KAREN WOOD NAMED LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE MANAGING DIRECTOR

Following an extensive, six month nationwide search, The Laguna Playhouse announced today that Karen Wood has been appointed as The Playhouse’s managing director. Wood, who was previously managing director of the San Diego Repertory Theatre for seven years, will assume her duties at The Playhouse on February 4, 2008. She succeeds Richard Stein, who resigned as executive director in June 2007.

The announcement was made by Andrew Donchak, president of The Laguna Playhouse board of directors.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I am very pleased to welcome Karen Wood to the Laguna Playhouse,” said Donchak. “We interviewed many fine candidates from across the country and were tremendously impressed by Karen’s experience, talent and passion for theatre. The Laguna Playhouse has developed an enviable reputation as one of the leading professional nonprofit theatres in the U.S. We are confident that Karen will help lead the Playhouse to new heights in the years to come.”

Executive search firm services were provided by Jessica Andrews and Jim Volz of Consultants for the Arts, who helped select and evaluate numerous candidates along with Laguna Playhouse Search Committee Chair Richard Schweickert, Andrew Donchak, board members Sindi Schwarz and Laura Rohl, and Playhouse artistic director Andrew Barnicle.

Barnicle commented: “I am thrilled to be able to partner with Karen as we enter an era of new growth at the Laguna Playhouse. Her experience and personality make her an ideal choice for this position. She has proven in all of her endeavors to be a distinguished administrator who also understands and loves artists and the art of theatre. During the search process, the word most often used in connection with her was ‘integrity.’”

Prior to her tenure with the San Diego Repertory Theatre, Wood’s career in the arts included serving as managing director of The Music Center Education Division in Los Angeles, general manager of the John Anson Ford Theatre through the County Arts Commission of Los Angeles, and general manager of the Mark Taper Forum/Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles.

"I am delighted to be joining in the leadership of The Laguna Playhouse,” said Wood. “Andy Barnicle's depth of experience and strong creative spirit, coupled with the board of directors’ scope of knowledge and passion for The Playhouse, are inspiring. In this new collaboration, it will be my heartfelt desire and joy to help build on the heritage of this cultural treasure. Together with the board, I look forward to the process of exploring and creating a path for growth that will deepen our service to the local and regional community and continue our commitment to the enhancement of the field nationally. I am so pleased to have this opportunity to join the extraordinary team at The Laguna Playhouse and the lovely community of Laguna Beach."

ABOUT LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE
Founded in 1920, the Laguna Playhouse is one of the oldest continuously-operating theatres on the West Coast, and has evolved from an amateur theater into a professional venue that is now a member of League of Resident Theatres (LORT), a prestigious body of the nation's largest non-profit professional theatres. The Playhouse is also a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group, the national organization of American professional theatre.

More than 100,000 theatergoers annually attend performances at the Laguna Playhouse. Noted for its Youth Theater, Education and Community Outreach programs, the Playhouse’s continued growth, expansion, artistic excellence, audience popularity and critical acclaim have helped make it one of Southern California's most important nonprofit theatre companies. Annual budget now stands at more than $6 million.