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Joshua Ford
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Olney Theatre Center
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OLNEY THEATRE CENTER ADDS KEVIN MCALLISTER TO STAFF AS
THEATRE’S FIRST DIRECTOR OF CURATED PROGRAMS
Will also serve as the theatre’s first BIPOC Artist Advocate
Olney, MD – March 8, 2021 – Olney Theatre Center announced the addition of award-winning actor and director Kevin McAllister to its artistic staff as its first Director of Curated Programming and the theater’s first BIPOC Artist Advocate. As Olney Theatre Center’s Director of Curated Programming (DCP), McAllister will be charged with envisioning and curating presented works, in series or as one-offs, throughout the year on the theater’s four stages and virtually, helping to ensure OTC’s work reflects its community and tells its stories.
“We realized last year that adding a curatorial voice different from my own will be essential for our successful return to programming after the pandemic,” said Jason Loewith, Olney Theatre Center’s Artistic Director. “Kevin’s dynamism, artistry and leadership fit the bill. His experience throughout the DMV as a performer and director, his visionary leadership at ArtsCentric, and his work empowering BIPOC voices make him the ideal individual to make OTC matter to everyone in our community. I can’t wait to grow the theater with him.”
McAllister said of his appointment, “I am excited and humbly honored to be the newest addition to the Olney Theatre Center family, an institution that is not just saying it will do the work, but one that is actually putting plans into action to change for the better. I look forward to my new role at Olney Theatre Center and hope to be a continual ambassador for change in this industry we all love so much.”
McAllister’s programming purview spans performance disciplines, including TYA, cabaret, concerts, dance, and spoken word, as well as virtual work like the company’s Signal Boost initiative. Along with the other members of the theater’s artistic staff, the DCP plays an important role in all the theater’s programming, and participates in and/or drives new work development, individual projects, and institutional initiatives as appropriate.
The DCP also serves as the theater's first BIPOC Artist Advocate, providing a point of contact to uncover issues and proactively create initiatives to ensure a safe, creative, and authentically diverse work environment.
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