CENTERSTAGE Managing Director Debbie Chinn Resigns

CENTERSTAGE Managing Director Debbie Chinn has decided to resign to allow the State Theater of Maryland the utmost in flexibility as it searches for a new artistic leader. This follows the announcement earlier this year that longtime Artistic Director Irene Lewis will step down next May. Chinn has committed to working with the theater to ensure a smooth transition.

Chinn said, "These are extraordinary times that require bold decisions. I became convinced that CENTERSTAGE should be free to chart its own course without being confined by its past leadership or working practice, even if that meant reconsidering my own position." This action will provide the theater's Board with a rare opportunity to consider reshaping the company's top-level leadership. Presently the Artistic Director and Managing Director serve as equals and each reports directly to the theater's President and Board of Trustees. A clean slate will allow the Board and new artistic leader to determine the best course for the future.

CENTERSTAGE will kick-off the 2010-11 Season on September 29 with The Wiz. The theater recently engaged Management Consultants for the Arts to assist in the search for the new Artistic Director.

Chinn said, "CENTERSTAGE now has an opportunity not only to attract a new leader empowered to set the artistic agenda, but also to develop a new working model for the organization. I have cherished my time at CENTERSTAGE, and I am proud to say I have met my goals here. I have some new ideas for the next step in my career and for my work in the non-profit sector."

CENTERSTAGE Board President Jay Smith added: "The Board and I are extremely appreciative of Debbie's unselfish leadership, which is so clearly reflected in this decision. We are very excited about the upcoming season and have been impressed with the early response to our search for a new artistic director. CENTERSTAGE is in a great position-due to Debbie, Irene, and the rest of our staff-having come off another successful season with a balanced budget, and recently completing a vigorous planning process for a new 2010-2013 Strategic Plan. We are enjoying a strong membership response to our new season and are very confident about the future for CENTERSTAGE."
During her two-year tenure, Chinn successfully streamlined the budget and reinvigorated the theater's education, marketing, and fundraising initiatives to better prepare CENTERSTAGE for the onslaught of the financial downturn. Chinn currently represents the theater on numerous community boards, including Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, Open Society Institute-Baltimore, and Visit Baltimore's Cultural and Tourism Committee. She has also maintained her involvement on the national scene, most recently with her appointment to the Board of Theater Communications Group, the leading organization for American theaters.

Since 1963, CENTERSTAGE has been committed to producing and developing an eclectic repertory of challenging, bold, and thought-provoking work, representing a varied array of theatrical styles and forms, in collaboration with leading artists. Each year, a consistently broad range of productions in two intimate performing spaces attracts highly diverse audiences of more than 100,000 people-including thousands of fiercely loyal members, many of whom have been with the theater during its entire history. Additionally, CENTERSTAGE offers a variety of dramaturgical, community, and educational programs to broaden access and enhance the theatergoing experience, earning its honorary designation as the official State Theater of Maryland.

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