ITACHA, N.Y.: Kitchen Theatre Company (KTC) has announced M. Bevin O’Gara as its new artistic director. She will begin July 1, succeeding Rachel Lampert in the role. Lampert has served as the artistic director since 1997.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bevin to the Kitchen and to Ithaca,” said James Morrisey, president of the board of directors, in a statement. “Her wealth of artistic and production experience made her a stand-out candidate. We have no doubt she will lead the KTC into an exciting new era and solidify its place as a cornerstone of the Finger Lakes artistic community.”

O’Gara currently serves as associate producer of the Huntington Theatre Company. She has also worked as a director for the past two decades in Boston. Her productions of Tribes, Our Town, and Come Back Little Sheba all won the Eliott Norton Award for Outstanding Production. She received the Louis Roach Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Boston Theatre Community in 2011 for her commitment to championing local students, actors, and writers. She also established the Breaking Ground Festival of New Plays and the Summer Play Workshop at the Huntington Theatre. She has worked to bridge the gap between regional theatres and communities with programs including the Emerging America Festival and the Shirley Vermont Festival.

“I have always felt a regional theatre is responsible for representing and reflecting the community in which it resides, while also exposing audiences to great works and artists receiving national attention,” said O’Gara in a statement. “This belief has been central to my work in Boston, and I remain steadfastly committed to this mission. Ithaca is the perfect city for me to continue this important work.”