Center Repertory Company Names Matt M. Morrow as New Artistic Director

Center Repertory Company has appointed Matt M. Morrow as its new Artistic Director following a nationwide search. The process engaged a variety of stakeholders in thoughtful consideration that included members of Center REP and Lesher Center staff, Walnut Creek Arts + Recreation Department leadership, local artists and designers, and board and staff from Diablo Regional Arts Association, the Center's nonprofit partner. Joining the artistic leadership team of Lesher Center for the Arts, Morrow will help develop and guide the Center REP's theatrical productions while contributing to its larger strategic initiatives building upon the company's successful more than 50 year history.

"We are thrilled to welcome Matt as the next artistic leader of Center REP and a member of the Lesher Center leadership team," stated Carolyn Jackson, General Manager of the Lesher Center and Managing Director of Center REP. "Matt brings a fresh vision for balancing much-loved traditional works alongside new voices, a wealth of experience in fundraising and organizational leadership, and a track record of meaningful actions to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at theatre companies. His genuine warmth, caring, and passion for serving the community shines through and we can't wait for the Bay Area to get to know Matt!"

Bringing more than 20 years of artistic, management, and production experience, Morrow is a visionary theatre professional and an advocate for diversity and inclusivity. He has directed numerous award-winning productions, was the inaugural recipient of the 2021 Larry Baza Arts & Culture Spirit of Stonewall Award for achievement in DEI and cultural contributions to the community of San Diego, and in 2022 was named one of the Top 50 LGBTQ+ Leaders of Influence by the San Diego Business Journal.

"I'm honored and overjoyed to be joining the incredible Center REP family and the East Bay community," expressed Morrow. "The leader of an arts organization is first and foremost in service of the community in which they live and work. My goal as a theatre-maker is to bolster a diverse family of artists and arts lovers through the programming of ambitious work that entertains and provokes in equal measures. I believe a theatre should be more than a hub of great art, but also a meeting place where one can take part in a dynamic discussion about what it means to be alive at this very moment, and a home to connect with others who prioritize art, culture, and awareness."

Morrow, who holds a B.F.A. in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University, has spent the past eight years as Executive Artistic Director of San Diego's Diversionary Theatre, the third oldest LGBTQIA+ theatre in the nation, where he developed and produced new work through a keen DEI lens. Under his direction, Diversionary was nominated for 35 San Diego Critics Circle Awards, taking home Outstanding New Play honors twice for the 2017 World Premiere of Ballast by Georgette Kelly, and the 2019 World Premiere of The Hour of Great Mercy by Miranda Rose Hall. Diversionary was also the recipient of the 2016 Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work. The production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch was nominated for four Critics Circle Awards, taking home Outstanding Lead Performance, and Performer of the Year awards. This production was also credited for the San Diego Critics Circle decision in 2019 to de-gender the awards moving forward. Other notable productions Morrow directed and/or produced with Diversionary include the World Premiere of Gordon Leary and Julia Meinwald's musical The Loneliest Girl in the World, Georgette Kelly's Ballast (Winner, 2017 Best New Play, SDCC Award), and Justin Huertas' Lizard Boy The Musical (Winner, Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical). Lizard Boy The Musical moves to New York City's Off-Broadway this spring.

Prior to his position at Diversionary, Morrow served as Associate Artistic Director of City Theatre, a LORT theatre in Pittsburgh dedicated to new work. His final show was the World Premiere of South Side Stories, by playwright and actor Tami Dixon. The script was based on interviews with Pittsburgh community members, most of whom hailed from immigrant families rooted in the steel mill industry. The show resonated profoundly with the community and broke box office records, surpassing its goal by 200%, and enjoyed an extended run, as well as an encore run the following season. It was cited in every Top Ten list in the region and earned Tami Dixon the distinguished "Performer of the Year" citation from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Morrow began his career in New York City, where he spent nearly 20 years working at legendary theatres including Rosetta LeNoire's Amas Musical Theatre, the nation's first theatre dedicated to non-traditional, multi-ethnic casting, Playwrights Horizons, Cherry Lane Theatre, and PlayCo.

As he transitions from Diversionary Theatre, Morrow will start his position with Center REP part time this month where he will assist Acting Artistic Director Markus Potter. Potter has led the artistic planning for the current and upcoming Center REP season, and will continue to support Center REP as Artistic Producer during the transition period. "We thank Markus for his many contributions to Center REP. He is a gifted artist who contributed to the continuity of our season of programs and will remain with us to support Matt in his transition, as well as providing input to the Lesher Center's long range artistic planning," stated Jackson. Morrow will begin his role full time in August.

Morrow has developed new work with The Sundance Theatre Institute, The Old Globe, The Banff Centre, Center Theatre Group, American Conservatory Theater, Lincoln Center, PlayPenn, and Page 73 Productions in residence at the Yale School of Drama. He served as The John Wells Professor of Directing at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama (Graduate & Undergraduate Directing programs) and is a member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab. Morrow is currently adjunct Professor of Directing at UCSD's Graduate Directing program.

About Center Repertory Company

Center REP is the resident professional theatre company of the City of Walnut Creek's 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.

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