A.R.T/New York Announces Talia Corren as Co-Executive Director on The Eve of The Organization's 50th Anniversary

Corren will Partner with Co-Executive Director Risa Shoup in a Transformational New Shared Leadership Model to Shape the Future of A.R.T./NY and of Nonprofit Theatre


The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./NY), scaling up to meet a moment of seismic change for the American theatre,today announced Talia Corren’s appointment to the role of Co-Executive Director. Corren joins forces with Co-Executive Director Risa Shoup at the dawn of a new era for the esteemed service organization, as it adopts a model of shared executive leadership to envision and realize A.R.T./NY’s second half-century of impact. Corren’s appointment follows a 7-month, nationwide search run collaboratively by A.R.T./NY’s staff, board, and stakeholders, and aligned with the organization’s stated values. With Shoup, she leads a full-time staff of 17 and a part-time staff of 31, with the support of an active board of 18, offering varied modes of support to 520+ member theatres. 


A.R.T./NY Board Chair Deadria Harrington says, “Our 50th anniversary is the beginning of a new chapter for us in a field that has changed dramatically. There's been so much creative energy moving through our organization as we’ve restructured, and we’re so excited to bring Talia on! Her fresh perspective, vision for the organization, and hunger to serve the field and our members is going to create a cauldron of collective dreaming for all of us.”


Talia Corren’s career puts her in the perfect position for leadership at A.R.T./NY. She held positions at Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre, and Soho Rep before leading strategic and fundraising engagements at Advance NYC for six years. She steps into this new role with a panoramic understanding of the New York nonprofit and mission-based theatre world and its evolving needs. 


Corren says, “I was raised by A.R.T/NY theatres, working inside of them for a lot of my early career and then partnering with them at Advance NYC. I love how much diversity there is in the creative output from A.R.T./NY members, and the curiosity, intentionality, and community that is built in all of these interlocking pockets across the city. I am grateful to have been able to work with and learn from so many leaders in this field who inspire and energize me, and look forward to bringing those experiences with me to this role at A.R.T./NY.”


A.R.T./NY was galvanized to adopt shared leadership by the success of similar models at many of its member theatres, the visionary nonprofit companies that comprise a vital portion of New York cultural life. The organization embraces transformative possibilities in this moment of reset that has illuminated the need for more care-based models in our workspaces. As A.R.T./NY expands its vision of leadership by emulating its member theaters, it broadens its capacity to serve them, and internalizes its ethos of support. 


In its 50 years, A.R.T./NY has supported and sustained New York City’s vibrant theatrical ecosystem by consistently expanding programs and services. Co-Executive Director Risa Shoup says, “At A.R.T./NY, our greatest resource are our people: our staff, our board, and the artists and administrators that comprise our membership. Our work is led by theatremakers, developed by theatremakers, and sustains theatremakers who, in turn, provide New Yorkers with the provocative and affirming plays and musicals that bring artists and audiences from the five boroughs, and around the world, to stay in New York. Implementing a shared, executive leadership structure will expand our internal capacity and ensure that, in this next 50-year-long chapter, we can proactively meet the needs of all theatremakers so they can keep making great art.”  


In addition to contributing to the economic and cultural vibrancy of the City, New York’s theatres serve as vital spaces where, in a moment of division, disparate people can gather in collective leaps of faith and imagination. However, as the industry recalibrates in the wake of 2020 shutdowns, theatre companies are struggling with myriad challenges that call for collaborative and systemic solutions.  A.R.T./NY’s growth in this moment equips the organization with the tools, and the expanded leadership, to robustly consider how to channel new resources, strategies, and support to its members. Risa Shoup says, “A.R.T./NY will always try to solve the problems that our member theatres bring to us, in the hopes that theatre can always be a place for people to find solace and solutions in the face of larger issues.”


Talia Corren adds, “A.R.T./NY isn’t a fair-weather organization. Over 50 years in New York, it has been consistent and committed to its members throughout many cultural ups and downs. We’ve seen recently how urgent it is that our industry rethink itself around systems of care. A.R.T./NY has undergone a structural transformation to meet this moment, and is poised to model a conversation around leadership change and to address and include community priorities in its major decisions. We’re interested in sharing that knowledge in a way that can be illustrative for the funding community, for members, and for other service organizations.” 


About Talia Corren


Talia Corren (she/her) is an experienced creative leader who is passionate about New York City’s vibrant theater ecosystem. Talia joins A.R.T./NY after six years of steering strategic and fundraising engagements with Advance NYC, where she partnered with over two dozen cultural, educational, and social service organizations across the five boroughs and beyond. At institutions ranging in size and lifecycle – from true start-up to established field leaders – Talia has collaborated with nonprofit organizations at pivotal moments of growth and change, specializing in strategic planning, board development, fundraising strategy, and stakeholder engagement. Talia began her career at Playwrights Horizons before heading down the street to Signature Theatre, joining the team to close its $75M capital campaign and to plan and execute a full slate of inaugural events for the Pershing Square Signature Center. She then moved downtown to Soho Rep, where she managed all aspects of development during a time of tremendous growth. Talia also took a brief hiatus from Off-Broadway theater to launch The Uprising – a nonprofit harnessing collective generosity to make our city 1% better every day – in partnership with the intrepid community builders of Mark Fisher Fitness. Talia is a proud native of Denver, Colorado, and a graduate of The University of Michigan (BFA, Musical Theater; BA, English).


About A.R.T./NY


A.R.T./New York is committed to its mission of serving and strengthening the complete identity of the nonprofit theatre community throughout New York City and State. Since its founding in 1972 by a small collective to promote community and collaboration across a budding field, A.R.T./New York has become an essential pillar of a vibrant member community of 520+ theatres. From neuro-diverse artist collectives to BIPOC-led theatres, A.R.T./NY’s membership mirrors the diverse identities that comprise the population of New York City and State. A.R.T./New York is the single membership organization serving the full breadth of New York City and State’s not-for-profit theatres. A.R.T./NY serves every “organism” in the theatre’s complex ecosystem by providing cash grants, free educational services, subsidized rehearsal, office and theatre space, and advocacy that is responsive to the needs of its constituents and ensures sustainable, vibrant, nonprofit theatre throughout New York. 


A.R.T/NY’s new shared leadership structure emphasizes that stakeholders are investing in the organization itself—its mission, and, by extension, its future—rather than any one individual. This model gives Co-Executive Directors equal standing within and outside the organization, along with the autonomy to determine shared responsibilities and to jointly make major decisions. 


More about A.R.T./NY’s search for a Co-Executive Director and decision to implement a shared leadership model.


Press Contact - Blake Zidell at Blake Zidell & Associates: [email protected] or 917.572.2493.

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