Breaking News: Des McAnuff to Step Down as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director
June 21st, 2006BroadwayWorld.com reports that Ralph Bryan, President of the Board of Trustees of La Jolla Playhouse today announced that Artistic Director Des McAnuff will not be renewing his contract, scheduled to expire in 2007. He will continue with his current commitments to the Playhouse until April 2007 and will then assume a newly created position as Director Emeritus. This new position will allow McAnuff to pursue other creative opportunities while maintaining his relationship with La Jolla Playhouse.
When asked about his decision to leave the Playhouse, McAnuff, the director this year’s Tony for Best Musical, Jersey Boys, noted,
“This decision has been motivated by both outside opportunities that have recently presented themselves and by my commitments to projects born from my work at La Jolla Playhouse. It is imperative to me as well as to the Playhouse that I honor these obligations to the artists involved. For these professional reasons — and for personal reasons — it has become crucial for me to spend more time in New York.â€
Further information on McAnuff’s artistic plans will be announced in the near future. McAnuff added,
“I consider my role in the rebirth and development of La Jolla Playhouse as the single greatest accomplishment of my career. And I expect that I will always feel that way.”
