Theater Critic, New York Magazine and Vulture

Job Description

WHO WE ARE

New York and Vulture's lineup of critics is, we believe, as strong as any on earth, and now we're seeking a drama critic to add to that formidable roster. What we look for most of all when we fill these roles is enthusiastic engagement with the material-someone who doesn't simply provide a guide to what's onstage but has a strong reaction to it, and can place it in the larger culture, judge its strengths and ambitions as well as its weaknesses, and express all that in a piece of writing that is rigorous, persuasive, and completely entertaining.

The job itself is demanding. New York customarily reviews every new Broadway show and most large Off Broadway productions on their opening nights, in addition to as many smaller shows as the critic can manage. At the peak of the Broadway season in fall and especially spring, our critic writes several times a week-sometimes every day. Moreover, because our audience is made up of people who care about serious drama and touristy commercial productions alike, we need someone who can write about Pushkin and Ibsen as well as avant-garde experimental productions but also shows like Mrs. Doubtfire: The Musical-and engage with all those very different types of theater on their own terms.

WHAT YOU'LL DO
• Review approximately 120 to 150 shows a year
• See many more than that, to keep up
• Provide short recommendations of promising productions throughout the year, especially for seasonal previews and the To Do pages of our biweekly print magazine
• Offer suggestions for the Approval Matrix
• Join in planning for any theater-related coverage, both for Vulture and the print magazine

WHO YOU ARE

Although we (obviously) are looking for someone who is passionate about theater, and we expect (also obviously) that many applicants will have written a lot about theater, we don't require that you have been a drama critic! If you are a movies or TV or economics or food writer who is also an enthusiastic theatergoer, let's hear from you. Ditto if you are a playwright or director who cannot keep your opinions to yourself. The only unbreakable requirement is that you live close enough and have enough schedule flexibility (not to mention sitzfleisch) to be in a theater seat 200-plus nights per year.

If you think you have what it takes, but don't meet every single point in our job posting, please apply with a cover letter to let us know how you believe you can bring your unique skills to the Vox Media team or get in touch! We've hired chefs who became editors, DJs who became UX designers, and sommeliers who became writers.

When you apply, please send us links to the best things you've written!

WHERE YOU'LL WORK

This job is a hybrid/remote position. We're dedicated to the health and wellbeing of all of our employees, and when we reopen, will require everyone who works from one of our offices to be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees with approved religious or medical exemptions may be subject to additional safety requirements, such as submitting to regular COVID-19 testing and/or wearing a face covering in our offices.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rze003-3-146-255-127-42 in your application.