Huntington Names New Board of Trustees Officers

The Huntington Theatre Company Board of Trustees names David R. Epstein to the role of Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sharon Malt to President, Carol B. Langer to Treasurer, and Sherryl Cohen to Clerk. Mr. Epstein and Ms. Malt assumed their new leadership roles at Monday's Huntington Board of Trustees meeting. Mr. Epstein succeeds Carol G. Deane (active in real estate management), Huntington Trustee Chairman since 2010; Ms. Malt succeeds Mitchell Roberts (owner of PR Restaurants LLC, a Panera Bread franchise), President since 2010. Both Ms. Deane and Mr. Roberts will continue to serve on the Huntington's Board of Trustees and Executive Committee.

David R. Epstein has served as a Trustee of the Huntington since 2002 and is the president and founding partner of The Abbey Group, a Boston-based real estate development company, as well as a managing partner of the Boston Celtics. He is a former chairman of the board and current trustee for the Stratton Mountain School, a school to educate aspiring Olympic winter athletes. Mr. Epstein and his wife Betsy Banks Epstein, also a Huntington Trustee, co-chaired the Huntington's 2004 Spotlight Spectacular gala fundraiser. They reside in Boston and have three grown children (Jessica Epstein Baron, Aron Epstein, and Jason Epstein) and seven grandchildren.

Sharon Malt joined the Huntington Board in 2005. For the past 20 years, Ms. Malt has served as president of the boards of several non-profit organizations including the Parents' Association of Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School; Hill House; The Esplanade Association; Beacon Hill Seminars; and Beacon Hill Garden Club. She works in other areas of board development, governance, and advocacy for MSPCA/Angell, Conservation Law Foundation, Charles River Watershed Association, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, and the US Fund for UNICEF. She is currently serving as vice chair of the Conservation Committee of the Garden Club of America. Ms. Malt and her husband, Brad Malt, reside on Beacon Hill and have two grown sons, Chip and Alex.

Mr. Epstein's early involvement with the Huntington began in 2000 when his son Aron was cast as an understudy in Artistic Director Nicholas Martin's first production at the Huntington - Dead End. Later, Epstein connected with fellow Huntington Trustee Bill McQuillan and joined the Huntington Board of Trustees. "It was a way to enhance my life and also a way to broaden my connection with my son. Furthermore, I saw how important theatre is to young people through Aron's involvement in high school theatre, and the Huntington's education programs resonated very strongly with me."

Ms. Malt was a drama major in college and took her children to performances throughout their childhood. Friends from her Beacon Hill neighborhood introduced her to the Huntington over 20 years ago, and she has been a loyal subscriber ever since. "The Huntington's work really springs from Boston and not from somewhere else. I think because of that, the theatre is just a part of our lives here and I enjoy that," says Malt. "The Huntington is not copying anybody else. They are doing their own thing. The work is varied, it's diverse, and it appeals to a wide range of people that reflect the demographics of the city."

Mr. Epstein and Ms. Malt step into their new leadership roles at a pivotal time in the Huntington's history. In June, the Huntington gained exclusive long-term control of the Avenue of the Arts theatre and the service wing to its west. Plans are underway to fully renovate the theatre, expanding the lobby space and other public spaces to better serve the Huntington audience and Boston community. "I've seen first-hand what the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA did for the Huntington and the myriad of other theatre companies that utilize that facility," says Epstein. "The Calderwood Pavilion is a great resource to the South End and all of Boston. Now we have an opportunity to do the same thing on the Avenue of the Arts. We're taking a great theatre that is in need of tender loving care and reimagining it - making the theatre a great location with better patron amenities and more modern production facilities, all while preserving a beautiful proscenium arch theatre. It seems like a great way to help the Huntington for the foreseeable future."

On the Huntington's future, Epstein says, "I'm looking forward to working with the new leadership team and the Huntington's staff members, and I really feel like my wife Betsy is a partner in this with me. I wouldn't undertake this new role without her. It is going to take all of us to usher the Huntington into its next chapter."

"Mitch and Carol were unbelievable role models," adds Malt. "I feel like we're not only standing on their shoulders, but they've made it very easy for us."

"Peter and I are deeply appreciative of Carol G. Deane and Mitchell J. Roberts for their extraordinary service to the Huntington," says Managing Director Michael Maso. "We are equally grateful to David R. Epstein and Sharon Malt for stepping in to fill these critical leadership roles as the Huntington takes on the next leg of its collective journey to renovate its mainstage home on the Avenue of the Arts."

ABOUT THE Huntington Theatre Company

Celebrating its 35th season, the Huntington Theatre Company is Boston's leading professional theatre and one of the region's premier cultural assets since its founding in 1982. The Huntington is the recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award and was named Best of Boston 2013 and 2014 by Boston magazine. Bringing together superb local and national talent, the Huntington produces a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current to create award-winning productions, runs nationally renowned programs in education and new play development, and serves the local theatre community through its operation of the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Under the direction of Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso and in residence at Boston University, the Huntington cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form. For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.

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