Dear Friend of Seattle Shakespeare Company,
I want to share some exciting news with you. On Wednesday night Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Board of Directors appointed George Mount as the Company’s new Artistic Director. George’s leadership within the Seattle arts community, his demonstrated experience as a producer, and passion for Shakespeare and the classics made him the ideal candidate to lead Seattle Shakespeare Company to a new horizon.
In doing the search for Seattle Shakespeare Company’s new artistic director, we were in quite an enviable position. We had more than 50 outstanding applicants from across the country and Canada who applied for the position. That kind of wide selection really speaks to Seattle Shakespeare Company’s growing reputation as a vibrant, innovative and fiscally sound theatre company… and you helped to make it that way.
Since this past spring, George has been serving as interim Artistic Director and he will immediately assume his new position. As you may know, prior to his stepping in as interim, George was Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Director of Outdoor and Touring Performance overseeing Wooden O, the Company’s free summer Shakespeare performances in the parks, and the touring productions that perform in schools across the state.
Out of all of the criteria we had in looking for a new artistic director, George has the best balance. He’s had hands-on experience in the company’s main areas of programming and has deep ties to our arts community. His ability as both an artist and administrator won him a ringing endorsement from the Board.
You may be interested to know that we conducted a 6-month search process for the position. An 11 member Search Committee (comprised of board, staff, members of the non-profit funding community, local theatre artists and committed patrons) did the initial candidate reviews and made recommendations to the Board of Directors. The top three candidates were interviewed by Board and staff with the Board of Directors making the final decision.
We are all looking forward to the new chapter George will help us to write in the exciting ongoing history of Seattle Shakespeare Company. I hope you will welcome him, wish him well, and lend him your support in this new era for the Company.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Phil Miller
Chairman
Seattle Shakespeare Company Board of Directors
About George Mount
Both an actor and director, Mount founded Wooden O productions in 1994 and started its annual free summer Shakespeare performances at Mercer Island's Luther Burbank Amphitheater which then grew to tour its productions throughout parks in King and Snohomish counties. When Seattle Shakespeare Company merged with Wooden O in 2008, Mount became the company’s Director of Outdoor and Touring Performance. Since that time attendance at the Wooden O performances has increased 81% and has featured some of the city’s top actors as well as rising newcomers. Under his guidance Seattle Shakespeare Company’s small-cast touring productions grew to offer live classical theatre to more than 10,000 people a year in underserved communities across the state of Washington. His work as an actor includes productions at Seattle Shakespeare Company, ACT, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Public Theater, SecondStory Repertory, Village Theatre, Boomer Classics, Theater Schmeater and Annex Theatre. Mount is a graduate of Mercer Island High School and Western Washington University. He received his MFA from the University of Kansas City.