The Goodman Unveils New Leadership Team Members

Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins celebrate success of the first month of The Goodman’s Centennial Season, and welcome new leaders to the helm.

Marsha Cruzan is named new Chair of the Board of Trustees and Diane Landgren is the new President of the Women’s Board, while Kelli Garcia continues as President of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals. With two world-premiere productions on stage—the twice-extended Ashland Avenue by Lee Kirk and the groundbreaking musical Revolution(s) by Tom Morello and Zayd Ayers Dohrn, now playing to packed houses in preview performances, along with Dennis Watkins’ The Magic Parlour in its third year at 50 W. Randolph—membership is up by 20% over last year. The Centennial Season’s first major fundraiser on October 6 broke records: a sold-out audience raised $500,000 for Education and Engagement programs, celebrating a decade of work in The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement. The event, entitled “Unleash Your Potential: Creating a Culture of Possibility,” featured Emmy Award-nominated stage and screen star Jenna Fischer in conversation with Booth; a performance by youth participants in The Goodman’s summer Musical Theatre Intensive program; and a record-breaking paddle raise. Event leadership included Benefit Co-Chairs Elizabeth Balthrop and Anne Van Wart; Benefit Events Leadership Chair Joan E. Clifford; and Education and Engagement Committee Co-Chairs Kathleen Cowie and Melissa Donaldson. In addition, The Goodman also congratulates two rising star Chicago-based directors named to annual fellowships: Michael Cotey is the Northwestern Directing Fellow and Lo Williams is the Michael Maggio Directing Fellow.

“It’s thrilling to launch this milestone season on a high note. The Goodman has always enjoyed remarkable board leadership and a high degree of collaboration between board, staff and artists. This alignment means that we’re well-positioned to seize the opportunities and address the challenges that we face—both at The Goodman and in our industry,” said Booth and Collins in a joint statement. “We congratulate Marsha Cruzan and Diane Landgren on the start of their tenures as Board Chair and Women’s Board President, respectively, and to Kelly Garcia on continuing her work with the Scenemakers Board. And we’re grateful to Immediate Past Chair Julie Danis and Past President Lorrayne Weiss for their leadership and service in recent years leading us to this celebratory moment.”

In becoming Board Chair, Marsha Cruzan builds on ten years of service to The Goodman in Executive Committee roles, instrumental in guiding the theater's strategy for successful outcomes in reaction to the pandemic shutdown, as well as advising leadership on optimal capital structure to ensure long-term financial stability.

“I am deeply honored to be elected Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Goodman in Chicago, coinciding with the Goodman’s historic Centennial year,” said Cruzan. “For 100 years, The Goodman has been a cornerstone of Chicago’s cultural landscape and a nationally recognized leader in American theater—producing bold, thought-provoking works, supporting artists at every stage of their careers, and ensuring theater remains accessible to all. As Chair, I look forward to working alongside my fellow Trustees, artistic leadership and staff to honor this remarkable legacy while helping guide the Goodman into its next century of impact.”

With her decades of professional experience spanning the financial services, energy, healthcare, insurance and manufacturing industries, Cruzan has developed a pragmatic, analytical approach to leadership, with deep expertise in risk analysis, mitigation and reduction, all while driving innovation and safeguarding stakeholder value. She has served on many nonprofit, civic and industry boards, including the Field Museum, Rush University Medical Center, The Chicago Network, among others. She also has a bevy of corporate experience with U.S. Bank, where she served as Regional President for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin before she retired in 2024. Cruzan earned her MBA at Thunderbird School of Global Management (now part of Arizona State University) and her BA, Political Science, at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Civic leader Diane Landgren also builds on 10 years of service to The Goodman in assuming presidency of the Women’s Board, “I’m excited to lead this extraordinary Board and deepen my work with our members—dozens of Chicago’s most active and passionate philanthropic women. For nearly five decades, the Women’s Board has made a profound impact on the civic life of Chicago, raising more than $70 million for the productions and programs of its flagship theater. It’s an honor to expand upon this work as President.”

In her Women’s Board leadership positions, Landgren has chaired major benefit events as the Goodman Gala, Auction and the Education and Engagement Benefit. She earned a BA from Dominican University and an MBA from DePaul University, pursuing a career in engineering sales, and subsequently commercial real estate investment and residential real estate renovations. In addition to her time volunteering for The Goodman, Landgren has also enjoyed co-chairing events for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Chicago. While residing in DuPage county, she became involved with CASA Advocates as a court appointed special advocate for underprivileged and neglected children.

Kelli Garcia, a Vice President in the Foundation and Institutional Advisors group at Northern Trust, continues as President of The Goodman’s Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals, “I’m proud to continue this work for a third year and build on the success of our Scene Night events, which are consistently counted among the most dynamic events at The Goodman—each one at capacity. The Scenemakers Board offers young professionals the chance to join other theater lovers and engage on a deeper level behind the scenes.” The next Scene Night, for Revolution(s), is on October 23 at 6pm, with a pre-show reception followed by the performance.

As Northern Trust’s National Manager of Foundation Services, Garcia is responsible for the delivery and growth of back-office administration services for private foundation clients. She was a Philanthropic Advisor in the Philanthropic Advisory Services group where she specialized in private foundations, philanthropic education and training the next generation of philanthropists. Her duties involved creating philanthropy plans for clients, facilitating family philanthropy retreats, designing grantmaking plans, succession planning for family foundations and establishing and administering charitable vehicles. Prior to joining Northern Trust in 2017. Garcia advised non-profit organizations, for-profit and startup companies on topics relating to strategy, organizational management and internal operations. She also served as Director of Development for the Golden Apple Foundation, where she oversaw corporate, foundation and individual giving. 

In addition, two emerging Chicago-based artists join the season for annual fellowships: Michael Cotey is the Northwestern Directing Fellow and Lo Williams is the Michael Maggio Directing Fellow.

Michael Cotey's Goodman Theatre credits include Ashland Avenue and An Enemy of the People (assisting Robert Falls). Chicago directing and assistant credits: Steppenwolf for Young Adults, Gift Theatre, Cabinet of Curiosity and The New Colony. Off-Broadway and touring: GUAC (The Public Theater, Woolly Mammoth, Center Theatre Group, 1st Stage). Select regional credits: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Natural Shocks, 9 Circles and Equivocation (Next Act Theatre); Gently Down the Stream, Deathtrap and Boeing Boeing (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre). Cotey is the Joaquin Oliver Artistic Producer of ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence (enoughplays.com), recipient of the 2024 TYA Community Impact Award. michaelcotey.com

Lo Williams, whose first Goodman Theatre credit is Tom Morello and Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s Revolution(s), is a storyteller based in Chicago who centers work that reimagines, reshapes and reclaims representation in theater for the global majority. With a background in hip-hop theater and new works, she has been involved in the development of world premieres of new Black theatrical productions in the capacities of producer, director, playwright and actor. Selected Chicago directing credits: Rich B*tch (Babes with Blades Theatre Co.); Shakespeare and the Language that Altered a World (Oak Park Festival Theatre). Selected assistant directing credits: Bad Kreyòl (Signature Theatre & Manhattan Theatre Club); Frozen (Children’s Theatre Co.); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Dallas Theater Center). Williams holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts from the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. Williams is an alumna of the National Theater Institute, as well as the Lin-Manuel Miranda Family Fellowship. Read more at lowilliams.live