Second Stage Theater has hired Khady Kamara to serve as the New York company’s executive director, starting September 14 before assuming the role full-time January 4, 2021. Kamara is currently the managing director of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., where she has worked for almost two decades.
“We have a unique opportunity to rebuild and re-imagine our next chapter while ensuring that Second Stage remains an integral part of the New York theatre community at large,” says Kamara. “I’ve advocated for a focused lens on diversity, inclusion, and social justice awareness throughout my 22-year career, and I look forward to being an authentic voice as part of a cultural institution that is actively working to uphold these values.”
Second Stage President and Artistic Director Caroline Rothman said Kamara’s leadership experience and commitment to contemporary American playwrights make her ideal for the role: “It’s a challenging time for theatre, and I am impressed with Khady’s fierce determination to move the institution forward as we start producing again.”While at Arena, Kamara helped with the opening of the Mead Center for American Theater and doubled the non-profit’s subscriber base.
In addition to managing strategic planning efforts with the board of directors, a core focus of Kamara’s career is strengthening community relations and developing new audiences with a focus on diversity and inclusion. She also currently serves as adjunct faculty for the arts management program at George Mason University, EDI co-chair of the League of Resident Theaters, and is a member of the board of directors of Theatre Washington.
Additional recent hires in the New York theatre community:
Off-Broadway's Public Theater Taps Saheem Ali and Shanta Thake as Associate Artistic Directors
Aaron Roman Weiner Named New Artistic Director of LAByrinth Theater Company
New Hires at Dramatists Guild, A.R.T./New York, Theatre Philadelphia, More
