THE NEW BOSS IN TOWN

Originally Posted Thursday, May 17, 2007

Though our 2006-2007 season has ended, we at Signature are gearing up to announce the 2007-2008 season and it promises to be an exciting one! Stay tuned for details shortly. Heading up the efforts is our new Executive Director, Erika Mallin. Here's a chance to get to know Erika!:

What drew you to Signature Theatre Company?
I have always loved Signature's work and the mission of the theater -- my mother is a playwright - so I understand and believe in honoring and exploring a writer's body of work. I also have admired Jim as a leader in the industry and believed very much in the philosophy of The Signature Theatre Ticket Initiative. I have long believed that cost was a huge barrier for anyone going to the theater.

What do see as your biggest challenge as Signature's new executive director?
The biggest and most exciting challenge is growing the company to realize its artistic vision by expanding the one writer, one season, to include multiple writers in residency at different levels of their careers.

What are you most excited about in your new role as executive director?
I think there is nothing more exciting than producing great theater and doing it with a terrific staff and incredible writers!

How did you become interested in arts management?
I grew up in the theater and always felt that my strengths were in seeing the big picture and making things happen. Arts management is a perfect fit for me because I get to be a part of making the artistic vision happen, whether that be for a particular show or for the entire institution.

What advice would you give to those interested in arts management?
I think the most important thing one can do is take part in anything available at a particular theater - from production to development, to get a sense of how the business works. I would add, as a former development director, I do think getting development experience is a great way to learn all facets of the business since you must work with artistic, general management, production and marketing to best do your job as a fund raiser and as a spokesperson for the institution.