Careers, Internships and Apprenticeships

The Rose is committed to enriching the lives of children and family through live theater arts education. We are continually seeking talented artists with a similar focus and passion.
If you have a high standard of excellence and a dedication to innovative education, we want to meet you.
The Rose proudly recruits, nurtures, maintains and honors a diverse, highly-qualified resident staff of theater artists, administrators, educators and operational staff members. We focus on providing fair and competitive compensation and opportunities for growth. Positions are updated as they become available. On an as needed basis, we also have a variety of internships and apprenticeships available. We also post information about auditions as they become available. See the Audition page for information.
Staff Employment Opportunities
Full-Time Positions
Resident Stage Manager
THE ROSE THEATER seeks a skilled full-time Resident Stage Manager to manage the smooth execution of productions, select educational activities, and special events. Responsibilities include managing rehearsals, calling shows, facilitating communication within the production team, maintaining show schedules/paperwork, distributing rehearsal/production reports, and supervising crew, backstage volunteers, and stage management apprentices. The Resident Stage Manager also archives shows, helps to maintain theater spaces, manages summer production camps, and assists with load ins/strikes.
Candidates must possess strong communication, time management and organizational skills, and the ability to stay calm in high pressure situations. A valid driver’s license is required. Benefits include life, health, dental, and vision insurance as well as a 401k plan and relocation support.
Interested applicants should submit any material that represents their work and passion as well as their qualifications for this job. This material can include a video, a letter of interest, a video letter, resume or portfolio or any combination of those that highlights experience relevant to the position. The Rose is committed to reflecting the diversity of our community and enriching our insights into how to best serve our city’s young people and families, so we ask you to also share ways that you imagine bringing a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion to your work. Interested candidates may send this material to prodjobs@rosetheater.org with the subject line “Resident Stage Manager”.
About The Rose Theater
The mission of The Rose is inspiring young people and their families to discover the magic of theater, to find their voices and enrich their communities. Operating out of a beautiful historic theater, The Rose produces professional productions each season, including world premieres of adaptations and original work. Recent world premieres include The Little Engine That Could, Giraffes Can’t Dance, and Howie D: Back In The Day (with Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough). It is also one of the largest and most storied theaters for multigenerational audiences. The Rose opened the new, 27,000 square foot Rose Studios For Youth Artists in 2020, redoubling the company’s commitment to education. The Rose delivers robust in-school and out of school programming that is focused on using creative dramatics, acting, singing, dancing, playwriting, and design to help young people change the world.
Omaha is ranked by Forbes as the 7th best city in America to raise a family and by Wallet Hub as one of the 20 best cities to live based on its affordability, economy, education & health, quality of life, and safety. With a deeply engaged community as well as James Beard-nominated restaurants and bustling night life, any applicants considering relocation will find a city that meets their needs.
Applications are currently being accepted until July 5th, 2022.
Part-Time Positions
There are currently no part-time positions available.
Temporary & Contract Positions
Over Hire Technicians
The Rose is always in search of individuals interested in working with the theater for shorter periods of time. We look to hire additional personnel to assist with various production/technical needs such as scenic & prop load-in and lighting/sound change over.
Compensation: Varies, $10+ per hour.
For information, email prodjobs@rosetheater.org.
About The Rose Theater
The mission of The Rose is inspiring young people and their families to discover the magic of theater, to find their voices and enrich their communities. Operating out of a beautiful historic theater, The Rose will produce seven professional productions next season. It is also one of the largest and most storied theaters for multigenerational audiences. The Rose has opened the new, 27,000 square foot Rose Studios For Youth Artists, intensifying the company’s commitment to education. The Rose delivers robust in-school and out of school programming focused on using creative dramatics, acting, singing, dancing, playwriting, and design to help young people change the world.
