Red Bull Theater Appoints Martin Giannini as Executive Director

Red Bull Theater (Jesse Berger, Founder and Artistic Director) has announced the appointment of Martin Giannini as Red Bull's Executive Director. Giannini's appointment follows a search led by a committee composed of members of Red Bull's board, Berger, other key advisers and outside consultants led by Board Chair Howard Owens. Giannini, who will be the first Executive Director of the company, will begin at the post in May.

"I am so proud to be joining Red Bull Theater at such a pivotal moment in its history, and honored to devote myself to its important mission of preserving and invigorating classic plays for New York theatergoers. As a lifelong arts professional with a special passion for our shared theatrical heritage, I am thrilled to be working in support of Jesse Berger's bold artistic vision, and helping to guide this organization into its next exciting chapter. While the professional theater community is facing one of the most challenging landscapes in modern history, I firmly believe that audiences, now more than ever, are hungry for dynamic, inclusive, and substantive work that both draws upon our rich history and helps to explain and elucidate our modern world. I look forward to working in partnership with Jesse and with Red Bull's Board of Directors to bring increased awareness to this truly special organization," said Mr. Giannini.

Martin Giannini has served as General Manager of the Broadway Dreams Foundation since 2019, with previous non-profit engagements at Roundabout Theatre Company, Westport Country Playhouse, and Theatre Raleigh. Martin has produced theater in both New York and London, and received an Olivier Award for the 2012 West End revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night. He is an alumni of the University of California, Irvine and resides in New York City and Fairfield Connecticut with his family.

"I am very excited about the opportunity to partner with Martin," said company founder and artistic director Berger. "He brings superb expertise and enthusiasm for our work and mission. He understands our current challenges and opportunities well, and is poised to help us meet them with ambition and pragmatism. As we emerge from the pandemic and envision Red Bull's next chapter of sharing great classic stories Off-Broadway, I am confident Martin will be a terrific collaborator and excellent co-leader of our company."

"After an extensive search, our committee quickly focused in on Martin Giannini - the clearly outstanding applicant who had the personal and professional qualifications to lead Red Bull Theater into its third decade." said Board Chair Howard Owens. "Martin has had a life-long fascination with theater, and he shares with us a particular passion for the revitalization of classic plays. At a time when many theaters are struggling with a difficult recovery from the pandemic, Martin is clearly devoted to the mission of Red Bull: to the production of classic plays that are true to the original spirit of the texts but also fully new, exciting, and accessible to the modern audience. In addition, he has an established record as a manager that will serve us well in the face of budgetary challenges and the need to expand our resources and inspire and grow our audience. I could not be more excited or proud to welcome Martin into the family of Red Bull Theater!"

ABOUT RED BULL THEATER

"For 20 years, Red Bull has, thankfully, continued to keep many great classic plays alive for contemporary audiences." - The New York Times

Red Bull Theater, hailed as "the city's gutsiest classical theater" by Time Out New York, brings rarely seen classic plays to dynamic new life for contemporary audiences, uniting a respect for tradition with a modern sensibility. Named for the rowdy Jacobean playhouse that illegally performed plays in England during the years of Puritan rule, Red Bull Theater is New York City's home for dynamic performances of great plays that stand the test of time. With the Jacobean plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries as its cornerstone, the company also produces new works that are in conversation with the classics. A home for artists, scholars, and students, Red Bull Theater delights and engages the intellect and imagination of audiences, and strives to make its work accessible, diverse, and welcoming to all. We value and practice inclusiveness, equity, and diversity in all of our activities, and are committed to antiracist action. Red Bull Theater believes in the power of great classic stories and plays of heightened language to deepen our understanding of the human condition, in the special ability of live theater to create unique, collective experiences, and in the timeless capacity of classical theater to illuminate the events of our times. Variety agreed, hailing Red Bull's work as: "Proof that classical theater can still be surprising after hundreds of years."

Since its debut in 2003 with a production of Shakespeare's Pericles starring Daniel Breaker, Red Bull Theater has served adventurous theatergoers with Off-Broadway productions, Revelation Readings, and the annual Short New Play Festival. The company also offers outreach programs including Shakespeare in Schools bringing professional actors and teaching artists into public school classrooms; Bull Sessions, free post-play discussions with top scholars; and Classical Acting Intensives led by veteran theater professionals. During the pandemic, Red Bull created several new and ongoing programs to serve audiences and artists with our mission: RemarkaBULL Podversations, Online Readings, Seminars, and more.

"The classics-shaking Red Bull Theater," as Time Out NY has called it, has presented 20 Off-Broadway productions and nearly 200 Revelation Readings of rarely seen classics, serving a community of more than 5,000 artists and providing quality artistic programming to an audience of over 65,000. The company's unique programming has received ongoing critical acclaim and has been recognized with Lortel, Drama Desk, Drama League, Callaway, Off-Broadway Alliance, and OBIE nominations and Awards.

For more information about any of Red Bull Theater's programs, visit RedBullTheater.com.

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