The League of Resident Theatres (LORT) has named four new officers to the organization’s board of directors. Debby Buchholz was named board president, while Maggie Boland and Rebecca Hopkins were elected vice presidents. Brandon Kahn was named secretary and Suzanne Sweeney was elected treasurer. All took office beginning on May 3.
LORT represents regional and nonprofit theater companies across the U.S., and acts as the collective bargaining agent for these venues as they negotiate contracts with the various theatrical unions representing actors, stage managers, directors, choreographers and designers.
“It is truly an honor to lead this phenomenal association of preeminent not-for-profit theaters from across the country at this important moment for the American theater,” said Buchholz in a statement. “I look forward to working with my fellow LORT managers and our labor partners to continue and build upon the positive working relationships that we have developed together over the past many years.”
Buchholz is the managing director of La Jolla PLayhouse in San Diego, California; she first joined in 2002 as the organization’s general manager.
Boland, the managing director of Arlington, Virginia’s Signature Theatre, previously worked at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.
Hopkins has served as the managing director of Florida Ensemble Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, for over two decades.
The general manager of Houston’s Alley Theatre since 2018, Kahn previously worked as stage manager on the 2009 Broadway revival of “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and the 2009 Main Stem mounting of “Mary Stuart.”
Sweeney has enjoyed a 26-year tenure with Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis. She currently serves as the company’s managing director.
Other members of LORT’s board include Jennifer Bielstein, Diana Brown, John Collins, Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., Kit Ingui, James McNeel, Janet Mullet, Tom Parrish, Mike Schleifer, Florie Seery, Timothy J. Shields, Jenny Slattery and Nausica Stergiou. Additionally, Jessica Niebanck and Adam Siegel, general manager and managing director, respectively, of Broadway’s Lincoln Center Theater (LCT) serve on the board.
In addition to LCT, Broadway’s other nonprofit theater companies are all LORT members: Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company and Second Stage Theater.
