NOW HIRING: Operations Manager

 

FLATWATER SHAKESPEARE COMPANY SEEKS OPERATIONS MANAGER

Position Title:  Operations Manager

FLSA Status:  Contract, Part-time, exempt

Hours: Vary widely; 30+ hours per week during production times; most weeks 4-8 hours

Reports to:   Executive Artistic Director

Salary: $6000/year

Who: Flatwater Shakespeare Company is a 20+ year running professional theater company that typically produces 2-3 shows per year and runs an education program. Visit: https://flatwatershakespearecompany.org

Location:  Primarily in Lincoln, NE & surrounding rural communities.  Most work can be done remotely, but successful candidates will need to spend time in Lincoln and should be a Nebraska resident. 

Expectation of all employees: Each employee shall support the organization’s core mission, vision and values by exhibiting excellence and competence, collaboration, innovation, respect, accountability and ownership. Flatwater Shakespeare values diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

General Summary: The Operations Manager will be responsible for office management, handling the box office, assisting the Executive Artistic Director with financial coordination and coordinating grant writing and reporting activities. Knowledge of non-profit operations is required. Must have excellent financial skills, planning and organizational skills, basic accounting and budgeting understanding.

Essential Job Functions

Accounting:  

• Assist with the development of the budget

• Code all expense and income items based on the budget & grants and email weekly (or as needed) to the accountant

• Monitor accurate coding based on grant requirements

• Coordinate & track grant calendar and scheduling of proposals and reports

• Coordinate the development of proposals and assist in grant writing

• Assist with Case Statement activities for corporate requests

• Manage all insurance payments and reports.  

• Check 1099’s from accountant for accuracy 

• Prepare and submit 990 by due date

Governance:

• Attend board meetings, present & coordinate regular reports to the board

Programming: 

• Coordinate mailings related to productions and fundraising –develop and update physical and e- mailing lists, coordinate printing of postcards, collating and sending materials 

• Coordinate box office activities – get cash, identify volunteers, set up systems, purchase concessions, manage square

• Monitor & ticket sales and attendance

• Track donor info 

• Pick up the mail from the PO box regularly and process it

• Make phone calls and handle inquiries

Desired Education and Experience

• Associate degree or higher in management or related field

• 2-3 years of experience with nonprofit organization

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred

• Savvy with technology and a variety of platforms to increase accessibility to virtual programming

• Applicant must have their own computer and reliable internet access 

• Reliable transportation; if the applicant lives outside of Lincoln, they must be willing to travel to Lincoln as needed.
  
  

Disclaimer: The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of tasks. 

Additional information: Questions may be addressed to Executive Artistic Director Marshall Carby at the email address below. Apply: Please send application materials (CV and cover letter, with three professional references) to  Executive Artistic Director Marshall Carby: marshall.flatwatershakespeare@gmail.com

Thank you, Linda!

 

Flatwater Shakespeare announces the retirement of Linda Zinke, longtime Operations Manager 

 

The Flatwater Shakespeare family must announce that another long time and beloved member of our staff is stepping away from official duties. Linda Zinke, who has been the Operations Manager for seven years, will be retiring. She started out doing short term work helping with grant writing and financial reports, but Linda’s non-profit expertise and financial acumen made her an incredible asset for the company as it has grown. FSC has benefitted greatly from her steady hand, energetic work ethic, and skilled piloting of everyday operations, and it will be hard to fill the role she will leave open. 

Linda had been a long-time supporter of FSC and had a special place in her heart for the shows on which her daughter Michelle had worked. She has been a part of the transition through new Executive Artistic Directors, guiding them through learning the funding processes and nuts and bolts of the company. Of late, she has been helping our new EAD, Marshall Carby, to get oriented before she steps away. Luckily for FSC, Linda’s lifelong passion has been working for Non-Profit Organizations. She worked with Head Start for several years as a Social Services/Parent Involvement Coordinator, and later a Program Director and Early Head Start Director. This work also led to her spending several years as a federal reviewer and assessor of Head Start programs around the country. She moved on from Head Start to be the Executive Director of the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children. On top of all of these jobs, she has worked as an adjunct professor at Bellevue University for 20 years. She currently teaches a Master’s level intro class on Sustainable Funding for Nonprofits. FSC can vouch that those students have an excellent teacher.  

