Casey York has been appointed managing director of Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons, succeeding Leslie Marcus, who announced the end of her 30-year tenure with the company late last year.
York comes to the company after serving as managing director of Ars Nova, but the move is actually a homecoming. York began her theatrical career at Playwrights in 2010 as a marketing resident, ultimately rising to become associate general manager from 2011 to 2014. In her new role, York will oversee the company's business, administrative, and operational management.
“I’m humbled and delighted to join the leadership of Playwrights Horizons, one of our nation’s cultural treasures, and to build on Leslie Marcus’ exemplary 30-year legacy," says York in a statement. "The opportunity to return home to Playwrights as the next managing director in this pivotal moment for our industry is an honor beyond words. My four years in the Marketing and General Management departments at Playwrights prepared me to spread my wings and make a meaningful impact at Ars Nova over the last decade. I feel immensely grateful for my time at Ars Nova, an organization that supports the kind of form-pushing, genre-bending artist that has made me excited to come to work each morning. There, I’ve been fortunate to have earned my stripes doing what I love with some of the kindest and most innovative people in the business, including Jason Eagan and Renee Blinkwolt and Ars Nova’s unbelievable Board of Trustees. I’ve devoted my whole career to supporting and advocating for new Off-Broadway theatre in NYC, and I’m so excited to work with Adam Greenfield, the Playwrights Horizons Board, and the organization’s incredible, hard-working staff toward the advancement of visionary playwrights and theatre-makers and the field.”
York's appointment comes at a momentous time for the company, which developed and premiered 2024 Best Play Tony winner Stereophonic before its Broadway transfer, and Michael R. Jackson's Teeth, which is headed for a commercial Off-Broadway transfer later this year.
Tom O'Connor Consulting Group led the nationwide search for the position, prioritizing candidates with a commitment to writers and theatre artists, and an understanding of how institutions can support them in difficult periods.
York is also the president of the Off-Broadway League, a role she's held since 2020.
“In this time of seismic change in the economy and culture of theatre, I feel inspired by Casey York's vision—not just for the financial and artistic well-being of Playwrights Horizons, but for the role that theatre plays in a vibrant and healthy city," adds Artistic Director Adam Greenfield. "On a more personal note, I'm delighted by Casey's return to Playwrights. She and I started up here around the same time, some 15 years ago, both at the beginning of our careers. As Playwrights Horizons faces a new chapter, an inflection point both inside and outside our theatre's walls, we are lucky to be equipped with the strength and solidity of Leslie Marcus' longtime leadership—and with the creativity and might of Casey York's.”
The company's upcoming 2024-2025 season includes world premieres from Ryan J. Haddad, Jordan Harrison, Sarah Mantell, and more.
