Mo'olelo names New Artistic Director
San Diego, CA (March 3, 2014) -
San Diego's award-winning theatre, Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company,
announced today the selection of Lydia Fort as its new Executive
Artistic Director. Fort is an experienced director in New York with
additional regional directing, teaching and producing experience. She
will join the company in mid-May
Currently, Fort is Assistant Professor at the
City College of New York where she teaches undergraduate theatre
courses. Since joining CCNY, Fort created a number of new theatre
courses and designed an Arts for Social Transformation Program. With a
very strong background in artistic leadership, cultural diversity,
social responsibility and administration, Fort has directed numerous
workshops and readings.
Lydia is currently a Time Warner Foundation
Fellow at the Women's Project Theatre. She was a Drama League Fellow
and a Theatre Communications Group New Generations Future Leaders
Grantee. In addition, Fort was a member of the US delegation to the
2011 International Theatre Institute's World Congress in China.
"Lydia's theatre and administrative
experience, depth of artistic vision and commitment to consensus
organizing is an extraordinary match for Mo`olelo's mission and will
allow us to continue to provide accessible and meaningful theatre
experiences to historically underserved members of our community,"
commented Alison Whitelaw, president of Mo`olelo Performing Arts
Company's Board of Trustees.
In accepting the EAD position, Fort said, "I
am thrilled to be joining Mo`olelo and the San Diego theatre community.
Mo`olelo's vision to integrate community, social issues and diversity
in its work makes it unique. I look forward to the company's upcoming
10th anniversary and helping launch it into its next exciting decade."
The national search committee was led by Jerry Hoffmeister, Board vice
president who stated, "Lydia is a recognized arts leader whose work
experience demonstrates her passion to enrich Mo`olelo's mission of
telling powerful stories with a social-justice consciousness to empower
underrepresented communities in mainstream American theater."
Fort replaces Seema Sueko, co-founder and
former Executive Artistic Director who led the company with great
distinction for the past nine years. She is recognized nationally as a
pioneer in building community outreach and presenting important,
socially-sensitive plays by playwrights of color featuring diverse
artists. Sueko recently joined the Pasadena Playhouse as the Associate
Artistic Director.
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