Surprisingly, Linda has said that she did not have a lot of background in Shakespeare -- she is not even sure they read much Shakespeare in her small-town Nebraska high school. When she started coming to Flatwater performances, she was not even she would understand the shows. However, she says she grew to love Shakespeare through the quality of FSC productions and their unique ability to connect with the audience. In her many years of watching shows, she also has a few that she highlights as favorites. While she does not always love The Taming of the Shrew, given its content, she recalls the Melissa Lewis and George Hansen production as a stand-out. Her second favorite production was Hamlet with Matt Lukasiewicz in the title role. She was impressed that even with several viewings, the performance always moved her. She also recalls the 2019 Macbeth as an amazing show. 

Linda has been very proud to be a key part of Flatwater Shakespeare’s growth and evolution over the past seven years. She notes that getting to meet and know so many of the regular patrons is a key perk of her time with the company. But she won’t miss many of the long hours that production runs involved, especially as she commutes from Omaha. She is looking forward in her retirement to having more time for family and friends, and to getting out on the links and going to concerts more. In 2021, she also became a Master Gardener and is looking forward to spending some hours playing in the dirt. We hope everything comes up just beautifully for Ms. Linda. Thank you. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! FSC Education Director Ashley Kobza on Her Love of Shakespeare

I didn’t always love Shakespeare. 

At one point, I HATED  it.

Like most American teenagers, I was introduced to Shakespeare in High School behind a desk with my butt in a chair and a dense text in my hands. Reading pages filled with words I didn’t understand, characters I was certain I had nothing in common with, and plots that seemed ancient and otherworldly. Yes, I saw Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet and loved it. But because it was so unbelievably cool to a teenage me -- I figured it didn’t count as “real” Shakespeare. And even then, when we watched it in my high school English class, I only understood it because our teacher would intermittently pause the video and explain to us what just happened. I’m very grateful to her for doing that, by the way.

When I moved on to undergrad as a theatre major, we didn’t even scratch the surface with Shakespeare. One time, a sweet and passionate professor from the English department came to talk to our acting class and that was about it for my “classical” training as an undergraduate actor. I found said professor to be interesting, but still, I left feeling like I didn’t get it or couldn’t get it on my own. It seemed the only people that spoke passionately about Shakespeare -- along with iambic pentameter, soliloquy, and verse vs prose -- were book-writing, lecture-giving academics in whom I’d always have to rely on to explain it to me. I decided Shakespeare was for people with Ph.D.s and resigned myself to watching Baz’s R+J once every few years. 

Then came grad school. I had the distinct privilege of earning my MFA in Acting/New Work at Ohio State University. This program was unique in that it was in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company and their “Stand Up For Shakespeare” initiative. “SUFS” -- as it was affectionately nicknamed -- sought to introduce Shakespeare to kids at a younger age, allow them to see Shakespeare live, and to experience it on their feet in their bodies -- not behind a desk via a book. We then spent three years working alongside RSC artists and educators both at home and abroad.  Everyone in my MFA cohort was over the moon excited about this partnership. Me? I didn’t even know what the RSC was! I did know, however, that I loathed Shakespeare and admittedly felt a little left out of the enthusiastic discussion and debates my classmates were having. Even in grad school, Shakespeare didn’t reveal itself to me via my classical acting class whereby we sat and hammered out meter and counted every single syllable. I was so bored and so lost laboring over feminine endings, spondees, and dactyls -- tho in hindsight I’m grateful for this level of technical training.

