Artistic and Administrative Leadership Search

Company Overview

Company Overview

Founded in 1988, Montréal’s Repercussion Theatre is best known for its annual Shakespeare-in-the-Park tour, which brings free, professional theatre to thousands of people each summer. Our mandate is to deliver professional, classically based, visually dynamic theatre that is accessible to all, regardless of income, culture, language, age or education. Much of the year is spent preparing for our beloved seasonal tour, which brings a fully-realised production to multiple parks across the island of Montréal and beyond for 4 intense weeks each summer. Our “off season” can also consist of various activities, including our Words With Will play-development series, workshops, and collaborations of various kinds.

As a professional theatre company and non-profit arts organization, our core values are artistic excellence, social relevance, and accessibility. We pride ourselves on reflecting the incredible diversity and complexity of Montréal both on and off our stage, and as an outdoor theatre company we are particularly committed to treading as lightly and as thoughtfully as we can on the Earth. Through our various projects, we aim to make professional theatre as accessible as possible, to nurture the next generation of theatre-makers through mentorship and partnerships, and to introduce innovative interpretations of classical theatre by infusing them with an artistic and cultural sensibility that is distinctly Montréalaise. 

Our office is currently located at 460 St Catherine street west, in the heart of downtown Montréal, within the same building as cultural institutions like ELAN, QDF and the FTA, and with a wonderful view of Saint James United Church. We are a relatively small organization with a proud history of serving our community,  

Job Description

Following the upcoming departure of Repercussion Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director, the Board of Directors is seeking creative and dynamic new leadership to steer the company into the future! 

Like any arts organisation, Repercussion must constantly reevaluate its position in the industry and reinvigorate its ways of working. The Board of Directors is therefore seeking leaders who value Repercussion’s roots and history, but are also keen to investigate new ways of fulfilling its mandate and serving the community. 

An Important Note About Organisational Structure:

The leadership of the company has traditionally taken the form of an Artistic Director and General Manager, both of whom answer to the Board of Directors. This posting will focus to some extent on that format, but – given that leadership can take many forms – the Board is very open to and interested in the possibility of other structures. Running a theatre company requires creativity and thinking outside the box, and the key leadership roles need to collaborate closely; so we encourage interested applicants to come ready to talk about how they want to work, as well as what they want to create. For example: applicants can choose to apply as a team, or one person can propose to take on both roles (or parts thereof.)

General Responsibilities of Repercussion Leadership (eg Artistic Director and General Manager, or another iteration): The main leader or leadership team of the organisation work to ensure the ongoing viability and long-term sustainability of the company. They maintain the vision and integrity of the organisation and manage its day-to-day operations. They build and maintain relationships with major stakeholders (funders, parks, donors, artists, colleagues in the community, etc) and keep the Board of Directors regularly informed of the organisation's artistic, financial and administrative situation. They craft and maintain the budget, seek funding, and oversee the various contract workers and artists hired from season to season. They are, in short, the core of the company.

(Please see the detailed job descriptions for the AD and GM positions in the full breakdown on our website. As stated above, other configurations are possible and welcome! But these breakdowns give a more detailed picture of what the work entails and how it has traditionally been divided.)

Qualifications and Qualities We Are Looking For:

The ideal candidate(s) for this/these role(s) will:

• Be passionate about Repercussion Theatre’s mission and activities;

• Have education/training in a related field and/or a good deal of relevant experience;

• Have experience working in a non-profit arts organisation (ideally in a leadership position);

• Have demonstrable knowledge of and experience with the various responsibilities outlined in the detailed job descriptions below;

• Have a demonstrable track record in terms of artistic practice and/or organisational leadership;

• Be able to work both independently and as part of a team, to lead when needed and support when required;

• Have an awareness of the local and national arts landscape;

• Have excellent communication skills in English and French (spoken and written);

• Be both a big-picture thinker and detail-oriented doer;

• Be excited by the challenge of leading an arts organisation at a moment when leading an arts organisation is not easy;

• And have the grit, determination, and creativity to imagine and spearhead an exciting future for Repercussion Theatre.

Contract Details

The exact details of the contract will be determined based on the people hired and the structure agreed upon. What is key is that there is a good deal of flexibility available, and the Board aims to work with the chosen candidate(s) to create a structure that is most effective for the Company and the people involved. 

This breakdown has been conceived as two year-round positions (AD and GM), with some full-time and some part-time periods; but the Board is open to other possibilities:

• Off season (September to March): The GM and AD would be part time during this period, working in a hybrid model (in-office and remote as needed) +/- 2-3 days/week.

• Shakespeare-in-the-Park season (April-August): This has traditionally been the most intensive time of year for us, with the team swelling from +/-3 employees to over 30 contractors, artists, workers and volunteers. The GM and AD would need to be full-time and in-person during this period.

Salary: $35-$40K annually each* (if a traditional AD/GM structure is chosen)

*This is the amount that is possible given the current budget (2025/26) and business model. The leader(s) hired will be charged with conceiving of and managing future budgets, and will therefore be in a position to explore how this can change.