Backstage: The prestigious Young Vic theater in London has just named Kwame Kwei-Armah as its new artistic director. Kwei-Armah, a former actor and award-winning playwright, will assume the position next year, stepping down from his current role as director of Center Stage in Baltimore, which he’s held since 2011.
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Baltimore and London in the same article? Jackpot! Center Stage was very excited a few years ago when Kwame Kwei-Arhmah joined the team at Center Stage and now we are sad to see him go. Center Stage has been a very well regarded theater in the country for quite some time but it definitely has developed its reputation since Kwame Kwei-Arhmah was hired. It will be interesting to see what happens to Center Stage now. Center Stage has been going through a quite through turnover process this past year. They have let some people go in high positions and have brought new, younger employees in to run the theater. It cant be easy to operate a theater with such a new base staff, but on the other hand, It will not be too difficult to figure out the way that things are done at the theater because everyone will be trying to figure that out and create their own ways.
I'll be interested to see how the naming of Kwei-Armah to the Young Vic's artistic directorship will manifest over the course of coming seasons, especially in the wake of David Lan's extremely long tenure in the position. The artistic director of any theatrical institution is in such a position to guide not only what is performed in any given season, but how a theater is perceived as a whole, and thought of by the public. When an artistic director like Lan being in position so long, it is easy to see how their particular style is consumed into and made synonymous with a theater's reputation. It will be interesting to see how this esteemed institution's image evolves over the coming years under Kwei-Armah's guidance. Kwei-Armah himself is an interesting choice for the position, and I think his work as a playwright arms him with a unique perspective not oft-held by artistic directors, who usually hail from acting and directing backgrounds.
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