Help us build something new for young people in the South Bay
South Bay Musical Theatre is excited to announce the creation of a new Youth Theatre Education Program, beginning in summer 2027. For many years, our audiences and community members have asked us to offer theatre education for young people. We are thrilled to make that request a reality.
Our goal is about more than teaching children how to sing, dance, and act. We want to create a place where young people can build confidence, creativity, friendships, and a lifelong connection to the performing arts. We are fortunate to have worked with an extraordinarily talented community of teaching artists, and we look forward to bringing them together to create a program that reflects the quality and spirit of South Bay Musical Theatre.
To help us launch this program, SBMT is seeking a Director of Education to help shape, develop, and ultimately lead our youth theatre education program.
The opportunity
This is a new position, and the person we hire will have an unusual opportunity to help build the program from the ground up. Working closely with the Artistic Director, the Director of Education will help determine what our first year of classes should look like, develop the program schedule, identify and work with teaching artists, and help us establish a foundation for future growth.
Our initial program will serve young people approximately ages 4 through 17, with classes focused on the core theatre disciplines of acting, singing, and dance. We anticipate beginning with a deliberately small program and expanding it as we learn what works and respond to the needs and interests of the students and families in our community.
The Director of Education will also be responsible for directing and producing a Showcase at the conclusion of the program, allowing students to share what they have learned with their families, friends, and the broader SBMT community.
What we’re looking for
We are looking for an experienced theatre educator and teaching artist who understands that working with young people is about much more than teaching technique.
The ideal candidate will have:
- Significant experience working with children and young people in theatre.
- Experience teaching or directing youth in acting, musical theatre, singing, dance, or related performing arts.
- A genuine enthusiasm for working with young people and creating an encouraging, inclusive learning environment.
- The ability to work with students of different ages, experience levels, and abilities.
- Strong organizational and communication skills.
- The ability to recruit, coordinate, and collaborate with other teaching artists.
- Experience developing classes, workshops, camps, or other educational programming.
- The ability to envision a program’s long-term possibilities while also being comfortable starting small and building thoughtfully.
- A collaborative spirit and a commitment to the values and artistic standards of South Bay Musical Theatre.
Experience with adult theatre education or a desire to develop adult education programming in the future is also welcome.
The first year
We anticipate the position developing in stages as the program takes shape.
October 2026: Interviews will be conducted.
December 1, 2026: Target start date.
December 2026 through March 2027: Approximately 10 hours per month, focused on developing the program, determining classes and scheduling, identifying teaching artists, and helping promote the new program.
April 2027: Hours will increase as we move into active program preparation.
June through August 2027: We anticipate approximately 10-15 hours per week, depending on enrollment and the final scope of the summer program. This period will include overseeing classes, teaching artists, and directing and producing the end-of-program Showcase.
The position is compensated at $25-30 per hour, based on experience.
This is intentionally a part-time position. We recognize that it is not a full-time job at this stage. At the same time, we see tremendous potential for the program to grow over the next several years, and the person who joins us now will play an important role in shaping that future.
As the program develops, we anticipate opportunities to expand the educational offerings to include adult theatre education and a full-scale musical for young performers.
Why South Bay Musical Theatre?
South Bay Musical Theatre has been part of the South Bay community since 1963. We are committed to producing high-quality musical theatre while creating opportunities for artists, volunteers, and audiences to come together around the performing arts.
Our youth theatre program represents an exciting new chapter for SBMT. We want to build a program that is artistically strong, welcoming to young people and families, and sustainable for the future.
If you are excited by the prospect of helping us build that program from the beginning, we would love to hear from you.
How to apply
Please send a letter of interest describing your experience working with young people and why you would be interested in helping South Bay Musical Theatre develop this new program.
Please send your letter to:
Walter M. Mayes, Artistic Director
South Bay Musical Theatre
walter@southbaymt.com
Letters of interest should be received by October 10, 2026.
We expect to conduct interviews in late October and hope to have our new Director of Education in place by December 1, 2026.
Come help us give the next generation a place to find their voices, discover their creativity, and fall in love with theatre.
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