HOUSTON, TX – The Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) Board of Directors announced today a national search to select a permanent Artistic Director.
The official launch of the search comes nearly one year after Sheldon Epps joined the TUTS family as Artistic Advisor. Under his guidance the company has deepened its commitment to artistic excellence, diversity, and creative integrity.
In June of 2016, Epps suggested a bold move replacing half of the 2016-17 Season with a new slate of culturally and artistically diverse shows. During the first half of the season, TUTS has continued to elevate its artistic excellence and programmatic range with recent productions of IN THE HEIGHTS, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, and INTO THE WOODS.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Chair Amy Pierce says, ” As we look forward to celebrating our upcoming 50th anniversary, we are thrilled to officially launch the search for a role that is so vital to all aspects of the organization. We are incredibly grateful to have been blessed with the genius of Sheldon Epps to guide us through the transition; relying on the strong foundation he has built to propel us into the future.”
Sheldon Epps says, “I am so very proud of the work that we have done together and ALL that we have accomplished in a very short amount of time that has led to a remarkable season at TUTS. I am happy to continue with TUTS in my current capacity at least until that anniversary date, and have been pleased to supervise the planning for the upcoming season. All of this has been greatly rewarding. It was always my intention to spend a limited amount of time at the theatre, to make a strong impact, and then to leave it in the hands of new leaders who are able to commit to a sustained and long term life with the theatre. I am thrilled that one step has been taken in that direction with the wise decision to bring Hillary Hart on as Executive Director. I am even happier that the current healthy artistic state of the art at TUTS will bring many strong candidates forward for the AD position in the very near future.”
Hillary Hart says, “We are immensely grateful to Sheldon for his leadership during the last year. TUTS and the greater Houston community have benefited from his conscientious and palpably impactful influence on our programming; firmly establishing the foundation for what will be an incredible future for TUTS. We are positioned to engage artists and artistic visionaries of the highest caliber as we continue our work to meaningfully deepen the relationship of TUTS in the region and nationally.”
The search is being conducted by AlbertHall&Associates. The full-service consulting and executive recruiting firm specializes in the non-profit arts sector. They also handled the search for newly appointed Executive Director, Hillary Hart.
Inquiries and potential candidates should direct all communication to tuts-search@alberthallassociates.com.
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital is the official healthcare partner of Theatre Under The Stars, and the Season Sponsor of the 2016-17 Season. United Airlines is the official airline partner of Theatre Under The Stars. KTRK ABC-13 is the official media partner of Theatre Under The Stars.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.tuts.com. Theatre Under The Stars is Houston’s leading Musical Theatre since 1968, with a focus on education and community engagement. TUTS is a 501c3 Non Profit Organization that relies on the generous support of our donors to deliver first-rate theatre experiences.
Founded in 1972, the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT), the nationally-recognized educational wing of Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS), offers the only technique-based musical theatre training program in the Houston area. HSMT educates and develops musical theatre students of all ages and is fully committed to providing our community with the very best in performing arts education. Focusing on the principle of process over product, students learn the fundamentals of musical theater performance through year-round courses, productions, workshops, and master classes, all geared toward equipping students with the tools they need to be successful in musical theatre and in life. Visit TUTS.com/hsmt for more information