Lear deBessonet has been named the new artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater, and will succeed André Bishop when he completes his 33-year tenure with the company in June 2025 as previously announced. Also joining the company's leadership team is Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher, who will serve in the newly created role of executive producer.
Bishop announced his planned departure in 2023, becoming part of a trend of leadership changes at major NYC theatres that also has included Second Stage Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, HERE Arts Center, New York Theatre Workshop, Classic Stage Company, and Signature Theatre Company. Lincoln Center Theater operates one Broadway house, the Vivian Beaumont, and two Off-Broadway theatres.
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“It is the deepest honor of my professional life to serve as the next artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater, following the astonishing legacy of André Bishop,” says deBessonet in a statement. “From the moment I first stepped onto the campus at Lincoln Center, I felt a sense of awe and magic. From thrilling, important new plays and new musicals to exquisite revivals and revelatory explorations of the classics, I have experienced LCT as a place where intellectual rigor can live alongside wonder, imagination, and beauty. I believe the theatre is a space for the creation and restoration of community—and it is my intention in this job is to be of service to the mission and boundless possibilities of LCT, to our city, and to the field. I am thrilled to work alongside my dear friend Bartlett Sher, whose artistry and vision have profoundly affected my work as a director, and the extraordinary board and staff of Lincoln Center Theater to lead this theatre into its next chapter of great success.”
“Lincoln Center Theater is one of the most important theatres in America, and it has been led brilliantly by André Bishop leaving a legacy of exceptional quality and enormous strength,” adds Sher. “At the same time, theatre has never been more important to our culture for building discourse, engagement, and community. Our magnificent theatre spaces combined with our fantastic staff have led to profound and lasting work in the heart of New York and our nation. Lear deBessonet is an incredible artist and leader, and I am deeply honored to collaborate with her as she guides Lincoln Center Theater into a transformative future.”
DeBessonet's appointment marks her first work with LCT, and follows a brief tenure as artistic director of New York City Center Encores! While leading that company, two Encores! productions have transferred to Broadway, both directed by deBessonet: Into the Woods and Once Upon a Mattress, the latter currently running at the Hudson Theatre. DeBessonet earned a 2023 Tony nomination for her work on Into the Woods.
Sher comes into this official role after helming such LCT productions as The Light in the Piazza, Awake and Sing, South Pacific, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, The King and I, Oslo, My Fair Lady, and Camelot. Sher is currently directing the company's McNeal, which opens in LCT's Vivian Beaumont Theater September 30 starring Robert Downey, Jr. in his Broadway debut.
In deBessonet and Sher's collaboration, deBessonet will lead programming and season planning, artist relationships, and day-to-day operations. Sher will have oversight on the development of international partnerships, brand expansion, and an expansion of fundraising.
"Lincoln Center Theater has thrived throughout our 40-year history because of our incredible programming, gifted leadership, and talented staff,” says Board Chair Kewsong Lee. “After a comprehensive search, we are thrilled to name Lear as our new artistic director and look forward to her leadership in taking LCT into the future. Having been with us for 20 years, Bart’s impact on LCT is unparalleled, and his extensive experiences throughout the industry will be invaluable as this organization moves into its next era of growth.” Lee further added, “On behalf of the Board, let me thank from the bottom of our hearts our beloved André Bishop. He is truly special, and we are grateful for his artistry and leadership. LCT would not be where we are without him. Our mission continues to be bringing exceptional theatre to life, and Lear and Bart will do just that at LCT, as both have had enormous success in introducing new and innovative productions, refreshing and reimagining classic works, and energizing and captivating audiences around the world."
The search was assisted by Isaacson Miller.
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