Huntington Announces Changes in New Work Staff

Huntington Theatre Company Artistic Director Peter Dubois announces that dramaturg Lisa Timmel will lead artistic development for the theatre as the Director of New Work, a newly created position. Charles Haugland also joins the artistic staff as part of the Theatre Communications Group New Generations Program: Future Leaders grant as the Literary Associate. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Theatre Communications Group will support his position for two seasons.

"The Huntington has always been a home for new work, and our new play development and programming activities are already evolving because of Lisa's pragmatic vision and Charles' fresh perspective," Artistic Director Peter Dubois says. "Lisa has laid out smart changes to our programs with artists, and Charles' presence promises to foster a dynamic, ongoing conversation with our audiences. Moving forward, the literary office will be a vital connector between the theatre's artistic voice and our audiences through discussions, readings, online content, and more."

Timmel is a national expert on play development and artistic producing. In her new role at the Huntington, she oversees commissions, workshops, readings, the Huntington Playwriting Fellows program, and other developmental activities. "My first objective has been bringing greater access and transparency to the Huntington's new play development activities," Timmel says. "A pledge to produce new work is nothing without an authentic conversation between the theatre and playwrights both locally and across the country. Already, we have implemented an open application process for the Huntington Playwriting Fellows program, an ongoing reading series to replace our annual Breaking Ground festival, and a renewed emphasis on commissioning work for production on Huntington stages with two commissions per season to prominent writers." This fall, the Huntington received 60 applications to the Playwriting Fellows program; Fellows in the new class will be named in early 2010.

Timmel has developed work with Punchdrunk Theatricals, Adam Bock, Jason Grote, Sarah Ruhl, Francine Volpe, Sheila Callaghan, Steven Sater/Duncan Sheik and Tanya Barfield, among others. Previous positions include interim dramaturg and advisor to the Emerging Writers Group, artistic producer at Carole Shorenstein Hayes Productions and director of new play development at Playwrights Horizons. Timmel holds an M.F.A. in dramaturgy from Columbia University and a B.A. in English Literature from Kenyon College.

Haugland will serve a two-year mentorship under the guidance of DuBois, focused on dramaturgy's role in artistic direction. "I'm a firm believer in fostering young talent, and Charles has the potential to be a major voice in the next generation of theatre artists," DuBois comments. "Charles and I have been working together for several years now, and his ability to collaborate across the institution is a huge asset to the Huntington."

Haugland is overseeing a number of new initiatives, including implementing changes to the Huntington's play submission process, hosting a new podcast series, and spearheading a new post-show audience conversation program that was strongly attended during the Huntington's first three productions of the 2009-2010 Season and will continue through Prelude to a Kiss. Now, following most performances, audience members can discuss the play and production they have seen with others in a facilitated conversation.

"When we started the post-show audience conversations with Fences in September, none of us had any idea what the response would be," Haugland says, "but some of the conversations have included seventy to eighty audience members talking, sharing, debating, arguing. The most exciting moments are when a patron is surprised by what another audience member thought the play meant and encouraged to reconsider his or her own interpretation. I am excited to be here at the Huntington at a time that the whole staff is committed to engaging with the audience on a deeper level."

Haugland holds a B.A. in theatre and English literature from Illinois Wesleyan University, and was previously a literary management/dramaturgy intern at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

For more information about the Huntington's new work initiatives, including play submissions, visit huntingtontheatre.org/new_work.

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