TheatreSquared Looks To The Future With New Leadership

TheatreSquared (T2) Artistic Director Robert Ford and Board President Todd Simmons today announced that the board of directors has invited Shannon A. Jones, TheatreSquared's talented general manager, to serve as the company's new executive director.

Jones, celebrating nearly a decade with T2, is no stranger to leadership within the theatre. Since 2014, she has grown within the organization, and served in roles including assistant stage manager, production stage manager, associate producer, and general manager.

"Having managed theatre operations and collaborated intensively with our outgoing co-leader, Martin Miller, Shannon's produced a wealth of acclaimed shows and has been instrumental in both budgetary and fiscal management,” said Simmons. "Her profound relationships with our esteemed artistic partners and our community's supporters make her the ideal choice. The board feels extremely fortunate that she will continue to bring her deep knowledge of both T2's operations and its unique culture, now to her new role.”

In her time at T2, Jones has championed a vast community of artists, worked as a liaison with partners like Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and cultivated opportunities for regular donor-artist engagement. She is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, and has served as a member in the TRUE initiative/TRAIN cohort of NWA, furthering the ethos of inclusivity in Northwest Arkansas. She remains a proactive steward of the company's 100 dedicated employees, with a special focus on strengthening the theatre's DEIA objectives.

Jones organizes TheatreSquared's budgeting process and manages the logistics for the annual Arkansas New Play Festival. This event, which annually brings together over 60 artists and creatives, activates TheatreSquared's vision of fostering groundbreaking new work in the American theatre, including, most recently, FLEX by Candrice Jones, which just finished a critically acclaimed run at New York's Lincoln Center after its T2 world premiere.

As executive director, Jones will co-lead the theatre alongside artistic director Robert Ford, and with the key support of its seven departmental directors.

"We couldn't have dreamt up a more perfect fit for the role of executive director here at T2,” said Ford. “In Shannon's nearly ten years here, she's played a central role in defining T2's ever-evolving culture. She knows the place inside out and is a fierce defender of our shared values, our fiscal health, and, above all, our people. It'll be a privilege to serve with her as co-leader of this theatre that she's poured so much of her heart and soul into."

Prior to her tenure at TheatreSquared, Jones worked at organizations stretching across the east coast, from Florida to Maine. She is a member of 2023 Northwest Arkansas Forty Under 40 class. She holds a BFA in Stage Management from the University of Central Florida and is a member of Actors' Equity Association.

"I'm both honored and humbled to step into the role of Executive Director,” said Jones. “TheatreSquared and Northwest Arkansas have held my heart since I arrived in 2014, and my commitment to our company, collaborators, community, and patrons remains unwavering as we take these next steps together."

“Shannon brings an exciting, fresh perspective, proven resilience, continuity, and experienced leadership to the role of executive director. Please join us in welcoming Shannon to her new position,” said Simmons.

TheatreSquared's signature offering of bold new plays in an intimate setting has driven its growth to become the state's largest theatre, offering more than 350 performances annually in an intimate setting. Its pioneering work has been recognized with the 2022 Obie Award as well as critical acclaim from The New York Times ("Best Theater of 2020" list), The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. The playwright-led company is one of mid-America's leading laboratories for new work, having launched more than 70 new plays. Notable collaborators have included Candrice Jones, Bryna Turner, The Kilbanes, Sarah Gancher, José Cruz Gonzales, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Qui Nguyen, Mona Mansour, Amy Evans, and many others. TheatreSquared's home—winner of the 2021 International Architecture Award—is a cultural landmark. Offering far-reaching access and education programs and an open-all-day gathering space, The Commons Bar/Café, TheatreSquared remains rooted in its founding vision, that "theatre—done well and with passion—can transform lives and communities."

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