Search Postings

Division Name: Academic Affairs
Department: School of Theatre, Dance, and Film

Job Summary

The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is seeking applications for a Sound Engineer, Sound Technician, Assistant Master Electricians, Electricians for the 2026 summer season.

SOUND ENGINEER

• Significant sound, electrical, and supervisory experience is required, preferably in a professional environment. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated sound engineering/installation skills, be proficient on sound consoles, strong troubleshooting ability, work well in a fast-paced environment, be self-motivated, have excellent communication/leadership skills, and be able to teach/lead a sound team with interns.
• This position is available for the full Festival, May 19 – August 5.
• Run the sound board for two Mainstage Productions.

ASSISTANT LEAD ELECTRICIAN

• Significant lighting, electrical, and supervisory experience is desired, preferably in a professional environment. The ideal candidates will have demonstrated lighting skills, be proficient on ETC consoles, have capable troubleshooting ability, work well in a fast-paced environment, have excellent communication/leadership skills, and be able to teach/lead young electricians and interns.
• These positions are available for the full Festival, May 19 – August 5.
• This position will run the lightboard or spotlight for 2 Mainstage productions.

ELECTRICIAN and LIGHT BOARD/SPOT OPERATOR

• Lighting and electrical experience is desired. The ideal candidates will have demonstrated lighting skills, be proficient on ETC consoles, have capable troubleshooting ability, work well in a fast-paced environment, have strong communication skills, and be able to teach interns.
• Electricians are hired for the full season and be transitioned to a board operator and/or spotlight operator when tech begins.

SOUND TECHNICIAN

• Sound experience is desired, preferably in a professional environment. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated sound installation skills, be proficient on sound consoles, have strong troubleshooting ability, work well in a fast-paced environment, be self-motivated, have strong communication skills, and be able to teach interns.
• These positions are available for the build portion of the season, May 19 – July 10, system installation pre-season and assisting with technical rehearsals.

Housing is available at a reduced cost beginning on May 18.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed and positions filled as applications are received.

In addition to the required resume and cover letter, interested applicants are encouraged to submit images of their work, uploaded as a Word or PDF document. Alternatively, a link to an online portfolio can be uploaded in a Word or PDF document.

Additional Information

IF YOU ARE AN ISU STUDENT (enrolled in at least 6 undergraduate or 5 graduate credit hours during the Spring 2026 semester): Please do not apply to this posting. You will need to apply to the student employment posting, located here: https://jobsearch.illinoisstate.edu/en-us/job/521487/lighting-sound-crewillinois-shakespeare-festival-2026-isu-students. 

The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is a professional repertory theatre company that produces Shakespeare and contemporary plays in the spirit of Shakespeare every summer at the beautiful Ewing Cultural Center in Bloomington, Illinois. The Festival hires professional Directors, Designers, Actors, and production personnel and offers a variety of internships to students from Illinois State University and other colleges and universities. The Festival sells an average of 10,000 tickets per year, is supported by Illinois State University and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival Society.

Benefits include time away from work for eligible employees and the option to participate in the University’s 403(b) Plan .

Salary Rate / Pay Rate

$15.00 per hour

Required Qualifications

1. Ability to work well in a fast-paced environment
2. Self-motivated
3. Strong communication skills
4. Additional requirements included in the General Summary

Work Hours

Regular shop hours are typically Tuesday through Sunday 8:00am to 4:30pm with evening hours for lighting focus calls. The average number of hours is 30 hours per week. Individual schedules will vary based on daily needs. Additional hours may be added during tech weeks. For the position who will stay through the festival, work hours will shift to mostly evening hours for performances.

Proposed Starting Date

May 2026

Required Applicant Documents

Resume
Cover Letter

Please Note: These documents are required to be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"

Optional Applicant Documents

Images of work or links to online portfolio

Please Note: These documents may be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"

Special Instructions for Applicants

Please fully complete the entire application including, but not limited to, the education and work history portions. Be specific on your work history, including employment dates (if part-time you must list the number of work hours) and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position; however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience. Please do not put "see resume" in the duties and responsibilities section of the work history. This will be considered an incomplete application and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applicants for this position must be authorized to work in the U.S. without ISU sponsorship. Sponsorship for work authorization will not be considered for this position.

Illinois State University is authorized to do business within the State of Illinois. All work under this appointment is required to be performed from within the State of Illinois.

Extra Help employees are paid for hours worked only. There is no guarantee that working as Extra Help will lead to or secure permanent employment.

Contact Information for Applicants

Allie Nicholson
alnich1@ilstu.edu 
Production Manager, Illinois Shakespeare Festival

Important Information for Applicants

This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable, an employment history review, based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (309) 438-3383. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.

If you are having difficulty accessing the system, please call Human Resources at (309) 438-8311.