KANSAS CITY, MO.: On April 3, Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KCRep) announced that Jeremy Dewey has been selected as the new executive director, effective June 1. Dewey is currently the chief of staff at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He will succeed Angela Gieras, who served as executive director from 2013 until 2024, when she departed to assume the role of executive director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.
“It is an incredible honor to join Kansas City Repertory Theatre, a premier cultural institution with a powerful history of artistic excellence and community impact,” Dewey said in a statement. “As someone who has dedicated my career to ensuring the arts reflect the community’s lived experience, I’m inspired by KCRep’s ability to bring people together through compelling storytelling and transformative experiences. I look forward to collaborating with the talented staff, artists, board, and community partners to build on that foundation and shape an ambitious, inclusive future for the theatre and the greater Kansas City region.”
As executive director, Dewey will oversee strategic management, operational oversight, and external relations to ensure the theatre’s success and sustainability. He will work collaboratively with artistic director Stuart Carden to support all artistic programming and initiatives at KCRep. Carden said the company is fortunate to have Dewey join due to his experience at large and small organizations.
“A Midwesterner at heart, Jeremy is an in-service leader who centers connection and community,” Carden said in a statement. “With extensive experience in change management and strategic planning, Jeremy is an inspiring leader in this moment of generational change for KCRep.”
“Jeremy’s intellect, experience and knowledge of the performing arts will serve our organization well, as [we] move forward towards our next exciting chapter,” said KCRep’s board of directors chair Andrew Kaplan in a statement. “[We] know we have a winning leadership team to lead KCRep into the future as we work to fulfill our ongoing mission of providing transformative theatre in the Kansas City community.”
At the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Dewey guides senior executives in the implementation of their strategic five-year institutional vision of impact, growth, and sustainability. He also provides oversight for key initiatives, including a transformative $15 million renovation of the BAMRose Cinemas. He is the founder and senior impact advisor of Dewey Impact Group, a consulting group dedicated to empowering cultural and educational organizations to dream ambitiously, design strategically, and deliver meaningful change. The group has supported leading institutions, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, National Dance Institute, The Metropolitan Opera, the National Blues Museum, and the 92nd Street Y. He co-founded Trusty Sidekick Theater Company, a New York City-based ensemble specializing in original theatrical experiences for young audiences and families.
Other experience includes roles as director of project management and strategic planning at BAM, senior director of development and finance at the Center of Creative Arts in St. Louis, and roles at New York City Ballet, executive search firm DHR International, and Kansas Audio-Reader Network. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Kansas, and earned dual master’s degrees in Business Administration and Arts Administration from Southern Methodist University. Raised on a farm in Kansas, he has a lifelong love of gardening and the outdoors, which shaped his appreciation for patience, care, and growth—values that continue to inform his creative and professional work.
Celebrating 60 years in operation, Kansas City Repertory Theatre has as its mission to inspire, entertain, and open minds by creating transformative theatre experiences for all. The theatre produces classics and world premieres on two mainstages, in unique spaces, and throughout the community. As of 2023, their operating budget is around $5.8 million.
