Cynthia Allen, Richard Ridge, David Roberts, and Janice Simpson have been appointed to the executive/nominating committee of the Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators covering New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers.

David Gordon, who took over as president of the Outer Critics Circle in June, announced the news September 14.

Read: OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

Allen, who is a professor at New York University, joins theatre media professionals Ridge, Roberts, and Simpson on the board. Veteran OCC members Stanley Cohen, Mario Fratti, and Aubrey Reuben announced plans to step away from their duties earlier this year.

"The Outer Critics Circle found itself in a period of transition during the springtime, as we bid a sad farewell to our historian Glenn Loney, who passed away at the age of 89, as well as accepted the decisions of longtime board members Stanley Cohen, Mario Fratti, and Aubrey Reuben to step away from the day-to-day running of the organization," Gordon said. "We thank them for their decades of commitment to OCC and are very grateful that they will be remaining on our membership roster. This fall, we are extremely excited to welcome Cynthia Allen, Richard Ridge, David Roberts, and Janice Simpson to our Executive and Nominating Committee. Their extraordinary talents will be put to great use as we shepherd the Outer Critics Circle into the future."