Ars Nova Reveals Mac Ingram as Managing Director

Ars Nova has announced Mac Ingram as its new Managing Director. He joins incoming Co-Artistic Directors Andrew Neisler and Anna Morton Stacey as the executive leadership team of one of the nation's most vital incubators of genre-bending new work. Their seamless collaboration, rooted in a shared vision and history with the organization, will ensure a forward-thinking evolution of Ars Nova and its commitment to innovation.

Ingram returns to Ars Nova where he served as Development Director and Associate Executive Director from 2015 to 2022. During his tenure, he helped to grow the organization from a $1.5M to $4M annual budget and secured funding for the company's Fair Pay Initiative, its expansion into the Greenwich House Theater, and ambitious productions like KPOP, The Lucky Ones, and Oratorio For Living Things. Prior to Ingram's appointment as Managing Director, he served as the Director of Development for Signature Theatre Company.

Ingram will assume the role of Managing Director on July 7, 2025, alongside Neisler and Stacey as Co-Artistic Directors. Ingram's appointment follows a nationwide search led by Interim Executive Director Preston Whiteway, who will finish his role this month.

Alisa Lessing, Chair of Ars Nova's Board of Trustees, said, “We are delighted to welcome Mac back to Ars Nova. During his seven years at Ars Nova, and in multiple roles, he helped to grow the organization in transformational ways. The Ars Nova board of trustees and staff can't wait to see what he, alongside Anna and Andrew, will bring to the future of Ars Nova and the broader New York artistic community.”

Mac Ingram shared, “I am beyond thrilled to be returning home to Ars Nova as its next Managing Director. Ars Nova is New York City's most exciting artistic incubator and I can't wait to partner with Andrew and Anna to lead into its next chapter. I am so grateful to Alisa Lessing, co-founder Jenny Steingart, and the entire Ars Nova Board for the trust they have placed in us, and to Jason Eagan for twenty-two years of unparalleled vision and heart that has set the bar so high. It's an exciting yet challenging time to step into leading a nonprofit arts organization, and this moment demands innovation, risk-taking, and an eye for what's coming next--no one does that better than Ars Nova and its artists. I can't wait to get started!”

Incoming Co-Artistic Directors Andrew Neisler and Anna Morton Stacey remarked, “We are incredibly excited to welcome Mac back to Ars Nova to partner with us in leading the company's next chapter. Mac's proven experience as a dedicated fundraiser and administrator, combined with his wealth of knowledge about Ars Nova, make him the perfect addition to our leadership team. We know Mac loves Ars Nova and believes as deeply in the mission as we do. We can't wait to dive in with him this summer.”

In 2022, Ars Nova began planning for the next generation of leadership at the organization. In January 2025, it was announced that Founding Artistic Director Jason Eagan would step down from his role as Artistic Director at the end of this season, following over two decades of leadership, and Neisler and Stacey were appointed as successors. Ingram's appointment as Managing Director completes Ars Nova's search for its next leadership team. Eagan will remain in a consulting role, providing strategic mentorship and guidance. Leadership and succession planning at Ars Nova has been funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Mac Ingram is a theater administrator and fundraiser with sixteen years experience working for some of New York City's brightest cultural gems, including being a part of the leadership team at Ars Nova from 2015 to 2022 as Development Director and Associate Executive Director. Since 2022, Mac has served as the Director of Development for Signature Theatre Company, where he has played a critical role in resourcing the company through a period of transformational organizational change, including developing and launching the $10M Next Act Campaign. Prior to Ars Nova, Mac also held fundraising positions at Symphony Space and Second Stage Theatre, and started his theatrical career with the community theater troupe the Maysville Players in Maysville, Kentucky, and the summer camp the Columbia Gorge School of Theatre in White Salmon, WA, who were both gracious enough to hire a teenager with no qualifications except a love of the theater. Mac serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT). He has a BA from Webster University in St. Louis.