BANGOR, MAINE: Penobscot Theatre Company has selected Chicago-based theatremaker Jonathan Berry to be the company’s next artistic director, succeed former producing artistic director Bari Newport and current acting artistic director Tricia Hobbs. Berry will support executive director Jen Shepard in producing the company’s 49th season and preparing for the upcoming 50th anniversary.
“I am thrilled by the opportunity to lead Penobscot Theatre Company as it prepares to celebrate its 50th season,” said Berry in a statement. “For the last 25 years, I’ve dedicated myself to the work of building community in Chicago through ensemble-driven theatre. I look forward to supporting the existing foundation of PTC while expanding the work to better reflect our shifting perspectives and our changing world. I cannot wait to begin working with this remarkable staff and these incredible artists as we continue the conversation with the Penobscot Theatre Company community.”
Berry is a director, producer, and teacher from Chicago. For the last five years he was an artistic producer at Steppenwolf Theatre under artistic director Anna D. Shapiro, where he directed Lindiwe (co-directed with Eric Simonson and featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo), The Children, You Got Older, Constellations, The Crucible, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. He also served as director of the School at Steppenwolf. Berry is an ensemble member with both Steep Theatre and the Griffin Theatre. He won the Joseph Jefferson Award for directing Simon Stephens’ Punk Rock.
“Jonathan is an engaging leader who has a desire to produce work that resonates with the many diverse facets of the Bangor region,” said PTC board president Sundance Campbell in a statement. “We are excited for him to share his vision with our audience, and to deepen the theatre’s relationship with the community.”
Penobscot Theatre Company is a nonprofit year-round professional theatre company based in Maine that operates the historic Bangor Opera House. The company’s mission is to inspire a passion for theatre in the heart of Maine and beyond. As of 2019, PTC’s budget was around $1.8 million.
