Senior Associate Artistic Director Jason King Jones to Depart Olney Theatre for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival

After nearly two combined decades of service, Olney Theatre Center has announced the departure of two senior members of its team for new adventures. Senior Associate Artistic Director Jason King Jones will be assuming the role of Artistic Director of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival in Center Valley, PA, on September 1. Olney Theatre's Director of Production, Josiane Jones, who is also Jason's wife, will depart at the same time.

"It is with both a heavy heart and joyful spirit that we bid goodbye to two such extraordinary colleagues," said Artistic Director Jason Loewith. "JKJ has been my strong, forthright, and dedicated right hand from the moment I walked in the door in 2013, and whatever I've achieved in the past decade would have been impossible without him. And what he has achieved in training hundreds of theater makers through the National Players and our Advanced Training Program is inestimable."

Loewith continued, "Josiane, who leapt into the theater's most challenging position three years ago after years as our go-to Production Stage Manager, has proven herself a passionate, committed, and successful leader, managing dozens of staff, artists, and processes every year. Olney Theatre could not have survived the pandemic and reopened so confidently without their combined leadership. And most important, their spirit - of family, camaraderie, generosity, and kindness - has shaped our theater in the past decade more than any other. They will be overwhelmingly missed, even as we cheer them on in Pennsylvania."

Jason King Jones said of his time at Olney, "I am leaving my heart behind here at Olney Theatre Center. The ability to make incredible work with exceptional artists in the most collaborative and respectful environments has driven me to work hard (and joyously) every day these past ten years. While I am moving on to a fantastic opportunity, I'll be bringing with me the lesson I've learned, the people I have met, and the happiness I have found while serving this community."

Josiane Jones had this to say about her departure: "Olney Theatre Center has been my home for the past ten years, and the staff and guest artists have become a second family to me. Speaking of family, my grandmother was a long-time volunteer here, and the first show I saw at Olney was when I was a child, so leaving this job is especially difficult. I am grateful for all my time here, both as the Director of Production and as a Production Stage Manager, and feel so lucky to have been surrounded by such an incredible group of artists and collaborators. I am going to miss Olney Theatre very much, and I am excited for adventures to come."

A national search for both positions has just begun. Please visit their Employment Opportunities webpage for more information.

For more information, please visit olneytheatre.org/history.

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