BY LAURELLE WALSH
The Merc Playhouse will continue to accept applications for a new rtistic director until June 1, according to Managing Director Jane Hubrig. The position is soon to be vacant due to the departure of outgoing Artistic Director Julie Wenzel, who will be moving out of the valley at the end of June.
“We are getting quite a few applications, and some very good ones,” Hubrig said. “The position calls for a unique skill set.”
A hiring committee will be interviewing candidates in June and hopes to have the new artistic director ready to start by Sept. 1, Hubrig said.
The 2013-2014 season is currently being developed, and the organization doesn’t expect any breaks in the upcoming season. “We’re trying to make the transition as smooth as possible for the new A.D. to step into,” said Wenzel.
Already on the schedule for next fall is the “Broadway Dance Review,” a dance variety show featuring all styles from hip-hop to belly dance with the only requirement that all numbers be set to Broadway show tunes. Wenzel will be returning in October to direct the second annual review and is currently looking for choreographers and dancers interested in being involved, she said.
“As departing artistic director I have no concerns about the theater’s future,” Wenzel said. “The Merc is thriving, and in a better space than it’s ever been. I’d love to walk in to a position like this with a theater in this great shape.”
For more information on the artistic directorship, go to www.mercplayhouse.org.
