Children’s Theatre Company Names Tim Jennings Managing Director

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Tim Jennings to the post of Managing Director. Jennings, a multi-award winning producer, currently leads Seattle Children's Theatre (SCT), a large regional theatre for young audiences with a $6 million annual budget, a robust theatrical educational program and a large canon of new works for youth audiences.

Jennings, whose career has spanned more than 20 years of leadership and production of theatrical experiences and includes a focus on development of new work, has been instrumental to SCT's success. Throughout the last four seasons, Jennings led his development team through successful annual campaigns and increased SCT's donor base to more than 5,000.

During one of the hardest economic periods in the country's history, Jennings shepherded SCT through a thorough review, benchmarking trends and crafting a model for future sustainability, while focusing efforts on audience development and increasing programming for even younger audiences. CTC is pleased to announce Jennings will assume the post in February 2012, but will begin transitioning work immediately.

"We are thrilled to have Tim join CTC. With his exceptional experience and leadership in developing and supporting theatrical experiences for young people, he is uniquely qualified to lead this organization into its next stage of continued growth and development," says Peter Carter, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, CTC Board Chair.

In addition to Jennings' work at SCT, his previous experience includes the role of Managing Director at Roseneath Theatre Company, a Toronto-based company that develops, produces and tours original dramatic work for young people throughout Canada, the U.S. and worldwide. Under Jennings' direction, Roseneath grew more than 500 percent, becoming Ontario's largest touring theatre company. While at Roseneath, Jennings' produced work received six Dora© Awards (Toronto's equivalent to a Tony Award®), 17 nominations and three Canada Council Prizes.

"Tim has made it his life's work to bring extraordinary theatre to young people," says Peter C. Brosius, Artistic Director for CTC. "His work in Canada was marked by national and international success as well as numerous honors for the creation of new work. He has been a true leader - building financial stability, deepening ties in the communities he serves and enthusiastically supporting the artistic work. I am delighted to have him as my new partner, here at CTC."

Jennings says "I am very proud of the work I and the staff, board and artists did at SCT. I had the greatest privilege of working with Artistic Director Linda Hartzell and all of my colleagues at SCT, and I will miss all of them, but I am excited by the opportunities that await me in Minneapolis and now have the opportunity to work with Peter Brosius, one of the country's finest Artistic Directors." Continues Jennings, "I leave Seattle knowing both companies, in partnership and individually, have contributed more to the development of new plays for young audiences and families than any other organizations on the planet, and now my investment in that work will continue in new and ever-more exciting ways."

Jennings' early career includes production and management roles with such notable companies as the Canadian Stage Company, Ainsworth at SkyDome, the Canadian Opera Company and Theatre Passe Muraille and as a professor of theatre production and management in Canada.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Theatre Communications Group and Washington State Arts Alliance. He is a recent past Board member of International Performing Arts for Youth and recently spearheaded the national contract negotiations for the Producers League of Theatre for Young Audience Contract with Actor's Equity Association.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is the first theatre for young people to win the coveted Tony® Award for Outstanding Regional Theater (2003). Founded in 1965, CTC serves more than 300,000 people annually and is one of the 20 largest theater companies nationwide. CTC is noted for defining worldwide standards for youth theatre with an innovative mix of classic tales, celebrated international productions and challenging new work.

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