We went to Stratford upon Avon for a week the summer of 2010. During the day we were engrossed in workshops and at night we saw plays -- King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, and Antony and Cleopatra to be precise. I was starting to enjoy Shakespeare, but still felt horribly intimidated by it. The switch was flipped when I was charged with the role of Desdemona -- my first ever Shakespearean role -- under the direction of then RSC voice and text coach Alison Bomber. One night in rehearsal, as she saw me struggling under the text of the handkerchief scene she asked us to stop. She said we were going to play a game. A game that involved a stick, two actors, and the simple direction -- pursue or be pursued. Eventually, the stick was taken away and she instructed my scene partner and me to simply play the game. Who is pursuing and who is being pursued? We started the scene again and all at once, the crusty, dusty complete works of Shakespeare tumbled out the windows of ivory towers and into my actor soul. This time it was I who stopped rehearsal. I was crying. Alison anxiously came over to me, worried she had pushed me too far. She asked if I was ok and through tears, I muttered “I got it.” I got Shakespeare. More importantly, I felt it -felt ownership over it. And thus one of the greatest loves of my life began. 

Shakespeare doesn’t belong to the academics. It belongs to Everyone. It’s literally public domain. If it speaks to you while you are sitting at a desk devouring page after page of Hamlet -- right on! If it sings to you while up on your feet playing a simple silly game -- heck yes! If you love Baz Luhrmann's R+J or Joel Coen’s Macbeth -- very cool. 

Verily I say unto you, GET DOWN ON WHAT YOU LOVE. Me? I love to play. I love to connect with people. I love to explore the curse and blessing it is to be human. For those and a million other reasons, I love Shakespeare.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! FSC Founding Member and Resident Scholar, Steve Buhler, on Sonnet 128

In Sonnet 128, Shakespeare playfully connects musical ability, social custom, and ardent longing. The speaker in the poem tells his beloved that he admires her skill and desires her person. He sketches a scene where she plays a keyboard instrument and he is moved by what he hears and sees. It's a regular occurrence since he comments that this happens “oft.” 

His hearing is charmed by the harmony she gently commands from the wires that are struck or plucked as she presses down on the wooden keys. Those keys – also called jacks – immediately rise back up, ready to be played again. The speaker pictures them as rival suitors, eager to kiss the lady's hands over and over. 

His solution to this problem (for him) and his proposal (to the lady) is to let the keys continue to kiss her sweet fingers but to let him kiss her lips instead. The language throughout the poem is just suggestive enough to communicate that the speaker would like to express his love with more than just kisses.

How oft when thou, my music, music play'st,

Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds

With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st

The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,

Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap,

To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,

Whilst my poor lips which should that harvest reap,

At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand!

To be so tickled, they would change their state

And situation with those dancing chips,

O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,

Making dead wood more bless'd than living lips.

Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,

Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! FSC Executive Director, Marshall Carby, on Shakespeare and Friendship

Valentine’s Day is often seen as a day to focus on romantic relationships. I am fortunate to share an incredible relationship with my wife, Sarah. She is my favorite person in the world and the person I am lucky to spend my life with each day. While I could go on at length about the relationship I have with romantic love, and how it relates to Shakespeare, today I will focus on a different kind of relationship and love, FRIENDSHIP!  

To me, true friendships are one of the most powerful things in the world. We often see the impact of friendship in Shakespeare’s plays such as the bond between Hamlet and Horatio, Rosalind and Celia, Helena and Hermia, and Romeo and Mercutio.  Some of these friendships lead to joy, others to tragedy. Loyalty is a common theme.  The text will either uphold the bond or devastatingly divide the two. I find this traditionally takes one of two paths.  In option one, the audience witnesses a moment of extreme joy earlier in the play. Establishing the connection between the two characters early makes it more painful when the bond is broken later in the play.  Option two is more reflective and often occurs when a character recounts a past relationship fondly.  One great example of Shakespeare’s view on friendship is seen in Richard II Act 2, Scene 3 --

Bolingbroke: I thank thee, gentle Percy, and be sure I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul rememb’ring my good friends, and as my fortune ripens with thy love, it shall be still thy true love’s recompense.  My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals it.

