Center REP Announces Search For Artistic Director

Center Repertory Company, the resident professional theater company of the City of Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the Arts, today announced an open recruitment for the company's artistic leadership. The Center REP Artistic Director will join the leadership team of the Lesher Center to develop and guide the company's theatrical productions while contributing to larger strategic initiatives.

After COVID-19 closures, Center REP returned to the stage in December 2021 and with the support of part-time artistic consultants launched the current 2022-2023 season. The company is now in a position to seek long term artistic leadership.

The Center REP Artistic Director will play a pivotal role in the company's artistic growth, building upon a successful 50+ year history. Key responsibilities include curating a varied season of plays and musicals, overseeing the production process, and facilitating an inclusive work culture for a mix of full-time and hourly staff. As part of the Lesher Center's strategic initiatives, the Center REP Artistic Director will also collaborate with the General Manager, Bedford Gallery Curator, and programming staff on Lesher Center-wide season planning.

"Center REP's Artistic Director will chart the course for the company's evolution," said Lesher Center General Manager Carolyn Jackson. "We are seeking a collaborative leader, with an established track record of creating excellent theatrical experiences and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our field."

The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland will manage the search, with Jackson serving as the chair of the Search Committee. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by December 14, 2022, to be included in the first round of review. The full position description and application instructions can be found at https://lcarts.org/REP-Artistic-Director.

Center REP is the resident professional theatre company of the Lesher Center for the Arts. Its season consists of six productions-a variety of classic and contemporary musicals, dramas, and comedies, presented with artistic excellence and high professional standards. Center REP's mission is to celebrate the power of the human imagination by producing emotionally engaging, intellectually involving, and visually astonishing live theatre, and through Outreach and Education programs, to enrich and advance the cultural life of the communities it serves. As a producing theatre, its presentations are conceived and developed at the Lesher Center. Whether the production is a Bay Area premiere or a Shakespearean classic, each is devised to be a one-of-a-kind, artistic creation offering a unique theatre experience for audiences.

The Lesher Center for the Arts, located in Walnut Creek, CA, is the premier destination in Contra Costa County for an exceptional arts and entertainment experience. Our mission is to drive excellence, innovation, and diversity in the arts through performances, exhibitions and educational programming that establish the Lesher Center as the artistic destination for everyone in Walnut Creek and the region.

First opened in October 1990, the Lesher Center is home to Bedford Gallery, Center Repertory Company, and upwards of ninety event producers who rent the space each year. Together, these programs present more than 800 productions and events a year, including a curated selection of visual art exhibitions, which collectively attract more than 350,000 patrons. The Center is owned and operated by the City of Walnut Creek.

To post a comment, you must register and login.