DeBessonet named artistic director of Encores! with Bartlett Sher as executive producer.
Lincoln Center Theater, a renowned nonprofit theater known for its Broadway musical revivals and contemporary plays, has appointed Lear deBessonet as its new artistic director, marking the first change in leadership in over 30 years. DeBessonet, who has a background in directing musical revivals at New York City Center’s Encores! program, will take over from André Bishop, who has been at the helm since 1992 and will retire in June.
DeBessonet will collaborate with Bartlett Sher, a Tony-winning director and resident director at the theater, who will now serve as the executive producer. DeBessonet will be responsible for selecting and overseeing the theater’s productions and daily operations, while Sher will focus on strategic planning, fundraising, and forming global partnerships. Both will report to the board’s chairman, Kewsong Lee.
In an interview, DeBessonet expressed her excitement about leading Lincoln Center Theater, calling it the “greatest job” she could envision. She shared her lifelong passion for the American theater and her ambition to direct and manage a theater since childhood.
These leadership changes at Lincoln Center Theater coincide with a broader trend of turnover in the American theater industry. Factors contributing to this trend include the retirements of established figures in regional and Off Broadway theaters, as well as the removal of leaders who have lost support. Theater executives are facing mounting challenges, such as escalating costs, declining audience numbers, the need to feature socially relevant programming while maintaining commercial viability, and evolving audience preferences for entertainment.
Source: The NY Times