Bolingbroke’s comments on friendship may resonate with many people, I know they do for me. Specifically, working in theatre, I have formed many amazing friendships. During rehearsals, other artists see your most vulnerable and authentic self.  Allowing yourself to access raw feelings outside of your most trusted inner circle often bring about new friendships.  Over the years, I have been honored to make many meaningful and lasting friendships that have added love and support to my life. I wish I could name every friend I’ve ever had, but for time’s sake, I will mention two friends who I hold near and dear to my heart, Bill and Jimmy. 

The three of us meet working on a production of Anything Goes eight years ago.  We became fast friends, bonding over many things we all enjoy, theatre, seafood, football, and a good laugh.  Over the years, we have gotten to know each other’s families, shared in successes, and been there to navigate some of the difficult parts of life. I must agree with Bolingbroke, I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul rememb’ring my good friends. 

This Valentine’s Day I encourage you to think about the closest friendships you have and reach out to these wonderful people. These are the loyal and trustworthy people you keep close.  I like to think of them as “the family you choose.” I hope you are fortunate to have friends like Jimmy and Bill. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! FSC Board President, Kelly Stage, on Benedick and Beatrice

Kelly Stage with her partner, Tom.

 BENEDICK I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?

BEATRICE As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you, but believe me not, and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my
cousin.

BENEDICK By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me!

BEATRICE Do not swear and eat it.

BENEDICK I will swear by it that you love me, and I will make him eat it that says I love not you.

BEATRICE Will you not eat your word?

BENEDICK With no sauce that can be devised to it. I protest I love thee.

BEATRICE Why then, God forgive me.

BENEDICK What offense, sweet Beatrice?

BEATRICE You have stayed me in a happy hour. I was about to protest I loved you.

BENEDICK And do it with all thy heart.

BEATRICE I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest

To me, this exchange between Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing perfectly expresses the absolute terror and elation of being vulnerable enough to truly love someone, and moreover, to admit and validate that love. While I love many Renaissance dramatists, Shakespeare’s ability to capture the human difficulty of being in love, believing in love, and realizing why it’s worth it, puts him in a class of his own.

In this scene, Beatrice and Benedick are alone together after a terrible disruption has disgraced Beatrice’s cousin’s intended wedding. In spite of all that is wrong in their world, in this moment, the two cannot help but finally tell each other how they feel—something that is not easy for either of them. After all, they have each sworn off the idea of love or marriage, and despite their vinegar natures, their friends have attempted to nudge them together. They both still fear what it will mean, to the world and to each other, if they become lovers. They also both fear what will happen if, in fact, they are wrong about the other person. In the past, verbally sparring with each other has allowed them to “keep distance” (a phrase I was taught in college fencing classes): they never quite lose each other but never come too close. In this scene, they close the distance and finally must express their mutual devotion.

For Benedick, his mere presence is an important one before he even says anything. While he arrived at the wedding with his male compatriots, he stays with Beatrice in this scene rather than departing with them. He signals that he has allied himself with her and not with his fellows, who have (inaccurately and under misinformation) slandered Beatrice’s family. But the words that must come next are the hardest part of love, as the halting and hilarious dialogue that ensues shows. The scene recognizes a very basic human fear, magnified by their energetic suppression of love leading to this point: “I love this person so much that I must tell them I love them, and yet, what if they don’t love me back?” When Benedick first tells Beatrice he loves her, he does so in a negative formulation: “I do love nothing in the world so well as you.” Beatrice’s response belies her brain and heart’s difficulty with the circumstance is even more pronounced: “It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you, but believe me not, and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing.” She struggles to figure out how and what to say, and even how to accept what has come from her own mouth. She has difficulty accepting that he is truthful; having faith in his word and losing it would be more painful than not having it at all. Yet, they finally get to the positive formulation: “I love thee.”

Their exchange reflects the overwhelming feeling that it’s impossible not to take the leap. Love is faith; it is confession. As Beatrice says, “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” The whole conversation is humorous, but it is deeply resonant for me. The scene allows us to recognize the power of love that cannot be denied, even if denying it seems like the rational thing to do. This exchange, because of its fear, misgivings, and awkwardness—is what that first moment of truly being in love, together, feels like.  

