For immediate release: July 8, 2008
PlayMakers names Hannah Grannemann Managing Director
CHAPEL HILL – PlayMakers Repertory Company, the professional theatre in residence in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences, has named Hannah Grannemann its new Managing Director. She will helm the theatre’s administrative organization and work closely with Producing Artistic Director Joseph Haj as the theatre company continues its exciting expansion in programming and community outreach.
Previously, Grannemann held key positions with two of the nation’s preeminent theatre companies. She.was the Associate Managing Director of Yale Repertory Theatre, in New Haven, Connecticut. She also served as Associate Producer of the opening events for the new Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Before that she was an Associate Consultant at C.W. Shaver & Company, Inc., a New York firm specializing in nonprofit management and fundraising for performing and visual arts organizations. She worked with New York Stage & Film and Snug Harbor Productions, and with Active Eye, where she was Associate Producer, then Managing Director. Grannemann holds an MFA in Theater Management from Yale School of Drama and an MBA from Yale School of Management.
Grannemann says undertaking the administrative leadership of PlayMakers appeals to her sense of purpose for a theatre institution. “Working with Joe Haj and the staff at PlayMakers is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of creating a rich theatre experience for our community and artists that will have significant, positive impact on their lives. I’m delighted to join the UNC and Triangle communities.”
Victoria Nolan, Managing Director of Yale Repertory Theatre, describes working with Hannah as a joy. “She is thoughtful, kind and very smart,” says Nolan. “Hannah will be an active and collegial citizen, which will serve PlayMakers, UNC, Chapel Hill, and the many exciting artists that she and Joe Haj will introduce to North Carolina audiences.”
Thomas C. Proehl, Administrative Director of San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater was Managing Director of the Guthrie Theatre when Grannemann served there. Proehl says, “Hannah Grannemann is an accomplished and dedicated arts leader with an interest in and talent for engaging community. She will be an important voice in building new partnerships within PlayMakers, as well as the theater community at large – playwrights, directors, arts administrators and patrons. PlayMakers has made a great choice!”
“Hannah brings so many talents to this job: a deep commitment to the theatre, attention to organizational detail, the ability to assess strengths and weaknesses quickly and accurately, and a love for the direction in which PlayMakers is heading. We are thrilled to have her join us as a member of our team” says Joseph Haj, PlayMakers’ Producing Artistic Director.
PlayMakers contact: Connie Mahan, (919) 428-1744, cmahan@email.unc.edu
College of Arts and Sciences contact: Kim Spurr (919) 962-4093, spurrk@email.unc.edu