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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 18.0822  Wednesday, 19 December 2007

From: 		Hardy M. Cook <editor@shaksper.net>
Date: 		Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Subject: 	New Managing Director at American Shakespeare Center

The News Leader
www.newsleader.com
Staunton, Va.

http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/NEWS01/71218010/1002

"New managing director starts fresh chapter at American Shakespeare Center"
By Nicole Barbano/staff
nbarbano@newsleader.com

STAUNTON - David Dreyfoos has come a long way from the seat beside his 
grandmother's piano in his native Cincinnati, Ohio.  Growing up, a young 
Dreyfoos was enchanted by the Broadway show tunes he heard. They 
conjured up images of far-off theaters and scenarios being played out on 
distant stages, but the energy the songs emitted remained close.

"It was so palpable," said Dreyfoos, laying his hands against his heart.

He began to write plays for the neighborhood kids to perform in his 
family's garage.

He auditioned in high school for all the productions he could take on.

And now, on Jan. 21, Dreyfoos will step in as the new managing director 
for the American Shakespeare Center, and the theatrical 
jack-of-all-trades said that he feels he has arrived at the start of a 
new life chapter.

"I feel like I'm just coming home," he said.

Throughout the years, Dreyfoos has run concession stands and overseen 
prop and costume shops at theaters. He was even, at one time, a wig master.

But most recently Dreyfoos served as the producing director for the 
Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore., overseeing $6 million of 
the festival's $26 million budget and producing dozens of shows during 
his 10-year tenure there.

"I've sort of prided myself in doing as many different things as I could 
do," Dreyfoos said in an interview Tuesday at ASC's office on East 
Beverley Street.

Until this point, Dreyfoos has immersed himself in the creative side of 
theater, working first-hand with casts and crews. His new position will 
take Dreyfoos over to the management side of theater, working closely 
with administrators and ASC's artistic and founding directors, Jim 
Warren and Ralph Cohen respectively, to oversee the day-to-day 
operations that an organization like ASC must maintain to run smoothly.

"As I was thinking about what I wanted in the next phase of my life, 
this came along, and I thought, 'You know, maybe I should look at 
expanding my horizons,'" he said. "It's a phenomenal opportunity."

In his new position, Dreyfoos will be working for ASC as the 
organization embarks on its Globe II project to plan and build a 
re-creation of the second Globe Theatre in Staunton.

The project is set to be completed by 2014, the 400th anniversary of the 
rebuilding of the Globe in London after a fire destroyed the original 
structure.

Dreyfoos also will be involved in smaller, ongoing projects such as Web 
site development, budget maintenance and the development of new 
marketing initiatives.

"There are many things that we need to be doing as an organization to 
continue to grow, and David will have his hands in every one of those," 
said Dan Layman, chairman of ASC's board of directors and a member of 
the selection committee that chose Dreyfoos from dozens of applicants.

In addition to his work with individual theater organizations over the 
years, Dreyfoos also has worked closely with the Shakespeare Theatre 
Association of America, a national forum and advocacy group for theaters 
that focus on performing Shakespeare's plays.

He served as the association's president in 2005 and 2006 and is now the 
treasurer.

"One thing that was important to us was the breadth of David's 
experience within the Shakespeare community within America," said 
Layman. "He is known and respected by everyone who is in that community."

_______________________________________________________________
S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
Hardy M. Cook, editor@shaksper.net
The S H A K S P E R Web Site <http://www.shaksper.net>

DISCLAIMER: Although SHAKSPER is a moderated discussion list, the 
opinions expressed on it are the sole property of the poster, and the 
editor assumes no responsibility for them.

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