Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor of Performance

Illinois Wesleyan University invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Performance (Tenure Track) in the School of Theatre Arts. The start date for this position is August 15, 2026. The person hired into this position should have expertise in musical theatre and will be expected to teach Acting as part of the first‑year training sequence, Audition Techniques, and Acting the Song.

The School of Theatre Arts seeks industrious colleagues whose work in higher education, artistic or scholarly achievements, and professional service has prepared them to contribute to a legacy of thoughtful collaboration, rigorous creative training and pedagogy, and student‑centered teaching. Our team culture embraces a multiplicity of backgrounds, worldviews, and expertise within its student, faculty, and staff constituencies. We welcome applications from any candidate whose experience, identity, and viewpoint might broaden and strengthen the quality of our work, ambition of our goals, and perspectives as storytellers.

At Illinois Wesleyan, Tenure Track faculty engage students through six teaching assignments each year, pursue productive scholarly or artistic work, serve as academic advisors, and engage in departmental and campus‑wide service. After receiving feedback on formative reviews in the second, third, and fourth years of employment, a case for tenure and promotion is submitted in the fall of the sixth year.

Tenure track faculty are eligible for sabbatical following six complete academic years of full‑time service and every seven years thereafter. Additional professional development opportunities include the possibility of start‑up funds, the potential for junior faculty leave, and support for the development of external grants. The Thorpe Center for Curricular and Faculty Development supports faculty in their teaching and scholarly or artistic work including peer‑to‑peer mentoring, workshops, internal grants, and assistance with instructional design and technology.

Founded in 1850, Illinois Wesleyan University is a nationally ranked, small, private undergraduate liberal arts university with highly selective admission criteria and a tradition of teaching excellence emphasizing the integration of the liberal arts and professional education. We are strongly committed to fostering an environment that values varied perspectives and backgrounds.

Located in central Illinois, Bloomington‑Normal is a metropolitan region with a small town feel, about two and a half hours from three major cities (Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis) and easily accessible via Amtrak, local airports, and major highways. Our proximity to other regional markets makes “Blo‑No” a convenient home base for travel to short‑term and seasonal contract opportunities.

The School of Theatre Arts trains well‑rounded and enterprising storytellers who excel at creative problem‑solving, collaboration, and communication. Our students engage deeply with theatre and creative media while developing skills that empower them to thrive in multidisciplinary professional contexts. The program serves a vibrant community of over 75 students across four unique degrees, as well as minors and certificates.

This position requires substantial engagement with performance curricula and student mentorship across the program. The successful candidate will teach a scaffolded sequence of introductory‑through‑advanced performance, focusing on musical theatre and actor preparation for the field. The successful candidate is expected to collaborate across the season as a Director for mainstage and workshop productions. SoTA faculty also work together to fulfill our commitment to the university’s Shared Curriculum.

• A six‑course teaching load (3/3) per year, divided between production assignments, the core teaching described above, and other individualized areas of expertise: e.g. Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), Acting for Audiovisual Media, etc. Academic advising and student recruitment within the discipline Co‑facilitation of professional…