ABOUT THE GROUP ● ABOUT ROUNDABOUT ● SUPPORT ● APPLICATION
ABOUT THE GROUP
The Leon Levy Foundation Roundabout Directors Group (RDG) was created to offer resources and provide career assistance to early career directors for the American theatre, building on the work begun through the Roundabout Directing Fellowship. RDG creates an artistic community for directors at similar stages of their careers, fostering camaraderie, lateral mentorship, access to expanded professional networks, and insight into the workings of a large not-for-profit institution.
The RDG cohort meets monthly with established artists to offer mentorship and workshops on topics such as: leadership during a global pandemic, transitioning from assisting to directing, directing for TV/Film, understanding SDC, self-producing, finding representation, and more. Most importantly, RDG serves as a connection point to find community between colleagues with the hope that our members leave RDG with a larger circle of industry connections, knowledge, and a close group of peers.
Our goal is to support and advance the next generation of directors for the American theatre by providing them with a foundation on which they can build lasting careers in the industry.
RDG is specifically focused on creating a launchpad for artists who have historically been denied equitable opportunities in the theatre industry. To that end, we actively encourage and seek applications from underrepresented groups, inclusive of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, and disability status.
RDG members are selected annually for a season-long commitment that includes:
- monthly meetings featuring industry guests
- tickets to all Roundabout productions
- opportunities for observing rehearsals of Roundabout’s developmental work
- networking sessions with other early-career artist groups
- opportunities to form relationships with Roundabout leadership, Artists in Residence, and RDG alumni
- opportunities for feedback on website, portfolio, applications, etc.
- headshot session
In past years, directors who join RDG have been selected from that season’s applicants for the Roundabout Directing Fellowship. However, beginning with the 2021-22 season, RDG will have its own application process, which is outlined below. Roundabout will not be taking any applications for the Fellowship this year.
ABOUT ROUNDABOUT
Roundabout celebrates the power of theatre by spotlighting classics from the past, cultivating new works of the present and educating minds for the future.
Roundabout acknowledges that our society has been built on systems that marginalize many groups. We pledge to address the ways in which Roundabout has been a part of this marginalization and how those inequities can be corrected. We pledge to be accountable for identifying the inequities in our organization and in our industry and are working to break down barriers to ensure that all individuals—with all of our differences—have an opportunity to be included and to feel welcome in our spaces and artistic practices. We pledge that the stories we tell on our stages will reflect a wide variety of backgrounds. It is our sincere belief that these ongoing commitments are imperative to increase not only the quality of work on our stages but also the strength of our institution.
To this end, Roundabout Theatre Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to represent individuals from all walks of life in its workforce. We want our employment community to be a representation of the diverse world we live in. As such, we strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply, and we ensure that every candidate who applies for a position at Roundabout Theatre Company is treated equally and fairly without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status and any other factor prohibited by law. We believe diversity in our teammates is paramount to our success as a not-for-profit theatre serving all communities in New York.
SUPPORT
Support for the Directors Group and all of Roundabout's Artists in Residence programming is generously provided by the Leon Levy Foundation.
The Leon Levy Foundation is a private foundation created in 2004 to continue Leon Levy's philanthropic legacy and build on his vision by supporting the preservation, understanding and expansion of knowledge in the Ancient World, Arts and Humanities, Nature and Gardens, Neuroscience, Human Rights and Jewish culture. Since its inception, the Foundation has made grants totaling over $400 million.
APPLICATION
DEADLINE
All materials are due by April 1, 2021 at 11:59 PM ET.
Applicants will be notified by May 1, 2021 if selected for the second round.
Offers will be made by June 15, 2021.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
1. Resume
A current resume outlining your professional experience as a director. Please list education, training, and any additional relevant experience (administrative, etc.). Include your website if you have one.
2. Personal statement
Please submit a personal statement of up to 750 words that addresses the following questions:
- How would you describe yourself as a director and the kind of work you seek to make?
- Why is Roundabout Directors Group right for you at this point in your career?
- How would you benefit from participating in a cohort dedicated to building community among peers, and how would you be an asset to the group?
3. References
Please provide the following information for TWO references:
Name, email, phone number, position/title, relationship to applicant
Please send the materials in the order listed above as a single PDF. The file should be saved with your last name and first name as the file name (i.e. LastnameFirstname.pdf)
All materials must be submitted to: RDG@roundabouttheatre.org. Please include your first and last name in the subject line of the email.
As part of our application process, we ask that candidates consider completing a survey. This is voluntary and survey information will be anonymous and kept separate from application materials. Click on the link below to access the survey.
CONTACT
All questions concerning application process, requirements, or materials should be sent by email to RDG@roundabouttheatre.org. No phone calls, please.
FAQs
When will the 2021-22 Roundabout Directors Group start?
We anticipate having the group members confirmed by the end of June, at which point they will be surveyed about their schedules in order to set the dates of all monthly meetings for the season. The first meeting will take place in September 2021, and the final meeting will take place in August 2022.
How often does the group meet?
All members are expected to attend all monthly meetings. Additional activities that offer access to further workshops, observerships, or networking will take place throughout the season, and members are encouraged to attend as many as possible.
Do I have to live in New York City to be in the group?
We anticipate all meetings for the 2021-22 cohort to take place in person at Roundabout’s midtown Manhattan offices. While that plan is, of course, subject to change based on public health guidelines, we advise applicants to assume that their presence will be required on-site in New York.
How many people will be selected?
We expect to the group to have approximately 8-10 members.
How do I know if I’m the right fit for RDG?
The Roundabout Directors Group was made to encourage peer networking and community building among early career directors as well as the growth of each individual director’s knowledge of the industry at large. While this program is not focused on developing craft, directors who are looking to grow their network of colleagues in order to share resources, knowledge, and to learn the inner workings of a large nonprofit institution will find just that.