by the actors or the director.
10. Acts as the costume designer in making artistic decisions when the costume designer isn't present in the costume shop.
11. For the Resident Designer position, the job duties are more artistic and not the practical side of costuming.
12. Communicates and interbreeds the vision of the director into workable costume renderings.
13. Reads the script and analyzes the needs of the play in what costumes are needed and how many different changes each actor will need in the course of the production.
14. Prepares sketches of costumes to be used in the production as a rendering for the director.
15. Purchases the items necessary to create the costumes such as fabric, trim, clothing articles, etc.
16. Interrupts the sketches and renderings to the costume staff.
17. Attends the fittings for each costume and makes artistic decisions about the costume.
18. Works with individual actors to determine their needs in regards to their parts in the production.
19. Attends dress rehearsal and solves any remaining costume problems of the production.
20. Keeps track of the individual show budget.

Problem Solving

This position has the authority to hire, fire, discipline, and make salary recommendations for the costume shop personnel. The incumbent has the authority to analyze the needs of the individual productions and to fill those needs. The position schedules the priority for the costume shop work and assigns the work projects to the different employees. The incumbent has the responsibility and authority to expend funds from three budget accounts for the costume area.

Problems encountered in this position include determining what the production calls for in the way of costumes and what rendering the director wishes to convey. All this while still staying within the prescribed budget for the costume shop. New and exciting costumes that fit within the budget have to be created and constructed. Time is also a problem that has to be dealt with in designing a rendering and constructing the costumes with specific deadlines to be met