Andre Bishop will retire from Lincoln Center Theater in June 2025

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 10:09am

Huge week for the nonprofit Broadway world! He’s put on some stellar shows during his time; but as discussed at length on other threads, this is a much needed change.

“Bishop also plans, before he leaves, to produce new plays by J.T. Rogers and Ayad Akhtar, and a world premiere musical.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxfzACcOz6O/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/22/theater/andre-bishop-lincoln-center-theater.html

Updated On: 9/22/23 at 10:09 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 10:20am

I met him at closing night of WOMEN ON THE VERGE… and he was very kind to awkward teenaged me. I thank him for many years of great Lincoln Center programming

[Kad]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 10:21am

All eyes on MTC’s Lynne Meadow next. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 10:34am

Kad said: "All eyes on MTC’s Lynne Meadow next."

I was about to say... what's in the water this week? 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 10:41am

jkcohen626 said: "Kad said: "All eyes on MTC’s Lynne Meadow next."

I was about to say... what's in the water this week?"

Probably some Frank conversations with board leadership after last season at both theaters, and an encouragement for the ADs to leave on their own terms before they are unceremoniously dumped. 
 

https://youtu.be/1ZOC2mWbxYg?si=1mDUrri1qjFFnvsy

Updated On: 9/22/23 at 10:41 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 10:46am

It says the board is conducting a search for his replacement, but they might as well just bump Bart Sher up to the position.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 10:54am

Call_me_jorge said: "It says the board is conducting a search for his replacement, but they might as well just bump Bart Sher up to the position."

Please no.

He felt like the heir apparent for a while, but his track record has become so spotty. This is also such a big administrative job and someone who wants to be directing and working with artists all day might grow tired of it quickly.

They also have Liliana Blaine Cruz (resident director) and Evan Cabnet (LCT3 AD) as other in-house candidates, and then there’s Paige Evans (inaugural LCT3 AD who now runs Signature - and this would be a natural step for her). Plus a world of outside candidates, or someone from another on-campus organization like Shanta Thake.

If they actually want a new generation of leaders (which Andre said in his statement), they should be looking for someone 50ish or under…not a 64 year old like Bart.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 11:09am

Sher is certainly the obvious pick, having basically defined LCT for nearly twenty years. 
 

But I would love to see Rachel Chavkin in the mix. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 11:25am

I’d love to see some totally out of the box choice lead one of these companies, like an actor or playwright who’s looking to pivot. 2nd Stage makes the most sense because it doesn’t have to be as populist as LCT and RTC — but 2ndSt also doesn’t have a longtime Exec Director or deputy for the new AD to lean on. LCT has Adam Siegel who knows how to make the trains run on time, and Roundabout has Sydney Beers & a team of other management folk.

Updated On: 9/22/23 at 11:25 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 11:32am

It would also be a good opportunity for a member of the crop of rising young producers who have slowly been making inroads on Broadway- Greg Nobile, Rachel Sussman, etc. 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 11:46am

Kad: But I would love to see Rachel Chavkin in the mix. 

Yes please. Another vote for Chavkin.  Let's have Florence's Gatsby at Beaumont.

[NotTheComfyChair]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 12:31pm

Call_me_jorge said: "It says the board is conducting a search for his replacement, but they might as well just bump Bart Sher up to the position."

Dear gods, no!

His directing is getting worse, he has an ego the size of the planet, and his behavior in rehearsal is a lawsuit waiting to happen - I've seen it.

But maybe that's the job description...

[BETTY22]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 12:55pm

I'm excited to see who replaces him.....

[aislestorm2]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 1:02pm

How about Michael Arden?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 2:49pm

Kad said: "It would also be a good opportunity for a member of the crop of rising young producers who have slowly been making inroads on Broadway- Greg Nobile, Rachel Sussman, etc."

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more someone like them or Paige Evans or Jenny Gersten (a sweet homecoming) makes the most sense to me. People with experience running a full nonprofit theatre, not just a branch of one like Lear D at Encores or Evan C at LCT3.

