Z Space Welcomes New Managing Director Stephen Shafer Mazow

Z Space's Board of Directors and Executive Artistic Director Lisa Steindler are pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Shafer Mazow as new Managing Director, effective February 20, 2018. Mazow brings over 20 years of experience working in program development and strategic initiatives at the intersection of art, science, and social justice.

Steindler says, "I am beyond thrilled Shafer will be joining Z Space. He brings a vast range of experience and vitality to the organization. He is a thought leader and innovator in the field and is perfectly suited to advancing Z Space towards reaching our goals of becoming the preeminent place for incubating and developing new work. He has the passion, drive and knowledge and will be an integral force as we continue to develop our artistic contributions to the local and national performing arts communities."

In his new role Mazow will work shoulder to shoulder with Steindler, and oversee all aspects of daily operations including personnel, budgets/finances, programming, and general administration.

"Joining Z Space is a dream come true. I can't think of a more cherished venue in this city, a more impactful incubator of bold and relevant work, or a more beloved and trusted artistic leader than Lisa," said Mazow. "I am immensely lucky and excited to join the team and help kick off Z's next 25 years."

Shafer most recently served as Senior Grants Manager at the Exploratorium, where he was the strategic fundraising lead for the museum's R&D work in arts, environment, living systems, and social science programming. Prior to that, he was the Director of Institutional Giving and Strategy at American Conservatory Theater, where he led all foundation, government, and corporate fundraising for annual productions and programs, supported the campaign to build the Strand Theater, and headed up the strategic development of a variety of special initiatives focused on social practice in actor training, community engagement, and diversity and inclusion in theater. Prior to A.C.T., he was Senior Director of Development Strategies and Services at Mills College.

Shafer serves on the organizing committee for Bay Area Writer's Resist, leads the trans and gender-non-conforming advocacy and empathy project IPFreely, and has helped to establish space-sharing initiatives for performing artists, community-based theater programs, and research and action initiatives to address gender equity in leadership in the non-profit theater field. Shafer also recently served on the Steering Committee for the inaugural Berkshire Leadership Summit, a two-day intensive hosted by WAM Theatre that supported more than 100 aspiring leaders who navigate the field as women in skills building, networking, and shifting consciousness around gender and leadership in the non-profit theater world.

Shafer holds a B.A. in English from Wellesley College and a M.F.A. in English and Creative Writing from Mills College.

About Z Space

Z Space, based in the Mission District of San Francisco, is one of the nation's leading laboratories for the development of new works. Led by Executive Artistic Director Lisa Steindler since 2007, Z Space celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2018, continuing its mission to empower artistic risk, collaboration and camaraderie amongst artists and audience in the service of commissioning, developing, and producing new work.

Keystone initiatives include New Work, a development, production, and presentation program that supports artists and ensembles from conception to realization of unique works; Word for Word, a resident theater company that transforms works of literature verbatim to the stage; Youth Arts, an arts education program promoting literacy and creativity; and the subsidized rental program which opens our venues for use by a variety of other art groups.

Z Space fills an essential role in the Bay Area's arts ecology and continues to raise its profile and partnerships both regionally and nationally. Eschewing traditional theater models with fixed seasons and subscription packages, Z Space chooses to remain flexible, to focus on artists' needs, and to facilitate the time and resources necessary to develop each project fully.

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