The Rose cares passionately about reflecting our community and pursuing diversity at all levels of the organization. We have a demanding work environment, but we love providing live performances and education opportunities for young people. We want all staff to be committed to this theater and our community. Along with valuing hard work, kindness, generosity, passion, and grace-under-pressure, we also want people who are invested in theater for young audiences. Many of the plays produced at The Rose are by BIPOC artists. The Rose has undertaken work to accelerate and formalize its growth to becoming a fully anti-racist organization, and that work is undertaken by all staff members in a variety of ways.
Omaha is ranked by Forbes as the 7th best city in America to raise a family and by Wallet Hub as one of the 20 best cities to live based on its affordability, economy, education & health, quality of life, and safety. With a deeply engaged community as well as James Beard-nominated restaurants and bustling night life, any applicants considering relocation will find a city that meets their needs.
Assistant Director Positions
Assistant Director Positions
The Rose is committed to providing mentorship opportunities to artists of all kinds. Our professional, mainstage season shows feature resident and guest directors from all over the country. Assistant Director positions are primarily a learning experience. No compensation, housing, transportation, or honorarium will be offered for these positions. Complimentary tickets and networking opportunities will be available. Interested applicants do not need to possess a specific level of experience, but should be enrolled in a degree program or be an early career theater professional. Placement for assistant directors is based on the anticipated quality of the match between the director and prospective assistant director. Experiential learning will not be uniform across all assistant director positions. Some will function more as observerships and others will be more hands on, depending on the production’s needs and the applicant’s level of readiness and schedule availability. Several shows have evening and weekend rehearsals, but most require daytime rehearsals. The majority of our productions rehearse for four weeks total.

Artist Educator Internships & Fellowships
By interning at The Rose Theater, students and early career professionals can learn about opportunities in educational theater, while increasing their job experience. Former interns have gone on to perform as professional actors; to earn MFA’s in education theater; to teach high school theater; or to work full-time at The Rose.
Summer Theater Education Intern
This is a full-time summer position, requiring 40 hours per week for 11 weeks. Gross compensation is $400 per week, minus $125 for housing, for the first four weeks of the month. Weekly take-home is $275 before taxes. For a four-week month, total gross pay is $1,600, minus $500 ($125 x 4 weeks) for a gross total of $1,100 before taxes. Rose Theater payroll dates are the 15th and the last day of each month. Rose housing is required for all non-Omaha residents. (Sorry, no pets allowed in theater housing.) We are also looking for local candidates who do not need housing. Interns are given the opportunity to co-teach alongside The Rose’s master teachers and build toward leading their own lesson plans
Contract period: 05/23/2022 to 08/05/2023
Applications accepted: The Rose will begin to accept applications on 12/01/21
Application deadline: 01/19/2022
Desired qualifications include high school graduates, 19 years old or older, with experience in theater, musical theater, music, dance, creative writing, education or a related field. Interns should have an interest in exploring a career in educational theater. Intern Responsibilities:
- Assist with directing youth theater production camps (ages 8-18)
- Assist with teaching week-long creative drama camps (ages 4-15)
- Co-teach theater club
- Complete mock auditions or interviews
- Attend training in lesson planning, classroom management, resume building, acting, etc.
- Research show guide content for The Rose’s professional mainstage shows
- Other administrative duties as needed
Year-Long Teaching Artist Fellowship This is a full-time position, requiring 40 hours per week, six days per week, that lasts a full school year. We are seeking applicants with experience in performing and teaching. Fellows will be given an opportunity to co-teach alongside master teachers, teach school workshops and perform in productions. Gross compensation is $440 per week, minus $125 for housing, for the first four weeks of the month. Weekly take-home is $315 before taxes. For a four-week month, total gross pay is $1,760, minus $500 ($125 x 4 weeks) for a gross total of $1,260 before taxes. Rose Theater payroll dates are the 15th and the last day of each month. Rose housing is required for all non-Omaha residents. (Sorry, no pets allowed in theater housing.) It is strongly recommended that those who apply have vehicles. Contract period: 08/08/2022 to 05/20/2023 Desired qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in acting, musical theater, education, special education, creative writing or a related field. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest for youth theater. Fellowship Responsibilities: *Semi-Finalists will be asked to send additional materials, including an audition video (cold readings, monologues, and singing) and a detailed lesson plan. These materials will be due soon after the initial deadline. The finalists will then will be asked to schedule an interview. Additional details will be sent to you upon receiving your initial application materials.
