Everyman Names New Artistic Director

The Board of Directors at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, Md. has named Houston-based director, producer, and current associate artistic director at Alley Theatre, Brandon Weinbrenner, as its next Artistic Director. Weinbrenner will relocate to Baltimore and assume the role beginning in July 2026. The selection of Weinbrenner follows an extensive, nationwide search by Everyman's Board of Directors to find a successor for Everyman's founding artistic director, Vincent M. Lancisi, who will retire in June. The executive search committee, in consultation with employees of the theatre and members of its resident company, and with assistance of Management Consultants for the Arts (MCA), engaged in an inclusive six-month-long process where they evaluated a broad slate of candidates to identify an artistic leader who would maintain Everyman's core values of people, community, and excellence, while also upholding the theatre's reputation of delivering professional theatre of the highest artistic standards with a Resident Company of artists.

“We are fortunate to have found an exciting and vibrant artistic director who shares our cultural and artistic values and also has deep experience working with resident actors and artisans,” says Bryan Rakes, President of Everyman Theatre's Board of Directors. “Everyman's Resident Company is central to our mission, and we're excited to see it flourish under Brandon's leadership.”

“I am thrilled that our Board has hired Brandon, a respected and admired artistic leader, and I am excited to see him take the reins,” adds Lancisi. “I'm not just retiring; I'm joining the audience. This is an incredible moment for us in Baltimore and for the arts community!”

During his time at Alley Theatre, one of the nation's largest professional nonprofit theatres outside of New York, Weinbrenner is credited with directing plays that broke box office records, such as Seared, Clue, and Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily, as well as earned Best Director nominations for The Humans (Alley Theatre), The Royale (Rec Room Arts), and The Children (Rec Room Arts). He also brings a passion for investing in and developing new work and nurturing future artists and is one of the founders of the Alley All New Festival as well as a member of the inaugural team for The Ground Floor, a new play development program at Berkeley Rep, where he served as the Bret C. Harte Directing Fellow; and he also spearheaded the formation of the University of Houston/Alley Theatre MFA in Acting program. He has been director on more than 25 plays, assistant directed on 13 others and served as producer or consultant on numerous other works.

In joining Everyman Theatre, an organization that prides itself on being “Built in Baltimore,” Weinbrenner will continue to carry these ideals forward as he enters a vibrantly creative theatre scene in the DMV market that encompasses professional Equity actors, designers, writers, and directors, as well as integrated community-driven productions. There are only a handful of theatres nationwide that feature an ensemble of professional actors who perform regularly each season, an aspect that Everyman and the Alley share by each having established resident companies at their respective organizations, and one that Brandon is very familiar with. Upholding this commitment to producing theatre with local actors and artisans strengthens the community and provides work opportunities for local theatre professionals.

“Serving Alley Theatre for over a decade has crystallized what I believe makes a vibrant theatrical home: community, collaboration, and respect,” says Weinbrenner. “For 35 years, the team at Everyman Theatre has built an institution grounded in these same principles. I am honored to help carry forward Everyman's tradition of ‘great stories, well told' for the Baltimore community.”

As Artistic Director, Weinbrenner will partner with Marissa LaRose, who has served as Managing Director at Everyman Theatre since April 2020. Together, LaRose and Weinbrenner will co-lead a theatre that employs more than 150 full- and part-time staff, actors, designers, and teaching artists to bring its programming to the people of Baltimore and the surrounding counties. Annually, Everyman Theatre offers over 200 nights of programming that welcomes more than 30,000 visitors and delivers an estimated $12 million in economic impact into Baltimore's cultural economy. “Brandon leads with admirable passion and authenticity that complements the Everyman style,” says LaRose. “This, alongside his commitment to locally created artistic excellence, makes him an exciting partner to lead with as we collaborate on innovative ways to advance the theatre for Baltimore. I'm confident our joint leadership will propel Everyman strongly forward in the next chapter of this beloved organization!” Weinbrenner holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theatre's Acting Program. He is married to theatre director Mitchell Greco and lives with their dog Clyde. A true visual and performing arts lover, he also enjoys bicycling and sports, especially college and professional football, and is excited to join the Baltimore community.

The Everyman family shares his enthusiasm: “We are excited to welcome Brandon into this wonderful community and share all that Charm City has to offer!”