Diane Quinn Named New Executive Director of the A.R.T.

By: Nov. 09, 2015
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Harvard University and the Board of Trustees of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) announced today that Diane Quinn will join the 35 year old institution as its new Executive Director and assume the role beginning December 1, 2015. In this new position, she will work with Diane Paulus who continues as Artistic Director of the A.R.T.

Board Chair Steve Johnson remarked, "After an extensive international search and many months of speaking to colleagues inside and outside of the theater world, we are thrilled to have found Diane Quinn. Her twenty years of experience in non-profit management, pedagogy, and building and operating theatrical organizations will align well with the role the A.R.T. plays in Cambridge as the professional theater on Harvard's campus and globally as a leading institution in the performing arts." Johnson continued, "Diane's financial, strategic, and leadership acumen will bring enormous value to the A.R.T. We are fortunate to have her join our community."

"The A.R.T. has an incredible team in place that has shepherded the institution through a period of tremendous growth," said Diane Paulus. "The board and the university knew how important it was to find someone who could step in seamlessly to continue all of the extraordinary work of the institution. Diane Quinn's background perfectly combines the expertise we need to take the theater into its next phase and help chart the organizational strategy for the next 10 years."

Diane Quinn added, "I am very pleased to be joining the amazing team at A.R.T. where I have had the privilege to meet with members of the Board, the staff and Harvard over the past several weeks. I look forward to continuing with the important work of this organization and the strong partnership with Harvard."

A veteran of the arts, Diane Quinn's many positions have included Founding Producer of Soulpepper Theatre Company and Festival of Classics, Coordinator of the Arts Administration Program at the University of Toronto, and Executive Director of Toronto Women in Film and Television. Most recently she served as Senior VP of Creative and Artistic Operations at Cirque du Soleil and was responsible for managing the artistic quality of all shows globally. Quinn joined Cirque in 2004 where she held a series of positions including Public Services Director, Director of Artist Management, and Company Manager in Las Vegas. Volunteerism in the cultural sector has also played a key role for Quinn where she served as Board President of the Toronto Theatre Alliance, and Board VP for Women in Film and Television as well as serving on the Canadian Association of Arts Administration Educators. She has been invited to jury for the Ontario Arts Council and for the Fringe Festival`s inaugural playwriting selection committee, and has also written "The Indie Theatre Producer`s Guide". Quinn is a graduate of the University of Toronto Honors Arts Specialist degree program with a concentration in Arts Management and Drama.

The A.R.T. at Harvard University is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. The A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff. Diane Paulus began her tenure as Artistic Director in 2008. Under her leadership, the A.R.T. seeks to expand the boundaries of theater by programming events that immerse audiences in transformative theatrical experiences.

Throughout its history, the A.R.T. has been honored with many distinguished awards, including the Tony Award for Best New Play for All the Way (2014); consecutive Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical for Pippin (2013) and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (2012), both of which Paulus directed; a Pulitzer Prize for Marsha Norma's 'Night, Mother (1983); a Jujamcyn Prize for outstanding contribution to the development of creative talent; the Tony Award for Best Regional Theater; and numerous Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards.

The A.R.T. collaborates with artists around the world to develop and create work in new ways. It is currently engaged in a number of multi-year projects, including a new collaboration with Harvard's Center for Energy and the Environment that will result in the development of new work over several years. Under Paulus's leadership, the A.R.T.'s club theater, OBERON, has been an incubator for local and emerging artists and has attracted national attention for its innovative programming and business models.

As the professional theater on the campus of Harvard University, A.R.T. plays an active role in the cognitive life of the university. The theater catalyzes discourse, interdisciplinary collaboration, and creative exchange among its community of artists and a wide range of academic departments, institutions, students, and faculty members. A.R.T. also plays a central role in Harvard's newly launched undergraduate Theater, Dance, and Media concentration, offering courses in directing, dramatic literature, acting, voice, design, and dramaturgy. The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training, which is run in partnership with the Harvard Extension School, offers graduate training in acting, dramaturgy, and voice. In addition to theater courses, A.R.T. offers students opportunities to serve as interns on productions and in administrative offices, and employment through Federal Work Study. A.R.T. also provides support and advising for Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club productions.

Dedicated to making great theater accessible, the A.R.T. actively engages more than 5,000 community members and local students annually in project-based partnerships, workshops, conversations with artists, and other enrichment activities both at the theater and across the Greater Boston area.

Through all of these initiatives, the A.R.T. is dedicated to producing world-class performances in which the audience is central to the theatrical experience.



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