Applications accepted: The Rose will begin to accept applications on 12/01/22
Application deadline: 01/19/2022

Professional Apprentice Program
Professional Apprenticeship Program
PLEASE NOTE: THE APPRENTICESHIP POSITIONS HAVE BEEN FILLED FOR THE 2022-23 SEASON.
The Omaha Theater Company sponsors a Professional Apprentice Training Program in technical theater. The program provides a practical “hands-on” experience that gives emerging theater artists an opportunity to work directly with designers, technicians, and professionals in their respective fields.
COMPENSATION
Gross compensation is $440 per week, minus $125 for housing, for the first four weeks of the month. Weekly take-home is $315 before taxes. For a four-week month, total gross pay is $1,760, minus $500 ($125 x 4 weeks) for a gross total of $1,260 before taxes. Rose Theater payroll dates are the 15th and the last day of each month.
- Housing is provided via a paycheck dedication of $125/week.
- A personal vehicle is recommended, but not required.
CONTRACT PERIOD
Early August – End of June
- This is a full-time position, requiring 40 hours per week, up to six days per week.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
- The Apprentice Program does not offer a degree.
- Apprenticeships are ten months in length beginning in August and ending in June.
- Apprenticeships are full time (40 hrs per week).
- Apprentices’ weekly schedules may vary with their duties and the requirements of the overall production schedule and will include some nights and weekends.
- Each apprentice will receive complimentary tickets to all Rose Theater productions.
- The apprenticeships are a full time commitment. An outside job cannot be relied upon as an income supplement.
WHAT TO EXPECT
An apprenticeship is a full season commitment, lasting from mid August to June. The Omaha Theater Company’s apprentices will participate as staff members within their assigned roles on a variety of shows and projects. Apprentices are an integral part of the production team with the Omaha Theater Company and in order to create well-rounded theater professionals, our technical theater apprentices work backstage in a variety of roles. They are encouraged to develop good marketable habits, refine their interpersonal skills, and develop relationships with theater professionals. Formal evaluations are given in the fall and spring, and provide an opportunity for the apprentice and their supervisor to discuss future goals and objectives for the program. Resume and portfolio reviews are given throughout the season. They also receive specialized training in their chosen specialty and are able to take on leadership roles with the Teens ‘N’ Theater program, including designing lights and sound, leading load-ins, and training the board ops.
FACILITIES
The Omaha Theater Company is one of the largest professional children’s theater companies in the country. It makes its home at The Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center (Rose Theater). Live performances take place on two stages:
- The Buffett Auditorium is a 30’x60’ proscenium stage that seats 900. The company’s eight-show mainstage season of educational theater and family musicals takes place on this stage.
- The Hitchcock Theater is a flexible black box space that seats 150. This space supports the award-winning Teens ‘N’ Theater program, two Pre-K theatrical productions, and other special events.
- The Youth Artists Studio is located in West Omaha and has 27,000 square feet of classroom space, 10 spacious dance, creative drama and voice studios, a 200 seat performance space, and so much more.
In addition to the two stages and studio, the Rose Theater houses an electrics studio, costume studio and rental shop, and multiple classroom and rehearsal spaces. The Rose Theater Scene Shop is located three blocks from The Rose Performing Arts Center and contains scenic and paint studios, props shop, and ample storage space. The Rose Theater West Studio is a satellite location for various classes in dance, voice and professional musical theater and is often used as a rehearsal space for mainstage productions.