Anecdotally, there are a lot of artistic directors who quickly get tired of the politicking and gladhanding and budgeting that comes with running an institution, when they want to be spending most of their time artist-whispering, developing new work, directing, etc.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 2:52pm

jkcohen626 said: "Kad said: "All eyes on MTC’s Lynne Meadow next."

I was about to say... what's in the water this week?"

 

They are all OLD time to just retire people! 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 4:44pm

Call_me_jorge said: "It says the board is conducting a search for his replacement, but they might as well just bump Bart Sher up to the position."

 

Maybe 30 years ago -- but Sher is already 65.  They need someone who is NOT in AARP yet!

 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 5:58pm

Kad said: "It would also be a good opportunity for a member of the crop of rising young producers who have slowly been making inroads on Broadway- Greg Nobile, Rachel Sussman, etc."

usually artistic directors have a history of being um directors....

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 6:11pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "usually artistic directors have a history of being um directors...."

The unique thing about Andre Bishop and Todd Haimes is that they don't have a background as directors. Carole Rothman hasn't directed in years. Lynn Meadow is the only one of the Broadway artistic directors who actively directs, and even she only directs every few years.

Having an eye for season planning, nurturing talent, and big interesting ideas that attract ticketbuyers/funding is much much much more important than a background in directing. And sometimes if a noted director steps away from directing full-time to run a company, they get the itch to leave and return to being a freelance director.

Updated On: 9/22/23 at 06:11 PM

[whatever2]

Posted: 9/22/23 at 7:53pm

> Maybe 30 years ago -- but Sher is already 65.  They need someone who is NOT in AARP yet!

I joined AARP at 50. :)

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 9/23/23 at 2:58am

aislestorm2 said: "How about Michael Arden?"

I don't see Chavkin at all but someone like Arden makes sense. You need someone who can do creative work within the system and leverage some degree of star casting even if LCT does have subscribers. The argument for picturing a business person over a creative makes sense, especially if they're looking to lock someone in for a long tenure, so it might not be a director.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/23/23 at 9:32am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "BoringBoredBoard40 said: "usually artistic directors have a history of being um directors...."

The unique thing about Andre Bishop and Todd Haimes is that they don't have a background as directors. Carole Rothman hasn't directed in years. Lynn Meadow is the only one of the Broadway artistic directors who actively directs, and even she only directs every few years.

Having an eye for season planning, nurturing talent, and big interesting ideas that attract ticketbuyers/funding is much much much more important than a background in directing.And sometimes if a noted director steps away from directing full-time to run a company, they get the itch to leave and return to being a freelance director."

Yes, ADs are often directors but not exclusively. Actors, playwrights, and even casting directors (MCC was co-founded and is still run by Bernie Telsey) have all successfully served as ADs. The role itself is arguably closest to a producer than anything else. 

[UWS10023]

Posted: 9/23/23 at 4:40pm

I find the AARP comments to be a bit rude. There are a lot of brilliant people who are working in the theatre at a ripe old age. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 9/23/23 at 7:04pm

UWS10023 said: "I find the AARP comments to be a bit rude. There are a lot of brilliant people who are working in the theatre at a ripe old age."

Agree.  For me it is a bit less about the age of the person and more about their connection to current tastes and audience preferences, as well as their overall capabilities for the job they have to do.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/23/23 at 9:20pm

JasonC3 said: "UWS10023 said: "I find the AARP comments to be a bit rude. There are a lot of brilliant people who are working in the theatre at a ripe old age."

Agree. For me it is a bit less about the age of the person and more about their connection to current tastes and audience preferences, as well as their overall capabilities for the job they have to do."

Correct. We've seen innumerable people do brilliant things over the age of 70, but this is a conversation about bringing new, fresh blood and different perspectives into an organization that has been run by the same person for 33 of its 40 years and has had diminishing returns in the past several years (artistically and financially).