Louisa Balch Named New General Manager at American Conservatory Theater

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Executive Director Peter Pastreich announced today the appointment of Louisa Balch as the company's new general manager.

Balch succeeds Don-Scott Cooper, who recently departed from American Conservatory Theater after seven seasons as general manager.

In this role, Balch will oversee all operational and administrative aspects for San Francisco's premier nonprofit theater and will assist A.C.T.'s executive director and artistic director in the implementation of the company's mission statement and vision. Balch will begin her role as general manager on December 21, 2017.

Louisa Balch comes to A.C.T. after serving three seasons as the general manager of Laguna Playhouse, where she oversaw contracting, finance, human resources, and front of house for the $5 million organization with over 300 performances a year. She was previously the associate managing director for the Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre, company manager for Yale Repertory Theatre, and managing director fellow at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Prior to graduate school, Balch worked in general management, sales, and marketing at Phoenix Theater in Arizona, where as the Tessitura Data and Analytics Manager, she led a conversion to the Tessitura Software and established the company's analytics department. She holds an MFA in Theater Management from the Yale School of Drama, where she was the recipient of the Shubert Scholarship and Benjamin Mordecai Memorial scholarship in Theater Management. Balch graduated Magna Cum Laude from Muhlenberg College with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Business and is originally from Boulder, Colorado.

"We are pleased to announce that Louisa Balch will become American Conservatory Theater's general manager beginning December 21," says Pastreich. "Along with her wealth of knowledge and years of management experience, she brings to A.C.T. a passion for, and commitment to, the theater. The Board of Trustees, the staff, and I very much look forward to working with her at this exciting time in A.C.T.'s history."

Adds Balch: "I am honored to be joining this incredibly talented team. American Conservatory Theater is recognized as one of the top regional theater companies in the nation and I look forward to building on this rich legacy and working with the creative team to support the artistic vision of the organization."

In addition to the appointment of Louisa Balch, Pastreich announced that A.C.T. company manager Amy Dalba has been promoted to associate general manager. In this role, Dalba will work closely with Balch on the day-to-day operations of A.C.T. Amy will begin her new role on December 8, 2017.

Sabra Jaffe, who has served as interim company manager at A.C.T. since August 2017, will continue to serve as A.C.T.'s company manager for the remainder of the 2017­-18 season. In this role, Jaffe will be responsible for coordinating all guest artist travel, transportation, and lodging.