Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), one of the nonprofit organizations operating on Broadway, has revealed two final additions to its executive leadership team. Maria Manuela Goyanes has been named artistic director of LCT3 and will also take on the role of producer, and Mike Schleifer will join LCT as managing director. The pair will begin with LCT in the 2025-2026 season.
These appointments mark the last of a slew of new leadership appointments at LCT. Tony Award nominee Lear deBessonet was recently named artistic director of LCT, succeeding the nonprofit’s longtime leader André Bishop, who will step down in June, while Tony winner Bartlett Sher was named executive director and Nicole Kastrinos was named producer. They will join leadership that includes executive director of development and planning Naomi Grabel.
In her role at the helm of LCT3, Goyanes will oversee the expansion of the program dedicated to producing new works by a new generation of theater artists and developing new audiences. LCT3 will continue its programming at the organization’s Claire Tow Theater, but will expand to use spaces both physically within and outside LCT. The use of the Claire Tow will expand beyond just the programming of LCT3, hosting events, concerts and comedy shows. Additionally, Goyanes will lead other select projects within LCT.
Goyanes recently served as artistic director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., helming the organization while it mounted “A Strange Loop” prior to its Tony Award-winning Broadway run. During her time at Woolly, Goyanes was named one of the 150 most powerful women in Washington, D.C. in 2022 and 2023 by the Washingtonian. Before joining Woolly, Goyanes held a 14-year tenure at the Public Theater, serving as director of producing and artistic planning.
“The Claire Tow Theater, perched atop Lincoln Center Theater, is a jewel box — a brave space for vulnerability and courage in close proximity,” Goyanes said in a statement. “I am deeply humbled to build upon the foundation of magnificent new work at LCT3, stewarded by two brilliant minds—Evan Cabnet and, before him, Paige Evans. I know Lear thinks as expansively about theater as I do, and I'm thrilled to join such an illustrious team to help bring her remarkable vision to life while also creating my own for LCT3.”
“Maria Goyanes’ electric energy and passion for new voices will be transformative for LCT3,” said deBessonet and Sher in a joint statement. “A specialist in imaginative producing, she knows how to create an environment that welcomes adventure and new ideas. Her extraordinary vision will elevate LCT3 as a dynamic space for bold, fresh storytelling.”
Schleifer will oversee LCT’s finances and operations on both a day-to-day and longterm basis. Schleifer will collaborate with LCT’s board and artistic and executive directors to match strategic planning with artistic goals, in addition to liaising between the organization and the various theater unions. Schleifer will also be tasked with seeking out and developing new revenue opportunities, as well as building a collaborative, innovative and diverse culture within LCT.
Schleifer has spent the past 11 years as the managing director for the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, where he oversaw the organization’s operational, marketing, financial, fundraising and shared services activities. In leading the administrative and producing teams on over 100 productions, Schleifer helped shepherd four productions to Broadway including 2024 Best Musical Tony Award nominee “Water for Elephants” and the current “Maybe Happy Ending.”
“I am truly honored to join Lincoln Center Theater as its new Managing Director,” Schleifer said. “This institution represents the pinnacle of artistic excellence and creativity, built on the foundational legacy of André Bishop and Adam Siegel, whose vision and leadership set the standard for extraordinary theater and artistic integrity. I am especially eager to partner in this new chapter with Lear deBessonet and Bartlett Sher, whose visionary artistic leadership inspires bold storytelling and deep community engagement. Together, we will build on this remarkable legacy while exploring new ways to engage audiences and support the next generation of artists onstage and off.”
“Mike Schleifer has exceeded every expectation of what a managing director can accomplish,” added deBessonet and Sher. “With deep experience across both the nonprofit and commercial Broadway realms, he has a unique ability to balance the health, stability, and growth of an organization. His leadership is front-footed, whip-smart and wise, with a contagious spirit that uplifts everyone around him. Mike’s vision and expertise make him an invaluable partner as we look toward the future of LCT, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him by our side.”
LCT’s current offerings include the upcoming production of Adam Guettel and Tina Landau’s “Floyd Collins,” in its inaugural Main Stem bow, as well as the current Off-Broadway revival of Henrik Ibsen’s “Ghosts,” in a new adaptation by Mark O’Rowe.
