Cal Shakes Announces Upcoming Departure Of Susie Falk

California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) Board President Jean Simpson today announced that Managing Director Susie Falk will be stepping down from her position at the end of the calendar year, after 14 years with the company. The Board has formed a Transition Task Force to oversee this important evolution in leadership for Cal Shakes.

"Susie is a Cal Shakes treasure who has selflessly dedicated fourteen years to this organization and has built and cultivated an incredibly talented and hardworking staff that will carry her legacy forward," said Jean. "She has been a valued partner to me and our entire Board, a strong leader and partner to two artistic directors, and a friend and ambassador to our loyal audiences. I will truly miss her."

"My time at Cal Shakes has unquestionably been the most fulfilling period of my career, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunities and experiences that I've had here," said Susie Falk. "I have had the good fortune of working with incredible artists and colleagues, and I have had the great privilege of working with two of the most forward-thinking artistic directors in the American Theater, Jonathan Moscone and Eric Ting. I remain incredibly passionate about the work we have been doing, and plan to do in the future, but I have recognized that I am ready for new professional challenges, and that it is time for me to make way for new energy and thinking for Cal Shakes. I have great confidence in the leadership of Board President Jean Simpson and the entire board as they continue to steward this organization towards its next chapter. I look forward to supporting the organization in my new role-that of audience member and cheerleader!"

"Susie's imprint on Cal Shakes is indelible," adds Artistic Director Eric Ting. "Her touch has graced every corner of this institution, and her partnership in my first three seasons here has been a guidepost for all of us as we seek to be better artists, better colleagues, better citizens. Her admiration and affection for the Cal Shakes community is second to none, and it will be sorely missed; but I'm excited for what the future holds for both Susie and Cal Shakes, and very much looking forward to celebrating her in the months to come!"

Falk came to Cal Shakes as Director of Marketing in 2004. She was promoted to Managing Director in 2009, after a nationwide search. Prior to Cal Shakes, she had worked with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Her Cal Shakes' tenure has been book-ended by the organization's two biggest box office successes-David Edgar's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby in 2005, and Marcus Gardley's black odyssey in 2017 (which is returning for a two week run later this month). Under her leadership in partnership with artistic directors Ting and Moscone, the organization has seen the opening of the Sharon Simpson Center-featuring one of the most picturesque green rooms in the country; the installation of solar power at the Bruns Amphitheater; the establishment of an endowment fund; the launch of the company's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative-which is now considered integral to the mission and company culture; and the evolution of education and community engagement programming as the company continually reexamines what it means to be a classical theater in the 21st century.

ABOUT CAL SHAKES

California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) concludes its 44th season with the return engagement of Marcus Gardley's black odyssey directed by Eric Ting September 25-October 7. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Eric Ting and Managing Director Susie Falk, the company is a nationally-recognized leader in drawing on the power of authentic, inclusive storytelling to create more vibrant communities. Serving more than 43,000 people annually, Cal Shakes invites people from all walks of life to make deeply-felt connections with our shared humanity through its work onstage, in schools, and with people in non-traditional settings throughout the Bay Area who have little or no access to theater. For more information, visit www.calshakes.org.

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