CHICAGO: Chicago Dramatists has announced that Victoria Podesta is the organization’s new executive director. Podesta started her new position on Jan. 1. Prior to her appointment, no one held the position with this title; Carson Grace Becker served as artistic director from 2019 to August 2024, following the death of founder Russ Tutterow.
“I am truly excited at the opportunity to help lead Chicago Dramatists to its next level of success,” Podesta said in a statement. “The commitment to developing and supporting dramatic writers at every stage of their evolution is the lifeblood of this organization, and it is something I support wholeheartedly. It is also something I personally benefitted from, and I am passionate about helping others do the same.”
Podesta is a retired executive and former chief communications officer of a Chicago-based global Fortune 50 company. There she reported to the CEO, served on the five-member executive leadership council, led global teams, and was responsible for reputation management and worldwide communications activities, including advertising, marketing, and brand management; employee, financial, and shareholder communication; media relations; sustainability; community engagement; and corporate giving. She is also a playwright. In 2015, Chicago Dramatists played a key role in helping Podesta develop her one-person show The Designated Daughter, which went on to successful runs in New York and San Francisco.
“Victoria is a playwright with a long history of involvement with Chicago Dramatists and a true love of the organization,” said Chicago Dramatists board chairperson Debra Gilbert Rosenberg in a statement. “Victoria’s passion for theatre and commitment to our mission of playwright development, along with her vast business skills and talent, make her the perfect choice for executive director as Chicago Dramatists works, to strengthen its role as the hub for new-play development in Chicago.”
Founded in 1979, Chicago Dramatists is an organization dedicated to developing and supporting dramatic writers at every stage of their evolution. As of 2022, the theatre had a budget of approximately $300,000.
