Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival Welcomes New Managing Director

The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) has announced the appointment of Kate Liberman as its new Managing Director. Reporting to HVSF's Board of Directors, and working in partnership with Artistic Director Davis McCallum, Ms. Liberman will be responsible for all administrative and operational aspects of HVSF's activities.

With an MFA in theater management from the Yale School of Drama and an MBA from the Yale School of Management, Ms. Liberman has devoted her career to theater administration, serving Yale Repertory Theatre as Associate Managing Director, Berkeley Repertory Theatre as a Managing Director Fellow, and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as Assistant Manager in Development. She is currently General Manager of The Laguna Playhouse, a $4.5 million regional theater in Laguna Beach, CA, which is entering its 95th season. Ms. Liberman will join HVSF in March.

"The Board has made an outstanding choice in selecting Kate as the new Managing Director, and I am delighted to have her join our team," said HVSF Artistic Director Davis McCallum. "Not only is Kate a natural leader with a wide range of skills and experience, she also has an unmistakable passion for the mission of our theater company. I look forward to introducing her to the HVSF community and embarking on the next chapter of the company's story together."

Robin Arditi, President of the HVSF Board, said: "We are delighted to welcome Kate as our new Managing Director. She is an exciting new leader in the field of theater administration, with great energy, intelligence, and commitment to HVSF's mission and the power of theater to enrich our lives and build community. Her experience, training, and consistently high record of achievement convinced us that she will be a superb partner to Davis in leading HVSF in its next phase of development."

On accepting the position, Ms. Liberman said: "I am thrilled to join Davis, the board and the staff at this exciting time for HVSF. This is a remarkable organization that engages the community, young artists, and students through its dynamic productions and impactful theater education programs. I look forward to contributing to and continuing the wonderful work that has defined HVSF for the last 28 years."

Ms. Liberman succeeds Maggie Whitlum, who left HVSF in the fall to return to England with her husband, who took up a post at Oxford University. Since then, the HVSF administrative staff has been led by Jared Goldstein as Interim Managing Director and Mona Smith as Deputy Interim Managing Director. Ms. Arditi said, "The Board is deeply appreciative of the staff's exemplary team work during this transition period, as they executed our sold-out "second stage" productions during the fall, planned for our diverse and innovative in-school education programs, and set the stage for what promises to be a terrific 2015 summer season."

Ms. Liberman's appointment concludes a nationwide search that attracted a distinguished pool of candidates. The search was conducted by a Board committee chaired by Leslie Kelley, Managing Director of Blue Man Productions.

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