Arizona Theatre Company's Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein Resigns

Arizona Theatre Company announced today that David Ira Goldstein, ATC's Artistic Director since 1992, will be leaving the Company in December of 2013. In his 21 seasons as artistic director, Goldstein led the Company to unprecedented levels of attendance, critical acclaim, community support, educational outreach and national prominence. During his tenure, he produced over 200 plays, workshops, readings and presentations in Phoenix and Tucson, while personally directing more than 40 mainstage productions ranging from classics to new plays to musicals.

Goldstein said in announcing his decision that "leading Arizona Theatre Company's artistic efforts for the last two decades has been the richest and most satisfying time of my artistic life. But it is a job that requires you to divide your life equally between two cities that are over 120 miles apart. While I love both places and have developed hundreds of close friendships and relationships in both communities, I have also driven the equivalent of 17 times around the world between Phoenix and Tucson. For the last couple of years, I have yearned to spend less time behind the steering wheel and more time with my family."

Goldstein continued, "I also have been eager to take on new artistic projects, resume my busy free-lance career and pursue more teaching opportunities, none of which were really possible while running the Southwest's largest professional theatre and juggling the demands of a two-city operation. This will also be a wonderful opportunity for our audiences to hear from new artistic voices. I expect that there will be many superb, diverse candidates for this very special job in our beautiful part of the world."

Former Managing Director Jessica Andrews, who partnered with Goldstein at ATC from 1995 through 2011 said, "It was my pleasure to have worked with David for over 16 years. Through his artistic leadership, he has brought ATC into the national spotlight and has helped to increase audiences and donors through the high level of the work on stage. David's ability to attract new playwrights and other artists to ATC speaks to the respect he has from fellow artists around the country. Our partnership was one of the great joys of my long career in the not-for-profit professional theatre and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the ATC family for such a long time. I know that David will be missed, but see nothing but exciting new opportunities for him as he continues to contribute his artistic influence throughout the country."

Goldstein has won dozens of honors and awards across the nation for his work including the 2003 Governor's Arts Award as Individual Artist for his contributions to the arts in Arizona, and the 2010 Leader of the Year Award in Arts and Humanities from the Capitol Times. He directed over 40 mainstage productions for ATC ranging from classics to new plays to musicals, including "Next to Normal," "Hair," "Much Ado about Nothing," "My Fair Lady," "Valley Song," "The Illusion," "The Pajama Game," "Side Man," "[title of show]," "How I Learned to Drive," "The Mystery of Irma Vep," "Scapin," "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," "The Boys Next Door," "Shadowlands," "Fully Committed," "The Pirates of Penzance," "H.M.S. Pinafore," "The Sunshine Boys," "Dreams From A Summer House," " Little Shop of Horrors," "Other People's Money," "The Heidi Chronicles," "Noises Off" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

While at ATC, Goldstein commissioned and directed many world premieres that have gone on to hundreds of productions world-wide. One of his most memorable experiences was directing the world premiere of "The Kite Runner," adapted by Matthew Spangler from the novel by Khaled Hosseini. Goldstein also directed six premieres by Steven Dietz including "Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure" (winner of the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America), "Inventing van Gogh," "Rocket Man," "Private Eyes," "Over The Moon" and "Dracula;" and three premieres by Jeffrey Hatcher including "Ten Chimneys," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (Edgar Award nominee) and "Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club" (Edgar Award nominee.)

Rob Glaser, ATC Board chair stated, "David Goldstein has been an extraordinary Artistic Director for Arizona Theatre Company for many years. We will miss him and wish him the very best in his future endeavors."

Other notable artistic initiatives begun under Goldstein were international presenting including two acclaimed appearances by The National Theatre of Great Britain with "Othello" and "Hamlet" both starring Simon Russell Beale, and the Theatre Royal Bath production of "The Importance of being Earnest" starring Lynn Redgrave; the establishment of the National Latino Playwriting Award and the ArizOna Playwriting Contest; the Genesis: New Play Reading Series; the five-year America Plays! Celebrating Great American Stories initiative; the establishment of a formal relationship with the University of Arizona Department of Theatre to train actors, understudies and interns; and more than 20 different education and outreach programs including Open Doors and Summer on Stage.

As a two-city operation, ATC became a leader in the American theatre in working with other professional companies on co-productions, providing Arizona audiences with richer variety of more ambitious work. During Goldstein's tenure, ATC co-produced 46 times with more than 18 different theatres with five of those productions directed by Goldstein.

Goldstein has been a guest director at theatres across the country including The Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Florida Stage, Center Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Northlight Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Village Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Laguna Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Mixed Blood Theatre, The Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis, Arizona Opera, Alaska Repertory Theatre, Illusion Theatre and Empty Space Theatre. His musical "A Marvelous Party: The Noël Coward Celebration," which originated at ATC, has played extensively across the US, winning many awards including four Jeff Awards in Chicago (including Best Director), the Elliot Norton Award in Boston, several Bay Area Critics Awards and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Production.

Before coming to Arizona, Goldstein was Associate Artistic Director of ACT Theatre in Seattle. His many productions there included "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Hapgood," "Breaking the Silence," "Woman in Mind," "Voice of the Prairie," "Shadowlands," "Lloyd's Prayer," the world premieres of "God's Country" by Steven Dietz and "Willi: An Evening of Wilderness and Spirit" by John Pielmeier, as well as a joint Soviet-American production of "The Falcon." He was Associate Artistic Director at Actors Theatre of St. Paul from 1983-86. Goldstein holds an MFA from the University of Minnesota. He has been a visiting instructor and director at ASU, University of Washington, University of Minnesota and University of Northern Iowa. He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group, Arts Midwest, and the Arizona, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington State Arts Commissions. He has been a proud member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC) for 28 years, and Actors' Equity Association (AEA) for 29 years. After his departure from ATC, Goldstein plans to remain in Arizona with his wife, KJZZ radio announcer Michele Robins.

ATC also announced that following his departure in December, Goldstein will be granted the title of Artistic Director Emeritus.

About Arizona Theatre Company

Touching lives through the power of theatre, Arizona Theatre Company (ATC), is the preeminent professional theatre in the Southwest. Boasting the largest seasonal subscriber base in the performing arts in Arizona, ATC is the only resident company in the US that benefits from a two-city operation. Now in its 46th season, more than 130,000 people a year attend performances at the historic Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, and the intimate and elegant Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. Each season of shows reflect the rich variety of world drama - from classics to contemporary plays, from musicals to new works - along with a wide array of outreach programs, educational opportunities, access initiatives and new play programs.

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