The American regional theatre landscape is undergoing a significant period of transition, as several storied institutions announce leadership changes designed to bridge legacy traditions with a new era of community-centric and equitable programming. From the West Coast to the Midwest, these appointments signal a broader shift in how nonprofit arts organizations are balancing administrative rigor with creative risk.
These American theatre leadership changes reflect a trend of bringing in leaders with deep roots in workforce development, equity initiatives, and specialized cultural advocacy. Whether We see a homecoming for a native daughter in Milwaukee or a strategic pivot for the nation’s oldest Black producing theatre in Cleveland, the focus has shifted toward sustainability and the amplification of underrepresented voices.
Among the most prominent shifts is the appointment of Trish Santini as the managing director of the Old Globe in San Diego, effective July 1. Santini succeeds Timothy J. Shields, who is retiring from the prestigious institution. Santini enters the role with a formidable background in large-scale arts management, having served as the inaugural executive director of Little Island in New York City from 2016 to 2023. During her tenure there, she oversaw the launch of the $250 million public park and performance venue, a project that required a complex blend of public relations, urban planning, and artistic curation.
Santini’s arrival in San Diego marks a strategic partnership with artistic director Barry Edelstein. Her resume suggests a commitment to diversifying the pipeline of theatre professionals. she is a co-founder of the Empire Training Center for the Arts (ETCA), a nonprofit dedicated to training technical and administrative staff for careers that do not require a four-year college degree. This focus on accessibility mirrors a wider movement within the industry to dismantle the traditional barriers to entry in technical theatre.
Homecomings and Legacies in the Midwest
In Milwaukee, Renaissance Theaterworks (RTW) is navigating a pivotal succession. Emily Trask has been named the new artistic director, effective July 13, stepping into a role previously held for 33 years by Suzan Fete. Fete’s tenure was defined by a commitment to advancing women’s voices, leaving RTW as a recognized leader in gender-focused storytelling.
For Trask, the appointment is a professional homecoming. A Wisconsin native from Manitowoc, she began her career in Milwaukee, appearing in more than a dozen productions across the city’s major stages, including the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. She joins RTW from the Pacific Conservatory Theatre, where she served as associate artistic director and launched the InterPlay Reading Series to support underrepresented writers.
Trask is expected to maintain RTW’s commitment to new work, specifically through the Br!NK New Play Festival. Her leadership will focus on aligning ambitious programming with deep community engagement, ensuring that the theatre remains a vital organ of Milwaukee’s cultural identity while evolving its strategic direction for a new generation of audiences.
Strategic Pivots and Equity-Driven Leadership
In Cleveland, Karamu House—the oldest Black producing theatre in the United States—is implementing a leadership restructuring to prioritize creative output. Tony F. Sias, who has served as president and CEO, is transitioning into the role of artistic director. This move allows Sias to return to the creative work that defines his career, focusing on creating pipelines for emerging playwrights and theatre technicians.
To manage the administrative side of the institution, Aseelah Shareef will serve as interim president and CEO. Shareef, a seasoned performer and educator, provides stability while the board conducts a national search for a permanent chief executive. The board has engaged an outside consultant to identify a leader capable of carrying Karamu House into its next era of growth.
Similarly, Trustus Theatre in Columbia, South Carolina, has appointed Kelsey Mesa as its executive artistic director, effective April 27. Mesa succeeds Jessica Fichter, who departed for a role at the Nashville Repertory Theatre. Mesa brings an extensive pedigree from the Kennedy Center, where she spent 17 years managing the American College Theatre Festival after graduating from Northwestern University.
Mesa’s mandate at Trustus is explicitly tied to the organization’s equity action plan. Her goals include increasing outreach within the Columbia community and fostering more intentional relationships between the theatre and its local artists. This emphasis on “intentionality” reflects a growing demand for regional theatres to move beyond diversity quotas and toward genuine community integration.
Summary of Recent Theatre Leadership Transitions
| Institution | New Leader | Role | Key Focus/Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Old Globe | Trish Santini | Managing Director | Workforce development & large-scale venue management |
| Renaissance Theaterworks | Emily Trask | Artistic Director | Women’s voices & community-centered programming |
| Karamu House | Tony F. Sias | Artistic Director | Creative pipelines & arts education |
| Trustus Theatre | Kelsey Mesa | Executive Artistic Director | Equity action plans & community outreach |
Cultivating Indigenous Leadership
While many of these changes occur at the executive level, the Native Performing Arts Network (NPAN) in Hillsboro, Oregon, is focusing on leadership development through its first-ever artistic director fellowship. Kiana Younker, a citizen of the Coquille Indian Tribe and a descendant of Kitzn Jin jn Ghallahd-a-lu’ee (Miluk Coos) and Gishgiu (Upper Coquille), has been selected for the one-year program.
Younker’s fellowship is not merely administrative; it is an extension of her active practice in dance, choreography, and production. She has already taken a lead role in the National Day of Theater Readings for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR), producing expert panels that were distributed to theatres across the country. This work highlights the role of the modern theatre leader as both an artistic curator and a social advocate.
Working closely with artistic director Jeanette Harrison, Younker will serve as the line producer for the co-production of Antíkoni by Beth Piatote. Looking further ahead, she is tasked with the planning and execution of an Indigiqueer theatre festival scheduled for 2027, marking a long-term commitment to intersecting identities within the Indigenous performing arts.
As these leaders settle into their roles, the industry will be watching their upcoming season announcements to see how these administrative shifts translate into on-stage programming. The next major checkpoint for these institutions will be the release of their 2025-2026 season schedules, which will provide the first tangible evidence of these new artistic visions in action.
We invite readers to share their thoughts on the evolving role of regional theatre leadership in the comments below.
