Stephen J. Richard Named New Managing Director of CENTERSTAGE

Jay Smith, President of the CENTERSTAGE Board of Trustees, today announced the selection of Stephen J. Richard, a leader on the national arts scene for more than 30 years, as the theater's new Managing Director.

Stephen will partner with Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah, who joined the organization in July. Kwame said, "I am thrilled that someone of Stephen's great experience and skill has chosen to join the wonderful CENTERSTAGE family. And I am personally overjoyed that I will now have a partner whose passion and vision will not only augment my own, but help propel it to new heights."

Stephen presently serves as Vice President, External Relations, for the new National Children's Museum in Prince George's County, MD. Previously, he served 18 years as Executive Director of Arena Stage, where he planned and managed the theater's $125 million capital campaign for the Mead Center for American Theater. Also a teacher at Georgetown University and George Mason University, he has served on the boards and committees of some of the nation's most prestigious arts organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts, American Arts Alliance, League of Resident Theatres, and Theatre Communications Group.

"Under the leadership of Trustee Juliet Eurich, we have concluded a comprehensive search for just the right manager to partner with Kwame to produce his artistic vision. In Stephen we have found the perfect partner," said Jay. "His long and varied experience in the not-for-profit arts world in general, and in the theater specifically, provides us with the proven skills and experience we need for ongoing success. We are confident that Stephen is the ideal co-leader for Kwame and for CENTERSTAGE."

Stephen was selected after a six-month search by a 12-member committee of the CENTERSTAGE Board of Trustees. During the search process, candidates had the opportunity to explore Baltimore and meet key staff and board members. He will join the organization March 1, 2012.

Stephen said, "I've always been fortunate to be able to work with great companies in great cities. But in partnering with CENTERSTAGE, I am more than blessed with a theater I admire, a dynamic city I enjoy, an impressive Board of Trustees, and most especially, a visionary artistic director who inspires me. I very much look forward to helping Kwame articulate the exciting conversation that he has begun with the city of Baltimore."

The State Theater of Maryland, CENTERSTAGE will announce its 50th Anniversary Season in April. The not-for-profit company serves as Maryland's hub for smart, provocative, and entertaining theater and as a catalyst for conversation with the community. Each year, a consistently broad range of productions in two intimate performing spaces attracts highly diverse audiences of more than 100,000 people-including more than 8,000 fiercely loyal members, many of whom have been with the theater during its entire history. Additionally, CENTERSTAGE offers a variety of dramaturgical, community, and educational programs to broaden access and enhance the theatergoing experience.

Now Playing: Final Week of American Buffalo by David Mamet
Up Next: Holiday Cabaret, Dec 15-18
Gleam, based on Their Eyes Were Watching God, Begins Jan 4

www.centerstage.org

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