Hartford Stage's Maxwell Williams Appointed Artistic Director of Le Petit Theatre

The Board of Governors of Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré announced the hiring of Maxwell Williams, Associate Artistic Director of the highly regarded Hartford Stage in Connecticut, as the theatre's new Artistic Director. Williams has been a member of the Hartford Stage artistic team for several years, serving as Associate Artistic Director for the past three seasons. Hartford Stage seasons regularly include world premieres of plays and musicals by established and emerging writers, including the 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner Water by the Spoonful and the recent Broadway hit, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

He is currently directing Hartford Stage's annual production of A Christmas Carol -- A Ghost Story of Christmas. Williams will officially begin at Le Petit in mid-March, after wrapping up his direction of Matthew Lopez' Reverberation, making its world premiere at Hartford Stage Feb. 19- March 15.

"Simply put, Maxwell Williams' theatre credentials are outstanding and a perfect fit for Le Petit," said Bruce Hoefer, president of the Board of Governors of Le Petit Theatre. "He has a deep passion for New Orleans and the board of governors was impressed by his vision for Le Petit, which will cherish our legacy as a cultural icon while raising our profile on a local, regional and national level."

"I am entirely thrilled to be joining the wonderful team at Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré as Artistic Director. I have been in love with New Orleans since I first visited 15 years ago, and the opportunity to contribute to the exquisite cultural heritage of the city is very much a dream come true," said Williams, 36. "The staff and board of Le Petit have worked incredibly hard to lay the foundation for continued success, and I am very eager to get to know the acting community in New Orleans, and to work with the Board of Governors and staff to grow the theatre, its audience and its legacy."

His other Hartford Stage credits include Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike, Boeing Boeing, The 39 Steps, and Dying City. He has directed world premieres and revivals at theaters across the country, including 59E59 Theatres, Bank Street Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Hartford TheaterWorks, Capital Repertory Theatre, Majestic Theater, Chance Theater, Workshop Theater Company, and Monomoy Theater, as well as work for the Pasadena Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Primary Stages, and the Alley Theatre, Houston.

In New York, he served as associate director for the Broadway production of Horton Foote's Dividing the Estate, as well as Foote's 9-play epic The Orphans' Home Cycle (Hartford Stage and Signature Theatre), and has assistant directed on Broadway, for Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company and the American Repertory Theatre.

A member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab and Directors Lab West, Williams has been adjunct faculty or visiting artist at NYU, Trinity College, Mt. Holyoke College, and the Hartt School, University of Hartford, from which he graduated with honors in the inaugural class of the Theatre Division.

Katie Hallman Hired as Le Petit Theatre Managing Director

Katie Hallman has been hired as Le Petit's Managing Director responsible for the business aspects of the theatre, including all accounting, rental agreements, contracts, budgeting, facility maintenance, box office, front of house and the overall day-to-day operations of the theatre. While serving as Manhattan Concert Production's (MCP) Director of Concert Operations in New York, Ms. Hallman oversaw over 55 large scale productions at venues including Lincoln Center (Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall), Orchestra Hall in Chicago, the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and dozens of concerts Carnegie Hall.

She now serves as Associate Producer for MCP's Broadway Series, presenting the acclaimed concert performances of Ragtime and Titanic, Lincoln Center, in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, MCP will present Parade at Avery Fisher Hall. Prior to her work with MCP, Ms. Hallman held positions at Le Poisson Rouge (New York), and The Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis).

"We are beyond excited to have Katie Hallman join our team," said Fred Lay, Treasurer of the Board of Governors of Le Petit Theatre. "We are very enthusiastic and confident that the experience and energy that she brings to Le Petit will translate into a very bright future."

A native Iowan, Hallman moved to New Orleans in July and now calls it home. She holds a Master of Arts in Music Business from New York University, and a bachelor's degree from Luther College.

Tickets are on sale now for Jesus Christ Superstar which runs Jan. 16 - 30 at Le Petit Theatre. For tickets visit www.lepetittheatre.com . Phone: 504-522-2081. Email: info@lepetittheatre.com. Directed by Augustin Correro, lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Weber.

A 501(c)(3) performing arts organization, Le Petit Theatre's mission is to provide a wide range of quality theatrical productions and programming to entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of New Orleans.