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Jonathan Silverstein to Step Down as Artistic Director of Off-Broadway’s Keen Company
Silverstein has held the position since 2012.
Jonathan Silverstein
Jonathan Silverstein
will step down as artistic director of Off-Broadway’s Keen Company following the completion of the
2024–2025 season.
Silverstein, who has held the position for the past 12 years
starting in 2012, said in a statement, “For the past 12 years, it has been a joy and privilege to lead
Keen Company. When I first took over from founding Artistic Director
Carl Forsman, I had three goals in mind: bring musicals to our stage,
develop and produce new work, and cultivate greater diversity both on
and off stage. I am proud to say I have taken great strides in all three
areas, while at the same time fostering a community where joy is
paramount, and all are welcome. Over the past several years, Keen has
showcased an ever-widening breadth of stories, so it seems only fitting
that I now hand the reins to a new leader who will further define Keen’s
unique mission into its next quarter century. Personally, I look
forward to other challenges and opportunities outside of Keen including
focusing on my directing and teaching work.”
“I
fell in love with Keen Company, its mission, and Jonny Silverstein
several years ago doing a play for them and have had a wonderful time
serving on their Board and supporting Jonathan’s vision for Keen,” actor, director, and board member Marsha Mason said in a statement.
“Jonny
personifies Keen Company ethos—he’s a passionate, insightful leader
genuinely interested in connecting with audiences and artists. He made
Keen Company a much-needed home for intimate musicals; the roster
of artists who have graced the Keen’s stage is a testament to his talent,
vision, and the importance of Keen’s work. I know Jonny will carry that
Keen spirit with him wherever his next chapter takes him,” added composer Adam Gwon.
Playwright and board member Chisa Hutchinson stated, “Jonny
is a star. Not in the celebrity way, but in the sense that he’s got a
gravitational pull, keeps people orbiting, and both warms and lights up
entire worlds. So, if you ask me how I feel about him leaving Keen, you
could understand why I’ll miss him and why I feel like my world is
dimming a little.”
During his 12 seasons, Silverstein has produced revivals from a
diverse roster of playwrights, including Pearl Cleage, Brian Friel, A.R.
Gurney, Jonathan Larsen, Lynn Nottage, and Stephen Sondheim, as well as
world premieres by Courtney Baron, Kia Corthron, Kenny Finkle, Chisa
Hutchinson, and Anna Ziegler. Some of his directing credits throughout
his tenure also include The Year of Magical Thinking (starring Kathleen Chalfant), tick, tick…. BOOM!, Ordinary Days (Drama League nomination), John and Jen (starring Kate Baldwin), A Walk in the Woods (starring Kathleen Chalfant), and Marry Me a Little (Drama Desk nomination).
Keen’s Board of Directors are currently working to launch an
extensive search and hiring process for a new artistic Director to begin
in 2025. More news about the company’s upcoming 2024-2025 season will also be announced soon.
Silverstein is the latest artistic director in New York City to step down from their position running a theatre, a sign of a large generational shift currently occurring in the city’s theatrical landscape. He follows the departures of leaders at Roundabout Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop, Second Stage Theatre, and many others.
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