PROVIDENCE, R.I. and GARRISON, N.Y.: Kate Liberman will leave her job as managing director of New York’s Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) to take the job of executive director of Trinity Repertory Company, in which role she’ll start in September. She will co-lead Trinity Rep in partnership with artistic director Curt Columbus. Liberman was selected through a national executive search process guided by Arts Consulting Group. Jennifer Canole, the theatre’s director of development, will continue to serve as Trinity Rep’s interim executive director, succeeding longtime executive director Tom Parrish, until Liberman begins full-time in September.
“Kate Liberman represents a remarkable new generation of theater leaders in America,” said Curt Columbus in a statement. “She brings an enviable range of skills to her work as a theatrical producer and an institutional thinker, which are vital to the health and longevity of any cultural organization. She shares our vision for how the theatre’s work can reach beyond the limits of stage, even the building, to have a profound and lasting impact as a public square on Rhode Island and throughout Southeastern New England. I cannot imagine finding a better partner to co-lead Trinity into its next, bold phase.”
Liberman served as HVSF’s managing director since 2015, where she worked alongside artistic director Davis McCallum to expand the organization, support the development of numerous productions, navigate pandemic closures, and lead a strategic reopening. She previously served as the general manager of the Laguna Playhouse and associate managing director at Yale Repertory Theater. Liberman also has experience with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She is a Truman Scholar and holds an MFA in theatre management from Yale School of Drama and an MBA from Yale School of Management. Her work has focused on financial management, organizational growth, and inclusive community building.
“Kate has been a force of nature and a fearless leader in her time with HVSF,” said HVSF artistic director McCallum in a statement. “She has set us up so beautifully for our big growth moment and has done so with deep thoughtfulness. While I’m sad to see her go, I look forward to bringing in a new voice who will be able to seamlessly guide us through our next phase.”
Liberman will leave Hudson Valley Shakes on Aug. 15. In the coming months, HVSF will begin a thorough search process for its next managing director.
“It has been an extraordinary privilege to lead the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival for seven years in partnership with Davis McCallum,” said Liberman in a statement. “HVSF is in an outstanding position for the opportunities that lie ahead. At this moment, I could not be more thrilled and honored to begin a new collaboration with Curt Columbus, the committed Board, and the dynamic staff at Trinity Repertory Company. As a New England native, I have long admired Trinity Rep and its impact in building local community and influencing the American regional theatre field. I cannot wait to bring my own energy and expertise to support Trinity Rep’s mission to reinvent the public square at a time when it is necessary to expand our approach to equity and sustainability while expanding access to our work. As our industry continues to reemerge, reinvention will be essential in ensuring that we can achieve this aspiration. I am overjoyed to join Trinity Rep in a transformational future.”
Founded in 1963, Trinity Repertory Company is Rhode Island’s largest arts organization. Trinity Rep aims to present professional theatre that stimulates, educates, and engages its diverse community. As of 2020, the budget for Trinity Rep was approximately $9.1 million.
The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HSVF) is a professional nonprofit theatre company in Garrison, N.Y. Established in 1987, the festival is known for its rotating repertory of inventive productions staged in an open-air theatre tent overlooking the Hudson River. HSVF will move to its first official home in 2022 and plans are underway for the construction of a permanent open-air theatre venue. As of 2019, HSVF had a budget of $3.4 million.
