Lantern Theater Company Announces New Board, Executive Leadership

Lantern Theater Company's Board of Directors announced the election of Gregory J. Kleiber to the position of Board Chairman. Kleiber, who previously served as the Board's Vice President, succeeds EuGene Bissell who served as Board Chairman since 2014 and will continue to serve as a director.

"This transition demonstrates the Lantern's commitment to good governance and to the bench strength of our Board," said Bissell. "Greg's service to the Lantern since 2010 has been exemplary, both in his understanding and dedication to our mission and in his outstanding support of the company. He brings an ideal blend of not-for-profit governance experience and practical professional expertise to this role, as well as a deep knowledge and love of the Lantern's work on stage."

"It would be difficult to overstate Gene Bissell's positive impact on the Lantern," said Kleiber. "Under Gene's Board leadership, our theater company has developed a record high number of subscribers, recruited five new Board members, completed virtually all the essential goals of our 2014-2017 strategic plan, invested over $120,000 in improvements to our mainstage and patron spaces, and successfully launched and funded the Lantern Theater Artist Fair Pay Initiative. Gene and his wife Joann are vital and valued members of the Lantern community, and we count on their ongoing engagement."

Gregory J. Kleiber is a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP in Philadelphia where his practice focuses on real estate, particularly representing national commercial landowners, regional homebuilders, and other large institutions. In addition to his service to the Lantern, Kleiber serves or has served on the Boards of the Homeless Advocacy Project; ConcertOPERA, Philadelphia (as Board President); and the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent (as Board President). He has also been an instructor at the Philadelphia Institute and a lecturer at the Real Estate Institute of Temple University's School of Buiness and Management.

Stacy Maria Dutton Named Executive Director

In addition to the newly elected Board leadership, Lantern Theater Company also announced that it has named Stacy Maria Dutton to serve as its executive director. In partnership with the Lantern's co-founder and artistic director, Charles McMahon, Dutton will oversee the company's administration with a focus on development.

Dutton previously served as President of the Lantern's Board of Directors (2009-2016) and as a director since 2005; she will continue to serve as an ex officio director of the Lantern. Dutton also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association and Intercultural Journeys. Prior to her service to not-for-profit organizations, Dutton worked for 25 years in investment management in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Tokyo, including as managing partner of Brandywine Global Investment Management, as president and chief investment officer of Park Agency, Inc., and as co-founder and chief operating officer of Hygrove Partners. She has completed the Designing Leadership program of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, the Intensive Board Development Program for Not-for-Profit Arts Organizations at the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and was recognized by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia as its 2011 Business on Board Member of the Year.

"I cannot think of a more exciting time to transition from serving as an independent director to working on the staff of Lantern Theater Company," said Dutton. "The Lantern has grown tremendously in the past several years. With an annual season of five full productions and an operating budget of $1.3 million, the Lantern has emerged as a leader in the Philadelphia theater community. Our implementation of the Lantern Theater Artist Fair Pay Initiative in the 2015/16 season underscored our commitment to provide interesting creative work and competitive compensation to the talented theater artists who make theater at the Lantern and throughout the city's robust performing arts scene."

About Lantern Theater Company

Lantern Theater Company kicks off its 23rd season in September 2016 with Mrs. Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Kathryn MacMillan and featuring Mary Martello in the title role. In September 2015, the company launched the Lantern Theater Artist Fair Pay Initiative, a pioneering program to increase the compensation of its contract theater artists by 50% over the prior season. Founded in 1994, the Lantern seeks to be a vibrant, contributing member of its community, exposing audiences to great theater, inviting participation in dialogue and discussion, engaging Audience members on artistic and social issues, and employing theatrical language and techniques to enrich learning in the classroom. Since the inception of the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre in 1995, the Lantern has received 88 nominations and 19 awards, including the 2009 Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service Award for its innovative education program, Illumination. More information is online at www.lanterntheater.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.