SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.: Ensemble Theatre Company has announced that artistic director Jonathan Fox will leave his position as of June 30, after 17 years in the role. The company plans to begin a search for a new artistic director. In the interim, ETC’s managing director, Scott DeVine, will temporarily serve as the company’s executive director, overseeing both the operational and artistic functions.
“Jonathan has been a tremendous partner during my time here and has assembled a team of highly talented individuals who will carry on with me during this next act,” said DeVine in a statement. “As we enter this new phase of transition and organizational transformation at ETC, we remain committed to being a vital space for artists, staff, patrons, and our entire community.”
Under Fox’s direction, ETC acquired and renovated its home at the New Vic, which opened in 2013. His widespread contacts within the American theatre community, as well as his international ties, have brought many distinguished performers to ETC’s stage, and he has built relationships with regional theatres in Europe.
“I’m so grateful to ETC for trusting me to lead this beloved organization and for the support of the entire Santa Barbara community and our very talented artists,” said Fox in a statement. “Now that we are coming out of the pandemic, and with audiences returning to the theatre, the time is ripe for a new chapter. I’m extremely proud of all we accomplished during my 17-year tenure, and I leave knowing the company has a beautiful venue and an endowment to support its work for years to come.”
Fox joined ETC in 2006. His most recent production for ETC was his recent stage adaptation of the Woody Allen film Husbands and Wives. Other ETC productions include Porgy and Bess, Macbeth, Sweeney Todd, Woyzeck, Amadeus, A Little Night Music, The Liar, Crime and Punishment, and a dozen others. In 2016, he directed ETC’s production of Bad Jews, which traveled to Germany for the play’s German premiere. Other European productions include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, A Streetcar Named Desire, Visiting Mr. Green, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the English Theatre Frankfurt, and Old Wicked Songs, Crimes of the Heart, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Vienna English Theatre.
Before joining ETC, Mr. Fox spent 12 years with Two River Theater Company in New Jersey, which he helped establish in 1994. He served as managing director of the company 1994-99, and subsequently served as its artistic director. He has served as an adjunct faculty member in theatre departments at UCSB, Columbia University, University of Utah, and Monmouth University. Fox will also direct Seared, the final production of ETC’s 44th season, playing June 8-25.
Ensemble Theatre Company is a professional resident theatre company in Santa Barbara. ETC seeks to present important new plays and innovative interpretations of classic works for a broad audience.