Q & A With New Flatwater Shakespeare Company EAD: Marshall Carby

 

If you’ve been following along, you know that we have a new Executive Artistic Director! You also know that we’ve been taking questions from you- our gentle audience- for Marshall. Having met with former Flatwater Shakespeare EAD -Summer Lukasiewicz- to review company, history, culture, and policy, the FSC baton is completely in Marshall’s capable hands! Now it’s time for you to get to know Marshall a little more as he answers YOUR questions!

 

What role does theatre play in a community?

Community is perhaps the most important element of theatre to me. I view theatre as a community all on its own, but one that can positively impact those outside the theater as well. From actors, directors, designers, crew, box office and administrative staff, and even the audience are central to the art form.  By bringing people together we enrich our community by posing important questions, challenging social norms, and joining in the power of shared experience.  

When were you first introduced to Shakespeare? What were your first impressions of the man and the plays?

I first learned about Shakespeare in school. Honestly, reading Shakespeare was overwhelming and something I viewed as boring.  In 1996 Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet hit the box office and changed my perspective forever.  I know some LOVE this film, others are not a fan, but for me, it brought a vibrance to the play I had not seen before.  The characters felt relatable and my view of Shakespeare’s work was changed forever. 

 

What is your Favorite Shakespeare play?

Not to dodge the question, but I love so many of Shakespeare’s plays.  My favorite has changed many times over the years as I’ve developed as a person and the different direction my life has taken over time.  Shakespeare's work speaks to the very soul of the human experience, and depending on your current perspective, certain characters and plays will take on different meanings at different times.   

 

What is your favorite Shakespeare comedy? Favorite Tragedy?

As I said in my previous answer, my favorite has changed many times over the years, but I will answer this question with where I am today!

Comedy: Twelfth Night

Tragedy: Macbeth

 

Who is your favorite Shakespearean leading lady?

This is a tremendous question!  I would have to say Cordelia (King Lear).

One of the aspects I find most intriguing in Shakespeare’s work is the journey of self-discovery.  However, Cordelia does not go on a journey of self-discovery because she is incredibly rooted and grounded as a character. Rather than compromise, she spends the play defending what she knows is right. Unlike many other characters, she knows who she is, what is important to her, and will not betray that for anything.  Spoiler Alert* Though her resolve leads to her death, she remains true to herself regardless of the consequences.  At every turn, she displays strength, morality, and love.  I feel she is one of the strongest characters in the entire Shakespeare Canon, regardless of gender.

Why do you think Shakespeare is important?

While we are all different and many social dynamics have changed and progressed since Shakespeare’s time, many aspects of the human experience have stayed the same.  Themes of love and loss, deception and compassion, and even tragedy and humor are experiences most humans have during their lives. Shakespeare unapologetically showcased many of these feelings and experiences speaking to the very nature of the human condition. Shakespeare displays the best and worst in all of us.  When you look closely at Shakespeare's text you are often provided perspective on many of life’s larger questions.  The universality of his work is what I find most important.  

What is your vision/biggest goal for your first year with FSC?

This year I am focused on familiarizing myself with the history of FSC and learning more about the theatre community in Lincoln.  I have done a significant amount of research and have found a rich tradition of high-quality productions throughout Lincoln and the surrounding areas. I will continue this tradition with community-focused collaborations. 

 

 What have been some of the fondest Nebraska moments you’ve experienced since moving?

Snow!  I know this must be a strange answer for many people reading, but as a person who grew up in Texas and spent most of their life in the south, snow is pure magic.  Growing up I would always hope for a snow day.  I’m sure the wonder and splendor of snow will subside at some point, but I am three years in and still amazed at the beauty of freshly fallen snow.  

 

Cake or Pie?

Pie!  Pie has so many varieties and can take on both sweet and savory.  I won’t claim savory cakes don’t exist, but it is definitely more common in the pie community!

Thank you all for your thoughtful questions and stay tuned for more FSC announcements!