announced today that producing director Ryan Rilette is departing the company at the end of the month to become the producing artistic director of Round House Theatre in Bethesda and Silver Spring, Maryland.
Sandra Weingart, who has been with MTC as interim finance director and an administrative consultant, takes over as interim managing director. The company's board plans to conduct a national search for a permanent successor.
"This is a very bittersweet moment for MTC and me,” Jasson Minadakis, MTC's artistic director, said in a statement. “Ryan and I had talked for years about running a company together and the resulting partnership here at MTC has been both a prosperous and joyous one.”
During Rilette’s four-and-a-half-year tenure at MTC, the theater increased revenue from $1.8M in 2008 to a projected $3.2M in 2012. MTC also expanded to six main stage productions each season, established an off-site scene shop, created a $500,000 reserve fund and ended every season with a profit.
Rilette also directed the theater’s world premieres of by Steve Yockey and Magic Forest Farm by Zayd Dohrn, the West Coast premiere of by Tarell Alvin McCraney and the regional premiere of Boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, as well as productions of by David Lindsay-Abaire and , which is playing now through June 24 in MTC’s Boyer Theatre.
“MTC’s strong financial position owes much to Ryan’s strategic vision, including his creation of the finance director position – when our growth warranted – and hiring Sandra as its first occupant,” Board President Brian Haughton said.
Weingart has 19 years of marketing, finance, strategy and operations experience from technology, media and nonprofit organizations. Before consulting for MTC, she served Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley for six seasons, including more than three years as its managing director.
