Bonnie J. Butkas, Executive Director of Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Resigns
With Butkas' resignation, the board has unanimously voted to move to a single leadership model, naming Courtney Sale to the Executive Artistic Director role.
By: Blair Ingenthron Oct. 14, 2022
Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) has announced that Bonnie J. Butkas, Executive Director, resigned effective Wednesday October 12th, 2022 to pursue other projects. Butkas joined MRT in fall 2017. During her tenure the company broke all previous event records with its 40th Anniversary Gala; welcomed a new artistic director; posted three of the top 10 bestselling shows; and received a prestigious Barr Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative grant. Board President Kate Reid commented, "The board and staff of MRT are grateful for the strategic and fiscal leadership Bonnie provided. We thank Bonnie for her service to the theatre and wish her well in her next endeavor."
With Butkas' resignation, the board has unanimously voted to move to a single leadership model, naming Courtney Sale to the Nancy L. Donahue Executive Artistic Director role. Reid added, "The board has full confidence in Courtney's leadership and looks forward to partnering with her to ensure a successful next chapter at MRT."
On stage next at MRT is William Shakespeare's Macbeth -a unique take on a sinister tale told in its entirety by three powerful witches, directed by Rosa Joshi, from October 20 through November 6.
MERRIMACK REPERTORY THEATRE www.mrt.org
Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) celebrates 44 years this season as the Merrimack Valley's professional theatre. This season MRT will produce six plays with titles such as A Christmas Carol that appeal to multigenerational audiences in the 279-seat Nancy L. Donahue Theatre at Liberty Hall.
Under the leadership of the Nancy L. Donahue Executive Artistic Director Courtney Sale, MRT strives to fulfill its mission to "create remarkable new and contemporary plays that bring joy to our art form while engaging, entertaining and enriching our community." The non-profit company guarantees that shows are accessible to audiences of all incomes; partners with businesses and other non-profits to fully engage the community; and contributes to the economic vitality of Lowell by attracting diverse audiences from throughout the region.
Recent acclaimed productions include Best Summer Ever; Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End; Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, the bestselling production in MRT's history and The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, both by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon; Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee and KNYUM by Vichet Chum, works in celebration of Lowell's Cambodian community; The Haunted Life, a world premiere adaptation of Jack Kerouac's unfinished novel; the world premiere of The Rise and Fall of Holly Fudge by Trista Baldwin; and plays about the Black experience, including Until the Flood by Dael Orlandersmith, Nina Simone: Four Women by Christina Ham, and Back Together Again: The Music of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.
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