Hangar Theatre Names Interim Artistic Director

The Hangar Theatre is pleased to announce that Michael Barakiva has accepted the position of Interim Artistic Director. He will lead Hangar artistic programming through the summer of 2016. Michael is joining the Hangar staff immediately, and has already begun working with outgoing Artistic Director, Jen Waldman, to ensure a smooth transition. Michael returns to the Hangar after working with the organization as a Drama League Director in 2001 and as a director for Hangar School Tours in 2003. Since then he has worked as a freelance director Off-Broadway and at numerous regional theatres, including Syracuse Stage, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Primary Stages, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Josh Friedman, Hangar's Managing Director stated, "We are so excited to welcome Michael back to the Hangar Family. I look forward to working with him as he provides artistic leadership in this interim period". Michael will be an integral part of the Hangar's 2016 Season. The four show Mainstage season was recently announced and includes I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti adapted by Jacques Lamarre from the memoir by Giulia Melucci, In the Heights with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, Thirdby Wendy Wasserstein, and Constellations by Nick Payne. "Michael's directing credentials, his warm personality, and his passion for theatre touched the search committee. We are excited to have him here this summer to oversee this fantastic season of shows. " observed Margaret Shackell, Hangar Board President.

Michael Barakiva is an Armenian/Israeli theater director and writer based in New York City. As a director, Michael has worked in New York and across the country developing new plays and staging classics. Credits include Perfect Arrangement by Topher Payne (Primary Stages), White People by Neil Cuthbert (Ensemble Studio Theater), UP by Bridget Carpenter (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Burn This by Lanford Wilson (Shakespeare Santa Cruz) and The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl, Turn of the Screw by Jeffrey Hatcher and Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward (all at Syracuse Stage). He is a graduate of Vassar College and the Juilliard School, where he studied as an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Directing. Michael serves as an Adjunct Professor at New York University's Department of Dramatic Writing. Barakiva expressed his excitement about the opportunity to work with for the Hangar, "The Hangar Theatre is one of the most unique in this country, and holds an incredibly cherished place in my heart. The idea of joining its leadership thrills me beyond belief, and I am incredibly honored and flattered to accept the position of Interim Artistic Director for the 2016 Season."

The Hangar board of trustees is beginning the planning work to conduct a national search for a permanent Artistic Director. The Hangar Theatre is dedicated to providing exceptional theatre experiences of high professional quality to enrich, enlighten, educate, and entertain the diverse audience in the Finger Lakes region and beyond. Strong educational and training programs are central parts of our commitment to the local and national artistic communities. Visit our website at www.HangarTheatre.org.