Andy Hamingson Departs The Public Theater; Joey Parnes Takes Over

Public Theater Chairman of the Board Warren Spector and Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson announced today that Mr. Hamingson has stepped down from his position at The Public Theater for personal reasons but will stay on as a consultant for two months to help with the transition. Joey Parnes, who was the Executive Producer at The Public Theater from 1994-1996 and has been the Executive Producer on The Public's recent Broadway productions, will be the interim Executive Director while a nationwide search is conducted for Mr. Hamingson's successor.

"The Board of The Public Theater thanks Andy for his leadership and vision these past three seasons," said Chairman of the Board Warren Spector.  "During his tenure, Andy oversaw a $35M renovation of the theater and helped generate increased donations to The Public. We respect his decision to leave for personal reasons and are fortunate to welcome Joey Parnes back to The Public Theater during this transition."

Mr. Hamingson joined The Public Theater in 2008 and during his tenure, he oversaw The Public's first ever capital campaign to renovate the interior space of its historic home on Lafayette Street, raising $31.5M to date. His three seasons at The Public have included critically acclaimed premieres, revivals and commercial transfers, including Twelfth Night, Road Show, The Brother/Sister Plays, Idiot Savant, Hair, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Merchant of Venice and this past fall's hit production of Gatz.

"The Public Theater is one of the greatest non-profit theaters in the world," said Mr. Hamingson.  "No other organization champions the work of emerging writers or produces American Shakespeare on the level of The Public.  Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and all the people who work at The Public are the greatest staff in the American Theater, and I am proud of the work we all have done together."

The Public Theater launches its spring season this week with the world premiere production of Rinne Groff's Compulsion, directed by Oskar Eustis. In addition, The Public's highly acclaimed production of The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino and Lily Rabe, has resumed performances on Broadway for a final three week extension. The Merchant of Venice began at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park this past summer and recouped its investment after only 10 weeks on Broadway. It was one of the most well reviewed shows of the fall season, topping numerous "Top Ten" lists.  Following a Tony Award-winning run on Broadway and a critically lauded engagement in London's West End, Hair continues its national tour with upcoming stops in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago and Boston. Richard Thomas launches Public LAB SHAKESPEARE next month with a powerful turn as Timon of Athens (all tickets $15) and rehearsals begin next week for Tony Kushner's highly anticipated The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism And Socialism With A Key To The Scriptures that will open at The Public Theater in May. The Shakespeare in the Park summer season, running June 6-July 31, will once again feature repertory with All's Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure.

 Joey Parnes (Interim Executive Director) was the Executive Producer at The Public Theater from 1994 - 1996, when he worked on numerous productions including Sam Shepard's Simpatico, Suzan-Lori Parks' Venus, Caryl Churchill's The Skriker, as well as The Tempest and Noise/Funk on Broadway.  Recently he has been the Executive Producer for The Public Theater's Broadway productions of Passing Strange, Hair, Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, and The Merchant of Venice.  Along with a number of upcoming commercial projects, he has served on many Broadway and touring productions including Equus, Butley, Well, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Goat, and Copenhagen, all with Elizabeth I. McCann, as well as Dreamgirls, Grand Hotel, and Passion, among others, with the late Marvin A. Krauss.  From 2001 - 2008 he was the Coordinating Producer for The Tony Awards.  He is a graduate of Yale College where he was the president of the Yale Dramat.

The Public Theater was founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 and is now one of the nation's preeminent cultural institutions, producing new plays, musicals, and productions of classics at its downtown headquarters and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The Public's mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day onstage and through extensive outreach and education programs. Each year, over 250,000 people attend Public Theater-related productions and events at six downtown stages, including Joe's Pub, and Shakespeare in the Park. The Public has won 42 Tony Awards, 151 Obies, 41 Drama Desk Awards and four Pulitzer Prizes. www.publictheater.org.

Photo Credit: Ryan Burke