Les Waters Named Artistic Director at Actors Theatre of Louisville

Obie Award-winning director Les Waters today has been named as the new artistic director at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Waters, who for the past eight years has been the associate artistic director at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, will begin transition to his new post effective January 9, 2012 and assume full-time duties at Actors Theatre in late March.

“It is an honor and a privilege to take up the reins at Actors Theatre of Louisville, an organization I’ve long admired. I’ve had the opportunity to direct twice at Actors Theatre, and I was deeply impressed with the theatre, its staff and the community at large,” Waters said.

“I am excited to begin working with the board of trustees, staff, volunteer core and Actors Theatre’s extended family of theatre artists. I am committed to making theatre here that is passionate and intelligent, funny and heartfelt and to leading Actors Theatre to new artistic endeavors. I look forward to being a part of this community, to making a new home in Louisville, and to continuing Actors Theatre’s incredible legacy of local and national acclaim.”

The extensive national search was only the third search of its kind in almost 50 year of history at Actors Theatre. Waters joins a prestigious lineage of leaders who have led Actors Theatre of Louisville from its humble beginnings to a nationally recognized regional theatre and a major force in American playwriting.

Waters has more than 30 years of experience in theatre and has forged a formidable career as a director. A strong proponent of contemporary work and adaptations of classic material, Waters has an impressive track record of collaborating with some of theatre’s most prominent playwrights, including Caryl Churchill, Charles Mee and Sarah Ruhl, and he has been a champion of important new voices such as Will Eno, Jordan Harrison and Anne Washburn.

“Following an extensive national search and an impressive slate of candidates, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Les Waters to artistic director,” said Todd Lowe, chair of the Actors Theatre Search Committee. “Les Waters brings with him an outstanding artistic track record and a devotion to both contemporary work and the re-envisioning of classic texts. He has demonstrated a real passion for the commissioning and production of work by important new voices and shares Actors Theatre’s commitment to supporting the innovation and imagination of the American playwright. I believe he will be the perfect partner with Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein to lead Actors Theatre into its next phase of organizational and artistic excellence.”

Ted Nixon, president of Actors Theatre board, said, "Les Waters will inherit almost half a century of incredible artistic accomplishments and institutional growth at Actors Theatre. His appointment will ensure that Actors Theatre continues to fulfill its commitment to support theatre artists, promote new work and present quality artistic experiences for the citizens of Kentucky and beyond.”

“Les Waters will be an incredible asset to both Actors Theatre and this community,” said Jennifer Bielstein, managing director, Actors Theatre of Louisville. “In addition to an impressive list of artistic accomplishments, he is a proven mentor and advisor to emerging theatre artists, playwrights and directors. Actors Theatre is an artistic home to a wide array of artists and as an institution values and supports the careers of many young theatre professionals through our prestigious Apprentice/Intern Company. I believe he will bring a new passion and energy to our season programming and is the perfect person to champion Actors Theatre within the region and nationally. Les will bring exceptional qualities to this leadership role and I very much look forward to partnering with him as Actors Theatre continues to make a significant impact on American theatre in years to come.”

Throughout Waters’ eight year tenure at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, his shows garnered great critical acclaim, routinely ranking among the year’s best by critics in The New Yorker, New York Times, Time Out New York, Time Magazine, and USA Today. In 2009, he made his Broadway debut with renowned playwright Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), which premiered at Berkeley.

Waters’ other productions at Berkeley Repertory Theater include the world premieres of Concerning Strange Devices from the Distant West, Fêtes de la Nuit, Finn in the Underworld, Girlfriend, and To the Lighthouse; the American premiere of TRAGEDY: a tragedy; the West Coast premieres of Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice and Three Sisters; and extended runs of The Glass Menagerie, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Pillowman, and Yellowman. Waters has numerous credits in New York, his native England, and at theatres across America. He led the MFA directing program at UC San Diego where he continues to teach. Waters is an associate artist of The Civilians.

Waters replaces Marc Masterson who stepped down in May 2011 after eleven years to take the position of Artistic Director at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, California.

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