Assistant/Associate Professor of Acting (Stage/Screen), Fall 2027

The Department of Theatre at the University of Tennessee invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor specializing in Acting (Stage & Screen). The successful candidate will be a accomplished acting teacher with extensive training in one or more recognized approaches to actor training and significant professional experience in theatre. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated excellence teaching acting at the university, conservatory, or equivalent professional-training level, with experience teaching both undergraduate and graduate actors. Experience in acting for the camera and/or performance in emerging media and/or filmmaking is required.

Duties include active participation in both graduate and undergraduate programs, service to the department, university, and profession, and creative activity and/or research. The faculty member will teach courses in acting, including advanced scene study and advanced scene study. Other classes may include acting for the camera, audition technique, performance across emerging media, on-camera technique for non-majors or other areas of expertise. The successful candidate will contribute to the continued development of a rigorous, sequential actor-training curriculum and mentor students preparing for professional careers across stage and screen.

The faculty member will contribute as a company member to the Clarence Brown Theatre, a LORT D professional theatre in residence, as an actor, director, or in other capacities based on their expertise. UTK is a land-grant university and values engaged forms of research/scholarship/creative activity, teaching, and service and considers evidence of these commitments in the records of applicants. The University is engaged in a next-level initiative aimed both at substantially elevating the University's national reputation for impactful research, scholarship, and creative activity and at assembling a roster of faculty committed to delivering one of the nation's best educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students.

This position is part of a new constellation of interdisciplinary faculty positions in the UT College of Arts and Sciences emphasizing Envisioning and Narrating Emerging Futures (ENEF). We are seeking tenure-line faculty who will have overlapping interests that foster faculty development and collaboration. The goal is to bring together and invest in faculty across departments whose research, scholarship and creative work is linked through this initiative and to attract scholars who can bring different perspectives to an important issue or area. 

Minimum qualifications include an MFA or equivalent terminal degree, or at least five years of professional experience at the regional theatre level or above, and a demonstrated record of, or potential for, excellence in teaching. Candidates must also demonstrate professional experience in theatre and experience in acting for the camera, filmmaking, and/or performance in emerging media.

Candidates for appointment at the Assistant Professor level must demonstrate the potential to develop a sustained record of excellence in teaching and professional creative activity and/or research appropriate to a tenure-track faculty appointment.

Candidates for appointment at the Associate Professor level must demonstrate a substantial and sustained record of excellence in teaching and professional creative activity and/or research, along with a record of service and professional accomplishment commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor.

Candidates should submit a cover letter, CV/resume, and contact information for three professional references to Interfolio (apply.interfolio.com/192475). The cover letter should address the candidate’s qualifications for the position, approach to actor training, professional experience, and teaching experience. Review of applications will begin on November 9th and continue until the position is filled. Questions related to this search should be directed to Casey Sams at jsams1@utk.edu.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university.

Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to eoa@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to investigations@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-0717.