Vineyard Theatre Artistic Director Douglas Aibel to Step Down

Douglas Aibel will step down as Artistic Director of Vineyard Theatre, a position he has held since 1985, and in partnership with Sarah Stern since 2011. Aibel will continue his work as a producer and casting director, focusing on several high-profile upcoming film and television projects.
 
Aibel began his work in theatre in 1982, joining Vineyard Theatre as an Associate Director before being named Artistic Director in 1985 by founder Barbara Zinn Krieger. Over the next four decades, he shepherded some of the most influential works in American theatre to the stage, including How I Learned to Drive, Three Tall Women, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Avenue Q, [title of show], The Scottsboro Boys, The Lyons, and Indecent.
 
Aibel and Vineyard Theatre were the recipients of the 1998 Obie Ross Wetzsteon Award “For Sustained Support of Artists and Creativity in the Theater,” and he has additionally accepted special Drama Desk and Lortel Awards for Sustained Excellence on behalf of the theatre. Over the course of his tenure, he championed and collaborated with an extraordinary range of writers— from Paula Vogel, Edward Albee, Nicky Silver, Craig Lucas, Kirsten Childs, Polly Pen, Colman Domingo, John Kander, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and more new voices – shaping the Vineyard as a home for bold, groundbreaking artists.
 
Sarah Stern, who joined him as Artistic Director in 2011, will continue to lead Vineyard Theatre.
 
Aibel says, "It has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve as Artistic Director of my beloved Vineyard Theatre for four decades, and I will always be deeply grateful to the incredible artists who cast their lot with us and worked together to build a very special place for the creation of new plays and musicals.  I would never have dreamed that when my 24-year-old self first met Barbara Zinn Krieger and offered to launch a new play program at the newly opened Vineyard, that over 40 years later,  the company would still be my home. The journey has been a rich and fulfilling one, and while I will be stepping down, I am not retiring.  I will still be actively casting films and television and producing theatre. I'm grateful that Sarah Stern joined me years ago to carry on and expand the vision and dreams of the company. I know she will continue to do so splendidly, and I can't wait to see every new production.”
 
“The late great Laura Nyro once described her songwriting process as akin to creating a 'serious playground' for the development of new work.  I think that is an apt metaphor for what the Vineyard has been, and continues to be, for its adventurous artists and audiences.  My deepest appreciation to all who are a part of it.”
 
Under Aibel and Stern’s direction, Vineyard Theatre has become a leading and vital hub for developing innovative plays and musicals. The theatre’s commitment to new work has earned Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and countless accolades, while fostering an artistic community that continues to shape the national conversation around theatre and culture.
 
In addition to his work at Vineyard, Aibel is also one of the nation's leading film and television casting directors. Among his many film credits are such acclaimed works as Materialists, Manchester by the Sea, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Marriage Story, Armageddon Time, Dead Man Walking, My Old Ass, Moonrise Kingdom, Unbreakable, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Tina Satter’s Reality (adapted from Vineyard’s Is This A Room). He collaborates regularly with such directors as Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach, M. Night Shyamalan, James Gray, Celine Song, Kenneth Lonergan, Marielle Heller, and others. Upcoming films include Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride, and Jesse Eisenberg's new untitled feature. Television credits include such series as "Succession," "Mozart in the Jungle," "Servant," and "The Sinner." He has received numerous Artios Awards for his film work, a special Robert Altman Independent Spirit Award for Marriage Story, and BAFTA and Emmy nominations.