Shannon A. Jones (Courtesy/TheatreSquared)TheatreSquared’s search for a new leader is complete.
Officials on Thursday announced Shannon A. Jones as the theatre company’s new executive director.
Jones has been with TheatreSquared since 2014, and has served as an assistant stage manager, production stage manager, associate producer, and most recently as general manager.
She replaces Martin Miller, who in June announced he was leaving after 13 years to accept a job leading the Tony Award-winning McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey.
“Having managed theatre operations and collaborated intensively with our outgoing co-leader, Martin Miller, Shannon’s produced a wealth of acclaimed shows and has been instrumental in both budgetary and fiscal management,” said Todd Simmons, president of the T2 board. “Her profound relationships with our esteemed artistic partners and our community’s supporters make her the ideal choice. The board feels extremely fortunate that she will continue to bring her deep knowledge of both T2’s operations and its unique culture, now to her new role.”
Jones organizes TheatreSquared’s budgeting process and manages the logistics for the annual Arkansas New Play Festival. In her time at T2, she has worked as a liaison with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and has been a champion of diversity and inclusion as a member of the TRUE initiative/TRAIN cohort of NWA.
As executive director, Jones will co-lead the theatre alongside artistic director Robert Ford.
“We couldn’t have dreamt up a more perfect fit for the role of executive director here at T2,” said Ford. “In Shannon’s nearly 10 years here, she’s played a central role in defining T2’s ever-evolving culture. She knows the place inside out and is a fierce defender of our shared values, our fiscal health, and, above all, our people. It’ll be a privilege to serve with her as co-leader of this theatre that she’s poured so much of her heart and soul into.”
Jones holds a BFA in Stage Management from the University of Central Florida and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
“I’m both honored and humbled to step into the role of executive director,” said Jones. “TheatreSquared and Northwest Arkansas have held my heart since I arrived in 2014, and my commitment to our company, collaborators, community, and patrons remains unwavering as we take these next steps together.”
