Regional NewsJustin Waldman Named Artistic Director of Two River Theater
Waldman joins the New Jersey theatre following 11 years as associate artistic director at The Old Globe.
By
Logan Culwell-Block
October 11, 2022
Justin Waldman has been named the new artistic director of New Jersey's Two River Theater, with his tenure set to begin November 1. Waldman succeeds John Dias, who programmed the 2022-23 season with Managing Director Michael Hurst that Waldman will oversee.
"I am honored to carry on the legacy of Two River Theater as artistic director,” says Waldman in a statement. "To shepherd the beautiful vision of Robert and Joan Rechnitz, alongside the incredible and dedicated Board, staff, artists, and artisans, is an enormous privilege. Theatre is a place of joy and wonder. I look forward to building on the great good work of John Dias and Michael Hurst and welcoming more people to partake in Two River’s excellent, accessible, and representative work and practice. Two River has the unrivaled ability to highlight beauty, expand community, and bring us all together with considered intention. To be its steward for a time thrills me and is a responsibility I hold with the utmost care."
"We are delighted to welcome Justin aboard,” adds Two River Board President Edward J. McKenna Jr. "Justin is a consummate artist, a bold producer, and a passionate leader of non-profit regional theatre. He deeply believes in the value of further developing Two River’s relationships with its community partners, and is also firmly committed to catching the baton John Dias has passed, expanding Two River’s impact beyond its stages in order to reach a larger, even more inclusive audience."
Two River Theater's search for a new managing director is ongoing.
The theatre's 2022-23 season opens October 15 with Alice Childress' Wine in the Wilderness, directed by Brandon J. Dirden and running through November 6. Also planned for the season are Mando Alvarado's Living and Breathing, running January 28-February 26, 2023; and Hansol Jung's modern verse translation of Romeo and Juliet, running April 8-30.
Lupita Nyong'o, Katrina Lenk, Jelani Alladin, and more were on hand to celebrate the October 31 opening night of Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs' new musical.