Theater Lead & Summer Program Coordinator

Marin Academy, an independent high school in San Rafael, California, seeks a dynamic and collaborative theater artist-educator to serve as Theater Program Lead within our Performing Arts Department.

This full-time faculty role invites a creative leader to steward and grow a highly respected theater program, shape a coherent four-year curriculum, direct mainstage productions, and help launch a Performing Arts summer program that serves both our students and the broader community. We are looking for an educator who sees theater not only as performance, but as a practice of inquiry, collaboration, reflection, and joyful risk-taking. As such, this person will work on a modified faculty schedule to account for time on campus during the summer program.

The ideal candidate will bring both artistic vision and pedagogical care—someone excited to design a scaffolded high school theater experience that integrates technique, process, performance, and reflective practice, while responding thoughtfully to the values of a progressive, student-centered school. 

Role Overview

The Theater Program Lead is responsible for teaching theater courses, directing/producing plays, as well as developing and disseminating the theater curriculum, production, budget, and guest artists in coordination with the Performing Arts Department Chair. This position includes collaborating with the Performing Arts Chair to coordinate and teach in the Performing Arts Summer Program. 

Primary responsibilities of the position include the following:

Teaching & Curriculum Development

• Teach 2–3 theater courses per year.

• Design and refine a cohesive, student-centered theater curriculum in collaboration with the Performing Arts Chair and departmental colleagues.

• Articulate a four-year curricular arc that supports skill development, creative process, ensemble work, and reflection.

Directing & Producing Mainstage Productions

• Direct 1–2 mainstage productions annually.

• Collaborate with the Technical Director, designers, and participating faculty and staff.
  Coordinate auditions, casting, and rehearsal processes.

• Work with designers and external artists to support high-quality, student-centered productions.

Performing Arts Summer Program

• Design and lead a Performing Arts Summer Intensive for local youth with the auxiliary purpose of building a pipeline of diverse applicants to Marin Academy.

• Coordinate staffing, student schedules, and family communication for the program.
  Build and sustain relationships with local middle schools, youth theater, and dance organizations in partnership with the Admissions Department.

Required Qualifications

• Experience teaching theater and directing productions, ideally at the middle or high school level.

• Demonstrated ability to design and implement theater curriculum.

• Strong communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.

• Initiative and enthusiasm for program-building in a school setting.

Preferred Experience

• Professional theater experience.

• Experience growing enrollment and engagement in an arts program.
  Experience building community partnerships and outreach.

• Experience leading or directing a performing arts summer program.

At present, MA is deeply engaged in the work outlined in our ambitious strategic plan, which emphasizes interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teaching and learning, competency-based assessment, and equity and inclusion. Candidates eager to work toward these strategic goals will be prioritized in our search progress. Furthermore, we welcome candidates who are eager to grow in their professional lives and who demonstrate a willingness and an ability to engage in reflection on their practice.

MA is a vibrant and diverse community, and students and teachers alike continue to work towards the furthering of an inclusive and supportive school. Candidates should have the inclination and experience to work in a community focused on issues of equity and social justice. In addition, we highly value the student-teacher relationship. Individuals with a demonstrated desire to play roles across the school, including but not limited to advising, leading student activities, coaching, and/or supporting other key programs, are encouraged to apply.

Marin Academy’s mission statement “asks every individual to think, question, and create in an environment of encouragement and compassion, and challenges each person to accept the responsibilities posed by education in a democratic society.”  Marin Academy is an equal-opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity, and people of color and women are encouraged to apply.  For more information about Marin Academy, please visit our website (www.ma.org).

Salary & Benefits: This is a position with full benefits. All teachers at Marin Academy lead a minicourse, and engage in a service to the school. Faculty are paid according to a published salary scale, with steps for years of experience and degrees earned. In the 2025-26 school year, teachers with 5-10 years of experience and a master’s degree could expect to earn between $99,000-$113,000 per year. If you have questions about the salary for your degrees & years of experience, please be in touch.

To apply, please complete this application form (which will require a cover letter and résumé).