PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: JANUARY 27, 2017
CONTACT: Michael Glicksman, michael.glicksman@mrt.org
PR CONTACT PHONE: 978-654-7555
BOX OFFICE: 978-654-4678
ONLINE: mrt.org
MERRIMACK REPERTORY THEATRE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEPPING DOWN
National Search for New Executive Launched
Lowell, MA - Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) today announced that Elizabeth Kegley, Executive Director since 2013, is stepping down from her position.
“It has been a true joy to lead MRT for the past three and a half years with the support of such a phenomenal board, staff and community,” Kegley said. “I wish MRT and the community here all the best in the future.”
"It has been a pleasure to work with Elizabeth over the past several years,” said Donald Bedard, president of the MRT Board of Trustees. “Elizabeth embraced the MRT as her family and was dedicated to promoting the theatre to the greater Lowell community. Her efforts and commitment will be missed. We wish her the very best in her future endeavors."
In her time with MRT, Kegley shepherded the company through a transition which included a national search that resulted in the hiring of Sean Daniels as artistic director in 2015. The company has seen increases in single ticket sales and subscriptions, putting four productions in the top 10 for number of tickets sold in the theatre’s history. The company also won its first- and second-ever grants from the National Endowments for the Arts, and returned to the much-coveted list of Edgerton Foundation New Play Award winners. MRT’s community outreach has experienced significant expansion, such as the Community Conversations series and partnerships with area organizations including UTEC, Girls, Inc, Angkor Dance Troupe, UMass Lowell and Middlesex Community College, among others. Additionally, the company recently completed a strategic plan which was approved at the beginning of the current season.
MRT is initiating a national search to identify Kegley’s successor.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) has been Merrimack Valley’s professional theatre company since 1979, and is an integral part of Lowell’s identity as the cultural heart of the region. MRT produces vibrant, contemporary plays that explore what it means to be alive today. A seven-show season runs from September through May in the intimate 279-seat Nancy L. Donahue Theatre. The company is known as a leader in producing new plays, especially world and regional premieres. MRT is one of 72 theaters nationwide (one of three in Massachusetts) with membership in LORT (the League of Resident Theatres).
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