REDWOOD SHORES, CALIF.: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has announced that Giovanna Sardelli will serve as the company’s artistic director, after a brief turn in the position on an interim basis following the departure of artistic director Tim Bond, who left to take the reins of Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Sardelli remains at the helm of TheatreWorks, in partnership with executive director Debbie Chinn.
“I have long loved TheatreWorks, and I am excited to continue my work with this thrilling Tony recipient theatre company as its artistic director,” said Sardelli in a statement. “I look forward to stewarding this great organization through its next chapter, leading TheatreWorks in its continued mission to create exhilarating theatre that feeds the soul, celebrates the human spirit, and engages TheatreWorks’ many diverse communities across the Bay Area and beyond.”
A stage director of national renown, Sardelli was spotlighted by The New York Times as one of a new generation of rising female directors sought after by both veteran playwrights and in-demand younger writers. She has closely collaborated on new works with the likes of Tony winner Matthew Lopez (The Inheritance) and Pulitzer finalist Rajiv Joseph, both of whom have also debuted works at TheatreWorks. She has also directed acclaimed productions at theatres in New York and across the country, including the Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Alley Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, and others, as well as many productions at TheatreWorks. Prior to her appointment, Sardelli collaborated with TheatreWorks for more than 15 years, recently serving as its artistic associate and director of new works.
“Giovanna Sardelli is one of the finest directors, and one of the absolute best cultivators of new American plays working in this country right now,” said playwright Rajiv Joseph in a statement. “Scores of playwrights, actors and designers are loyal to her because they trust her vision, her leadership and her artistic soul.”
Said TheatreWorks board chair Mark Greenstein in a statement, “We are elated that Giovanna will become TheatreWorks’ new artistic director. As we considered the future of this incredible theatre, we realized we had the perfect candidate right here, so felt it was expedient to confirm her position. Her long association with the company, her extensive experience, her unique creative vision, and her enthusiasm for the American theatre make her an ideal artistic leader for TheatreWorks.”
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a wide variety of contemporary plays and musicals, revitalizes great works of the past, and serves more than 100,000 patrons per year. Founded in 1970 by Robert Kelley, TheatreWorks has grown from an original Silicon Valley start-up to become one of the nation’s leading professional nonprofit theatre companies. TheatreWorks was honored as the recipient of the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award. As of 2022, its budget was around $7.5 million.