AVAILABLE APPRENTICESHIPS
Scenic/Carpentry Apprenticeship – THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED
Scenic/Carpentry Apprentices work with the Props Master, Scenic Charge Artist, and Technical Director throughout the season, painting and constructing scenery and/or props for select shows. They also serve as run crew for several productions and assist with scenic load-ins, light hangs, and maintenance of our shop inventory as needed throughout the season. Budgeting, bookkeeping, and time management skills will be addressed, as will interdepartmental communications and cooperation. There may be opportunities to serve as a Props Master or Charge Artist on productions later in the season. Applicants should be able to safely use hand and power tools and lift at least 50 pounds. Experience with hand/machine sewing and various paint techniques is a plus. This apprenticeship is suitable for those working towards careers as prop or scenic artists, and technical directors.
Stage Management Apprenticeship – THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED
Stage Management Apprentices work as an assistant stage manager and run crew on various mainstage productions. Starting with pre-production meetings through rehearsals and performances, they will work closely with actors, students, directors, and choreographers. Assignments also include the opportunity to stage manage two productions in our black box theater and one production on our mainstage. When not assigned to a show, Stage Management Apprentices assist with administrative/production management work and other areas of production as needed. This includes helping with load-ins, strikes, and light hang/focus. Applicants should be able to interact with a wide variety of personalities and adapt to various working styles. Additionally, the apprentice must stay focused, take initiative, and maintain a professional demeanor in the workplace. Applicants must possess strong writing and computer skills as there is an emphasis on producing quality paper work. The ability to read music is desirable and prior stage management experience is required. A practical knowledge of electrics and a basic understanding of power tools is a plus. This apprenticeship is suitable for those working towards careers as professional stage managers.
Electrics/Audio Apprenticeship – THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED
The Electrics/Audio Apprentice will work directly under the supervision of the Resident Lighting & Sound Designers to implement the lighting design for each mainstage production. This apprentice will also gain hands-on experience with audio implementation. This position includes assisting with the hanging and focusing of lights, reading and drafting the light plot, assisting the lighting designer with paperwork, assisting the sound designer with programing and digital mixing, and general maintenance of our inventory and spaces, along with working scenic load-ins and strikes. Electrics/Audio Apprentices may have the opportunity to act as Master Electrician, A2, and/or serve as run crew on mainstage productions. Assignments also include the opportunity to design lights in our black box theater for two Pre-K productions and a portion of our Teens ‘N’ Theater shows. Applicants should have a practical knowledge of electrics and a basic understanding of electricity, along with the ability to read and interpret lighting paperwork. Familiarity with ETC Ion lighting console and Vectorworks is a plus. Experience or interest in sound design and implementation is a plus. This apprenticeship is suitable for those working towards careers as master electricians and lighting designers.
Theater Generalist Hybrid Apprenticeship – THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED
The theater generalist apprenticeship will work directly under the supervision of the Director of Production, Youth Productions, and the Director of Education. This Hybrid apprenticeship will spend half of their time developing their technical skills and the other half gaining hands-on teaching and administrative experience. This position can expect to assist with the facilitation of all youth productions including our Teens ‘N’ Theater shows, learning how to program lights, sound, and run a technical rehearsal. This position would be well suited for someone looking to dive deeper into the many facets of theater and allows for the flexibility to explore alongside many diverse professionals. Desired applicants may have a focus in stage management, production management, administration or technical direction. Familiarity with carpentry and power tools is a plus, desire to learn is a must.
To apply please send the following to prodjobs@rosetheater.org Please submit materials no later than March 31st, 2022.
Past Shows

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: The Musical
Mar 19 - Apr 25, 2021
Misunderstood: Heroes & Villains
June 4-20, 2021
Disney's Descendants
Sept 10 - Oct 10, 2021
Corduroy
Oct 29 - Nov 14, 2021
It's A Wonderful Life
Dec. 3 - 19, 2021
Carmela Full of Wishes
Jan 28 - Feb 13, 2022
Up & Away
Mar 12 – Apr 4, 2022
Giraffes Can't Dance: The Musical
April 8 - May 1, 2022
The Sound of Music
June 3 - 19, 2022
Penguin Problems
Sept 11 - Oct 18, 2020
It's A Wonderful Life
Dec. 5 - Dec 20, 2020 ONLINE
How to Build An Ark
Jan 22 - Feb 21, 2021View All