Magic Theatre Names New Artistic Director and Executive Leadership Team

The Magic Theatre has announced the appointment of a new Executive Leadership Team, marking a pivotal moment in the organization's evolution. Through a shared leadership structure, The Magic is poised to strengthen its legacy as a home for groundbreaking new work while expanding its role as a year-round cultural hub for artists and audiences alike. Sarah Nina Hayon will serve as the new Artistic Director, Daniel Duque-Estrada as the Producing Director, and Joan Osato as Director of Sustainability and Growth.

Deeply rooted in both The Magic Theatre and the Bay Area arts community, they represent a combination of artistic excellence, entrepreneurial leadership, and deep community engagement, with decades of experience creating, producing, developing, and championing transformative work. Just as important, they share a longstanding commitment to The Magic's success as a vital home for Bay Area artists—a place where bold new work takes shape, and artistic communities can thrive.

The new leadership, taking over from departing Lead Director Sean San José  who led the theatre since 2021, will continue the strong relationships with artists and Resident Companies and maintain the Magic Theatre’s commitment to developing and premiering new works. Despite challenging headwinds facing non-profit theaters, the Magic Theatre is dedicated to expanding on its decades-long artistic and community vision that is both unique and increasingly rare.

This transition also reflects the Magic Theatre Board of Trustees' commitment to building a resilient, sustainable, and artist-centered institution for the future. San José will conclude his tenure at the end of June, with the new leadership team assuming their roles immediately.

Existing projects already in development will proceed as planned, including new works from Home Resident Company Campo Santo, a premiere project led by Joan Osato “a rashomon” to open in the Fall, the annual Magic Theatre Gala, multiple collaborations with resident company Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, a special project starring and written by Lauren Gunderson and continued development of new works from resident company Play On Shakespeare and from writers Luis Alfaro, Star Finch, and many others.

“When I was offered the chance to lead the Magic Theatre, I envisioned  - even as I started - a path that would evolve. From bringing in a single voice leadership of a new model- to one that could grow into a multi-voiced leadership. This new trio represents an exciting alternative to explore ways that are more circular in approach.  Artists who bring multi-faceted experiences and ideas to making and growing space together. Thrilled it will be led by practicing artists all born in the Bay, who are continuing the commitment to ‘new’ in so many ways.” - Sean San José, Outgoing Lead Director

“I am honored to help lead the next chapter of The Magic, a place that is very near and dear to my heart and that has always been at its best when championing artists, nurturing bold new voices, and serving as a home for the development of groundbreaking American plays—investing in their work long before the world knew they mattered. I look forward to expanding how we activate our space and build a year-round cultural home where artists and the San Francisco community can come together to connect and be uplifted.”  - Sarah Nina Hayon, New Artistic Director

About the New Trio of Leaders at the Magic Theatre:

Sarah Nina Hayon, a celebrated actor in the Bay Area and New York, was recently seen as Lady Macbeth in the Magic Theatre’s production of Macbeth and alongside John Leguizamo at The Public Theatre in New York. Hayon is a three time Drama Desk nominee and  long-time collaborating artist at the Magic Theatre, starting with multiple new works during former Artistic Director Loretta Greco’s tenure and including her time as a former Board Member. She brings years of experience developing and championing new work with writers across New York and the Bay Area. Hayon’s vision expands programming beyond theatre and builds partnerships with theaters nationwide to co-produce and develop new work.

Daniel Duque-Estrada has been one of the theatre’s featured actors in recent years, most recently as the title character in Luis Alfaro’s Aztlan. Throughout the last five years, while concurrently developing new work with writers, Duque-Estrada has also become the theatre’s Producing Director, working closely with San José in multiple aspects of leading the Magic. Duque-Estrada brings a breadth of experience, having worked extensively as an actor, administrator, and educator in theatres across the country, as well as establishing his own independent bookstore, Rosa Blanca Books, in El Sobrante, California. He brings a focused, multi-tiered approach to theatre as an organization and a play making space.

Joan Osato has decades of experience running, envisioning, and stewarding multiple arts organizations through survival, transition, rejuvenation and expansion. Osato will be key to sustaining the Magic Theatre, bringing decades of non-profit artistic leadership experience that includes the Asian American Theatre, more than 25 years with Youth Speaks, the creation of her own companies, commissioning and touring, and running Campo Santo for more than a decade. Like Hayon and Duque-Estrada, Osato is also a longtime artistic collaborator at the Magic Theatre, having created original video design and more for multiple projects these past years.