Marin Shakespeare Company Welcomes Jon Tracy as Artistic Director
SAN RAFAEL, CA – Marin Shakespeare Company is excited to welcome Bay Area theatre-maker Jon Tracy as their new Artistic Director. Jon, who joined Managing Director Lesley Currier last year to produce the critically acclaimed summer season at the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, will lead the artistic vision for a company that is expanding to year-long programming at both the Amphitheatre and the Company’s new 165-seat indoor theatre at 514 Fourth Street in downtown San Rafael.
“I first met Jon when he was an up-and-coming Bay Area Director,” says Founding Managing Director Lesley Currier. “He was exceptional then, and he’s even more seasoned now. Jon is one of the most visionary and inspiring leaders on the Bay Area theatre scene. I’m thrilled to have him as a partner as Marin Shakespeare enters this new phase of its life, with the new indoor theatre venue.”
Jon works internationally as an art and culture producer for theatre and film. A director, playwright, designer, educator, and facilitator, he has worked with such companies as SF Playhouse, Aurora Theatre Company, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, American Conservatory Theater, and the Napa, Marin, Carmel, Tahoe Shakespeare festivals. Jon is the recipient of awards from the Kennedy Center, North Bay Artys, Marquee Journalists, Ellys, Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, and Theatre Bay Area, and has also been honored with the Solano College Theatre Alumni Award. He is a grant recipient from Theatre Bay Area, Shotgun Players’ Bridging the Gap, SUI Generis, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He recently completed a five year leadership position with TheatreFIRST commissioning and developing the work of over fifty playwrights. Jon is a current Company Member of both Shotgun Players and PlayGround, and a proud member of SDC, the union for stage directors and choreographers.
One of Tracy’s first initiatives is forming a team of Associate Artists that include Bay Area artists Aejay Mitchell, Cathleen Riddley, Elena Wright, Joey Pagaduan, Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Michael Torres, Nick Musleh, Nina Ball, and Stevie DeMott. The ensemble will be instrumental in guiding the continued evolution of the company. Says Tracy, “We have very ambitious plans for the future. It is vital that this future be navigated by this brilliant ensemble who can envision an artistic home for all.”
Another exciting initiative is Open Access, one of Jon’s ground-breaking ideas. Open Access opens the new theater to artists three days a week, providing a free space for writing, rehearsing, reflecting, and having an artistic home. Jon says: “if we are going to build a new theater and call it a community center, our doors better be open to you in an unprecedented way.”
That’s just the beginning. Learn about MSC’s full vision by attending their first annual Gala at 514 Fourth Street. The Gala will take place on Sunday, December 3 from 5 – 7 pm, with food, drinks, entertainment and the 2024 summer season and many, many surprises.
“Marin Shakespeare Company is entering a new era,” says Currier. “Jon Tracy is the perfect fit to honor the past and reimagine the future.”
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