WASHINGTON, D.C.: After less than a month as executive director of Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC), Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg has announced that she will return to her previous job in the same position at Studio Theatre. STC will begin a new search for an executive director, effective immediately. Studio Theatre, which was still in the early stages of the search for new leadership, welcomed her back when the decision was made that she would not remain at STC.
Ende Lichtenberg made the decision to step down in order to resolve issues arising from working alongside her husband, Dr. Drew Lichtenberg, associate director at STC. In an email to the STC staff and board, she shared in part: “After taking some leave to support my husband during a personal crisis, we reached the incredibly difficult conclusion that the only way forward is for us not to work together. Although leaving STC is a deep disappointment, returning to Studio is a bright spot during a challenging time. I’m grateful that they have welcomed me back, and I’m looking forward to picking back up with the staff and board, and continuing to support the incredible work in its intimate spaces. I have no doubt that there are amazing things ahead for STC, and I’ll always be a fan and supporter of the company.”
Anita Antenucci, the chair of STC’s board of directors Chair, said in a statement, “I support Rebecca and respect her decision to put her family first in this way. Everyone at STC wishes her and Drew all the best.”
“Studio is pleased to welcome Rebecca back with open arms,” says David Muse, artistic director of Studio Theatre, in a statement. “Her absence has been keenly felt by the staff, the board, and the entire Studio staff. We wish our friends at STC the best as they work to replace her and are confident that someone great will eagerly join them soon.”
STC’s search for a new executive director will be led by the Arts Consulting Group, under the direction of Antenucci and a committee of the board of directors. Susie Medak, a 32-year veteran of Berkeley Repertory who has acted as STC’s interim executive director since June 2023, will continue in that position.
Shakespeare Theatre Company is a Tony-winning company that aims to tell stories that are Shakespearean in the deepest sense, even if they are not written by Shakespeare. As of 2022, the theatre’s budget was around $20.2 million. Studio Theatre is a longstanding Washington cultural institution dedicated to the production of contemporary theatre for more than 40 years. As of 2022, its budget was around $6.3 million.
