Artists Rep’s Board of Directors will launch a national search for a new Artistic Director.
Dear Members of the Artists Rep Community,
We are excited to let you know that Artists Rep’s Board of Directors will launch a national search for a new Artistic Director. As you likely know, our Artistic Director of nine years, Dámaso Rodríguez, is stepping down December 31, 2021. The Board is committed to continuing his legacy of provocative theatre along with broadly diverse plays and casting. We will engage many members of the Artists Rep community to determine the search direction and goals.
To help conduct the search process, the Board in collaboration with Executive Director JS May and Dámaso Rodríguez, will hire a professional recruiting firm. That firm will guide brainstorming sessions and surveys with you – Resident Artists, staff, donors, members, and supporters – to clarify what we want in our Artistic Director, pursue candidates from across the country, and help with the interview and selection process. While we would all like to have a new director in place by the time Dámaso leaves, we will take the time needed to ensure the process is transparent and thorough.
Happily, Artists Rep is in great shape to attract the most creative people in the business. Our financial position is enviable (particularly for a regional theatre), we have a top-notch group of artists in residence, and we have a well-earned reputation for great productions. Once fundraising and construction for our new building are complete, we’ll have a space designed for flexibility in the ever-changing world of performance art.
We welcome you to collaborate with us in this important, interesting, and challenging endeavor. Stay tuned for announcements and invitations as we launch the recruiting process.
Feel free to contact any or all of us with questions, suggestions, comments, and ideas:
Pancho Savery, Board Chair, saveryp@reed.edu, 971-221-5252
JS May, Executive Director, jsmay@artistsrep.org, 503- 241-9807 x107
Drea Schmidt, Succession Committee Chair and Board Vice Chair, drea.schmidt@tonkon.com, 503-802-5703