Underscore Theatre Company Names Sebastian Fabál New Executive Director

Underscore Theatre Company today announced the appointment of Sebastian Fabál as its new Executive Director. Fabál, who most recently worked as the Sr. Director of Customer Experience at Reverb.com, succeeds Rachel Elise Johnson. Johnson will continue working with the company as Producer of the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival.

Comments Founding Executive Director and current Board Member Laura Stratford, "Underscore is thrilled to bring Seb on as Executive Director as we face the challenges and opportunities of this historic moment in Chicago theatre and beyond. Seb brings to the role a rare combination of real-world business acumen and demonstrated commitment to the development of new musicals. During a time in which the theatre community is re-examining how we work and how we foster inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, we look forward to Seb's leadership and collaboration with Artistic Director Whitney Rhodes."

Sebastian Fabál (he/him/his) is an award-winning musical theatre writer, educator and dramaturg. A Cuban-American from Miami, Florida, he moved to Chicago after 7 years in New York City where he received his MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. While living in NYC, Sebastian's 9-5 career began with overseeing various music and grand publishing rights for some of the stage's most beloved artists through the Rodgers & Hammerstein and Boosey & Hawkes catalogs. As a composer, lyricist and bookwriter, Sebastian's work explores the complexities of the second-generation Latinx experience, specifically the weird identity spectrum of neither being American or Cuban enough to be immediately accepted in either community. Since moving to Chicago 6 years ago, he's worked as a musical dramaturg with The Second City, taught several musical writing classes through Chicago Dramatists, the Dramatists Guild Institute and Porchlight Music Theatre, and has co-founded the Chicago Musical Theatre Collective. Sebastian was most recently the Sr. Director of Customer Experience at Reverb.com, the marketplace for musicians, where he oversaw the global Sales and Customer Services teams through an acquisition by Etsy in the fall of 2019. Husband and father to two adorable spitfires bound to take over the world. www.jsebastianfabal.com