September 12, 2023
Dear Friends,
It is with mixed emotions that I share the news that I am leaving The National Theatre Foundation at the end of September. I will be moving on to become the Executive Director of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in New Mexico.
I am delighted that the Board has appointed Olivia Tritschler to serve as the Foundation’s Interim Executive Director. She brings a wealth of experience to the position and her institutional knowledge of the Foundation will prove invaluable. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to fill this role.
My four years at the theatre have passed far too quickly and have been filled with achievements about which we can all be proud. All three of our proprietary programs, Saturday Morning Live!, Teens Behind the Scenes, and Community Stage Connections have never been better or more popular. They will also continue to grow and prosper under the leadership of our new Director of Education and Community Programming.
During my tenure, we have made critical improvements to the building’s infrastructure and, with strong Board leadership and staff support, we have been successful in raising private and public funds to support these projects while building reserves for future initiatives. I personally have benefited from strong relationships with members of the business community, leaders in the DC Government, and our family of donors who have made all this possible.
Our remarkable Archive is in the last stage of being catalogued and we are indebted to our Archivist for her diligent and meticulous work on behalf of the Foundation. This important work was made possible by an anonymous donor and it will continue after my departure.
The second year of The Brandon Victor Dixon Awards, leading to The Jimmy Awards in New York, took place in June 2023 with support from The Jaqueline Badger Mars Next Generation Fund, The Robert and Christina Silberman Family Trust, and The Wilkes Family Foundation. Some of the area’s best young talent graced the Main Stage giving audiences a sneak preview of the stars of tomorrow.
Our Development staff is looking forward to our second Brunch & Broadway event in October at which we will honor our colleague and friend, Chairman Emeritus, Jay Adams. The brunch will be followed by a pre-Broadway performance of the beloved musical The Wiz.
We continue to enjoy a strong working relationship with our Nederlander Organization partners and look forward to an outstanding season on the Main Stage in the months ahead.
In closing, I have been honored to work with a talented staff who have given their all to advance the Foundation’s agenda. I am also indebted to our remarkable Board of Directors, and want to express special thanks to our Chairman, Sandy Wilkes, who gave unselfishly of his time and offered thoughtful guidance to me throughout my tenure.
I wish all of you the very best and will watch with pride the continuing evolution of this extraordinary theatre.
Until we meet again.
David
