City Theatre Has Announced New Artistic Department Roles

Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director James McNeel announced today a reimagined structure for its artistic department. The changes take advantage of recent vacancies to align its staffing model with the focus areas of its new strategic plan. The moves include the promotion of Clare Drobot to the role of Associate Artistic Director and Katie Trupiano as Education Director. In addition, two new positions have been filled with Rebekah Diaz joining the full-time staff as Community Engagement Officer and Monteze Freeland as Associate Producer.

"We are thrilled with the dynamic team of arts leaders that will be working to fulfill City Theatre's mission on a daily basis," says Masterson. "We are incredibly grateful for the thoughtfulness and passion Clare and Katie bring to the job every day and we welcome Rebekah and Monteze to the staff. They join an extraordinary group of individuals, across every department at City, who provide a profound commitment to excellence and our community in all that they do."

Clare Drobot, who joined City Theatre in early 2015 as Director of New Play Development, will oversee the daily operation of the department. Ms. Drobot has shepherded City Theatre's acclaimed City Connects initiative, which strives to embed the organization's art into the Pittsburgh community through partnerships and audience opportunities, since its inception in 2017. In addition to continuing to serve as lead dramaturg and literary manager for the theater's new play mission, Ms. Drobot will play a larger role in line producing, in collaboration with Masterson, and staff oversight. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Drobot has worked in various capacities at PlayPenn, Premiere Stages at Kean University, Passage Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The McCarter Theatre, Laura Stanczyk Casting, and New Dramatists. Since moving to Pittsburgh, Ms. Drobot (along with singer/songwriter Nathan Zoob) was featured as a New Hazlett CSA artist, co-chaired the 16/17 Pittsburgh Emerging Arts Leaders Steering Committee, served as a mentor for Strong Women Strong Girls, and she currently sits on the Future Tennant Advisory Committee.

Katie Trupiano has worked in various facets of City Theatre's education program, from teaching artist to part-time manager of the Young Playwrights Program, since 2013. With her promotion, she will focus on the strategic areas of the education department, including curriculum development and oversight of its in-school programming (City Theatre currently deploys teaching artists to 22 classrooms in the region), as well as workshops for the public and the organization's intern and fellow program. Ms. Trupiano is a graduate of Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts and recently completed a Certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania and National Arts Strategies.

Rebekah Diaz joins City Theatre from the opera field, where she has both worked as an artist and administrator. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and the Manhattan School of Music, she has worked in community engagement, fundraising, and in leadership capacity at various organizations, including Magic City Opera and Florida Grand Opera, both in Miami, and most recently at the Pittsburgh Opera. Ms. Diaz, in a newly created role, will oversee the expansion of City Theatre's community engagement work and City Connects. In the immediate term, she will be focused on the development of the organization's "Building Bridges" Project, which was a recipient of one of 12 RADical ImPAct grants, awarded by the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) in 2019. This initiative will result in a world premiere new play about Pittsburgh's immigration story to be presented in May 2021. In addition to her experience as a community engagement professional, Ms. Diaz also holds a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

After most recently directing at City the hit holiday comedy, The Santaland Diaries (and co-developing its opening Santa's TED Talk with Shua Potter), actor, director, and playwright Monteze Freeland will become a full-time staff member as Associate Producer. Previously, Mr. Freeland has served as a City Theatre teaching artist, and appeared on stage in its Young Playwrights Festival and in Colman Domingo's Wild With Happy. A key member of the artistic department, Mr. Freeland will oversee all aspects of the Young Playwrights program, from submissions to producing the annual festival; curate and cultivate artistic relationships in the Pittsburgh and national community; develop new programs; and assist in season planning. A former "Performer of the Year" as named by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and most recently seen on stage in Little Shop of Horrors and A Few Good Men at Pittsburgh Public Theater, Mr. Freeland has also worked both on stage and off with Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company and Quantum Theatre, as well as seen in countless productions around the Pittsburgh region. He is a graduate of Point Park's Conservatory of Performing Arts.

At City Theatre, Masterson oversees all the artistic and production-related areas for the organization, as well as determining, in conjunction with co-leader McNeel and the board, its vision and upcoming strategies and programs. Long-time Director of Production & Resident Scenic Designer Tony Ferrieri and Production Manager Rachel D'Amboise round out the senior staff in the Artistic Department. Overall, the artistic and production departments feature 18 full-time staff members, nine teaching artists, over 20 part-time production over-hires, and upwards of 100 guest artists during each season.

To post a comment, you must register and login.