PHOENIX and TUCSON, ARIZ.: Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) has named David Ivers as its new artistic director. Ivers, who currently serves as the artistic director of Utah Shakespeare Festival, will begin his new post on July 1. He will succeed David Ira Goldstein, who will end his 25-year tenure as artistic director on June 30. Goldstein will then take the title artistic director emeritus.
“The search process, guided and organized by consulting and executive recruiting firm Albert Hall & Associates, was extensive and, ultimately, incredibly rewarding with the hiring of David Ivers,” said board chair Lynne Wood Dusenberry in a statement. “There were a number of truly wonderful candidates for the position, but David was clearly the right person to build upon David Ira Goldstein’s remarkable artistic legacy and guide Arizona Theatre Company to the next level of success.”
Ivers has directed and performed in more than 50 productions at the Utah Shakespeare Festival over the course of 20 years. During his seven-year tenure as artistic director, he helped lead a $40 million facilities expansion that included two new theatres, a rehearsal hall, a costume shop, and administrative offices. Under his leadership, the company launched its new-play development program WORDS3 (cubed). Prior to his time at Utah Shakespeare Festival, Ivers served as associate artistic director at Portland Repertory Theatre. He has directed productions at the Guthrie Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory, and Pioneer Theatre Company, among others. He also spent 10 years as a resident artist at the Denver Center Theatre Company. He holds an MFA from University of Minnesota.
“Because of the richness of the cultural offerings and heritage in both Tucson and Phoenix, I’m humbled and excited about Arizona Theatre Company’s impact, contribution, and potential as we start the next half century,” said Ivers in a statement. “ATC has been and should be the crown cultural jewel of Arizona and, though we bring great, thoughtful and quality theatre to two different communities, we serve the entire state.”
