Weston Playhouse Announces Susanna Gellert as New Executive Artistic Director

Oliver K. Olsen, chair of the Board of Directors of the Weston Playhouse Theatre, announces today that Susanna Gellert has been chosen by the Board of Directors to be the company's new Executive Artistic Director. Gellert, currently Associate Producer and Director of the Studio at New York's acclaimed Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA), comes to Weston with fifteen years of experience in New York and regional theatre and a long-standing relationship with Vermont, which has been her second home for the past seven years. Ms. Gellert's appointment is the result of a 9-month national search led by Management Consultants for the Arts (www.mcaonline.us).

Weston Founding Directors Malcolm Ewen, Tim Fort, and Steve Stettler open their final season in Weston on June 13, and Ms. Gellert will join the company in mid-July to commence the planning for 2019 and beyond.

At TFANA, Gellert worked on shows such as Shakespeare's Pericles directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, the world premiere of Adrienne Kennedy's He Brought Her Heart Back In A Box, and award-winning productions of Thornton Wilder's The Skin Of Our Teeth and An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Prior to joining TFANA, Susanna was Artistic Producer and Resident Director at Center Stage in Baltimore where she developed the theater's ground-breaking Third Space Initiative and produced My America, which commissioned monologues by Christopher Durang, Neil LaBute, Lynn Nottage, and others. Directing credits in New York and regionally include the world premiere of Mud Blue Sky by Marisa Wegrzyn, Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley, Open the Dark Door by David Nugent, You Can't Take It With You by Kaufman and Hart, and John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. Susanna currently teaches in the MFA Directing program at the New School, and she holds degrees from Yale University School of Drama, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago.

Board member Claire Stern, who chaired the search committee for the new Executive Artistic Director, noted that "From the time we first met Susanna, we were impressed with her creative and thoughtful ideas for the Playhouse and our new Second Stage at Walker Farm. Susanna's deep ties to Vermont and New York will be a significant asset, and we have every confidence that Susanna is exactly the right leader for this time in the theatre's history." Board Chair Oliver Olsen said, "The Board of Directors is thrilled to have someone of Susanna's caliber join us at the Weston Playhouse to lead us into the future. We are looking forward to an exciting final season from Steve, Mal and Tim and delighted to have Susanna on board this summer for a seamless transition."

Speaking for his partners, Founding Director Steve Stettler added, "We couldn't be more pleased with Susanna's appointment, and we look forward to working with her to support a bright future for this historic company that we all love so much."

Gellert commented, "I am honored to join this extraordinary theater and to build upon the vision developed by its legendary '3 Guys,' Malcolm, Tim, and Steve. Weston Playhouse is a special place, unique for the heartfelt connection it has with audiences who come from near and far to experience its joyous, thoughtful productions. Weston is one of the oldest theaters in the country, and the recent opening of Walker Farm now makes it home to one of the country's newest stages as well."

"To lead Weston into the next phase of its journey-with its commitment to artistic excellence, thoughtful innovation, and the development of new artists and ideas-is a dream come true. I have a longstanding connection to Vermont and have thought of Southern Vermont as a home away from home for many years. I cherish this opportunity to deepen my own ties to the area while leading a theater that is committed to welcoming and enriching the community of Weston, the region, and the whole nation."

Vermont's oldest and largest professional theatre company, the Weston Playhouse Theatre is celebrating its 82nd and largest season ever, operating at the historic Weston Playhouse and its new Second Stage at nearby Walker Farm with such projects as Christopher Lloyd in Our Town, West Side Story, and the Vermont Premiere of the recent Broadway comedy, A Doll's House Part 2. Information and tickets at westonplayhouse.org.

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