Props Supervisor
Providence, RI Production
Job Type
Full-time
Description

Job Title: Props Supervisor

Department: Properties

Reports To: Producing Director

FLSA Status: Exempt, Annual Full-time

Pay Tier: 5

Compensation: $1,000-1,200/week, competitive benefits package including health insurance, dental insurance, voluntary supplemental benefits, 401(k), vacation, sick time, and paid holidays.

Desired Start Date: July 1, 2025.

About the Hiring Process: Application will be open until position filled. Applications will start being screened the week of February 17, 2025. 

Interview Process Includes: Application submission review (full application includes resume and cover letter), recruiter phone screen (only if qualified after application review), hiring manager interview and/or panel interview, on-site visit and reference checks (approximately 6-12-week process)


Summary:


Trinity Rep is seeking a highly skilled and creative props supervisor to join our team. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, artistic creativity, and strong organizational skills. The props supervisor provides all props, furnishings, and set dressings for each production and oversees the properties team on a daily basis. The props supervisor is responsible for ensuring that props are prepared (either designed and created or purchased) on time and within budget constraints. They must communicate regularly and clearly with other theater technical staff as well as individual play directors and designers. Trinity Rep is committed to the training of aspiring theater artists. The individual in this role will be asked to support and mentor other team members including an apprentice on an occasional basis.


Essential Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:


· Provide the director, scenic designer and stage management with all rehearsal and performance props required and requested

· Build, source, and/or shop for all props, furnishings, and set dressings

· Supervise properties team (associate props supervisor, apprentice, and over hire artisans) and both provide quality standards and ensure they are met

· Maintain and track the properties budgets for all productions and department expenses for the season via computer and ensure the department remains with budget constraints

· Communicate with scenic designers, directors, and other production and administrative departments, as needed

· Develop practical timelines and prioritize production needs

· Authorize and coordinate appointments regarding props rentals from Trinity Rep stock to other theaters and organizations

· Attend production and staff meetings, technical rehearsals and performances, as required

· Keep the prop shop, prop warehouse, and prop storage areas in good working order

· Brings a sense of collaboration to the full production team with collective incentive and drive for the team working on each production

· Support Trinity Rep in fostering our core values of Company, Community, and Education and in our work to become an anti-racist institution

· Other duties as assigned


Supervisory Responsibilities:


Lead associate props supervisor, shared apprentice, and occasional over-hire technicians in the creation, installation and strike of all production props. Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with organizational policies, procedures, and applicable laws. Responsibilities include assisting in interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; employee performance appraisal and professional development; and maintaining a safe and respectful work environment.

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Experience/Education:


· BA or BFA, or equivalent experience in technical theater, with a concentration in scenic and/or props preferred

· 3-5 years supervisory experience

· Mentorship experience preferred


Technical Skills/Knowledge:


· Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills

· Strong creative vision and ability to translate concepts into tangible props that enhance storytelling

· Proficiency in hand and scenic prop construction techniques including, but not limited to, carpentry, sewing, painting and furniture upholstery

· Ability to interpret and build from sketches, photos, video, or other media

· Work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines in a fast-paced production environment

· Knowledge of theatrical safety standards and practices

· Experience with the proper handling and maintenance of prop weaponry

· Experience in creating consumable liquid and food props, as well as fake food props


Computer Skills:


· Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other cloud-based software

· Photoshop or equivalent


Certifications:


· Valid Driver’s License


Physical Demands:


The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


· Must be able to remain in a stationary position for up to 75 percent of the time

· Must be able to work on your feet and regularly ascend and descend stairs

· Must have the physical ability to set up and work on extension ladders and scaffolding

· Must have the ability to work safely at heights of up to 20’

· Must have the physical ability to move objects weighing up to 50 pounds


Work Environment:


The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


· Schedule includes some nights, weekends and holidays

· The noise level in the work environment ranges from low to high

· All work for this position is required to be completed in person

· Trinity Rep is a collaborative work environment, and employees are expected to be open and willing to collaborate across departments and teams

· Trinity Rep is on an active and ongoing journey to be anti-racist organization, advancing anti-racist policies and practices, and fostering and sustaining a culture that values community, social justice, and equity


Trinity Repertory Company is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building a culturally diverse, equitable, and anti-racist environment. For information about Trinity Rep’s commitment to antiracism, please visit trinityrep.com/antiracism.


ABOUT TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY


Rhode Island’s Tony Award-winning theater company, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally-stimulating productions and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Whether classical or contemporary, all of Trinity Rep’s productions connect audiences with the play and each other in meaningful and sometimes surprising ways. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for 40+ years and made memories for over a million audience members. Trinity Rep shapes the future of the nation’s theater through the development and production of new plays, as well as the tuition-free Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA program – one of the leading programs for actor and director training in the world.


Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection through its commitment to forming meaningful community partnerships, creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, delivering exceptional customer service, and connecting patrons with its resident company of artists. Trinity Rep has resolved to place antiracism at the center of its work, and has embarked on a robust planning process to develop and implement a bold new vision for theater making, education, and community engagement, founded on the principles of genuine equity and antiracism.


Located in downtown Providence, Trinity Rep has long been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region. Typically employing over 250 artists, educators, and administrators, the organization generates nearly $21 million in direct and indirect economic activity annually. It is one of 76 theaters nationwide with membership in LORT (the League of Resident Theaters), the organization representing America’s leading professional theater companies.


Learn more at www.trinityrep.com/about/.


ABOUT THE COMMUNITY


Ranked #1 in Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 2014 America’s Favorite Cities Survey, praised by Architectural Digest as “The country’s best small city,” and named America’s Coolest City by GQ Magazine in 2015, Providence is the capital and most populous city in Rhode Island. Founded in 1636, it is one of the oldest cities in the United States and the third-largest city in the New England region after Boston and Worcester. Providence has a city population of 180,609 and is part of the Providence metropolitan area with an estimated population of 1,622,520. The region is considered part of the Greater Boston combined statistical area, the sixth largest in the country, with over eight million residents.


Once nicknamed the “Beehive of Industry,” Providence has rebranded itself as the “Creative Capital” to emphasize its educational resources (Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, Rhode Island College, Roger Williams University, and Johnson & Wales University) and arts community. Over the last twenty years, much of Providence has undergone a true civic renaissance, as political leaders and residents have propelled the city into an exciting place to work and live. City streets are packed with boutiques, hotels, renovated lofts, excellent restaurants, and art spaces.


In addition to being the home of Trinity Repertory Company, Providence has a remarkable arts and culture community that includes nationally renowned community arts center, AS220; the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra; RISD Museum; Providence Athenaeum; Festival Ballet; and WaterFire. Providence is also home to several performing arts centers such as the Veterans Memorial Auditorium and the Providence Performing Arts Center, as well as a number of smaller theaters. The city’s music scene, centered on artist-run spaces, is well known in underground music circles.


The restaurant scene in Providence is second to none and a source of immense pride for residents, as the city has been consistently recognized as a top city for food. Because of Rhode Island’s proximity to the ocean, many restaurants, grocery stores, and farmer’s markets boast food sourced from the state itself, giving real meaning to the phrase “farm-to-table” dining. From bakeries and coffee shops, to bars and food trucks, there is no shortage of fun, excellent, cutting-edge dining in the city.

Salary Description
$1,000.00-$1,200.00/week