We are pleased to announce Nataki Garrett as the sixth artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, starting August 2019, succeeding Bill Rauch. The announcement by OSF Board and Search Committee Chair Gail Lopes ends a nearly yearlong search.
“OSF Board of Directors has found in Nataki Garrett an individual with a powerful artistic vision, proven change leadership qualities, and the ability to continue the Festival's upward trajectory established under predecessors like Libby Appel and Bill Rauch,” said Search Committee Member and recently elected Co-Chair of the Board of Directors Diane Yu.
“I have known Nataki Garrett for 17 years and have closely followed and admired her career. She is a rigorous and thrilling artist; a thoughtful, confident leader; and big thinker,” said Rauch. “Nataki’s historic appointment, as an African American woman running one of the largest-budget theaters in the United States, is a direct expression of OSF's decades-long commitment to helping create a more equitable field.”
Assuming the title of incoming artistic director, Garrett will first arrive at OSF in early April, as she prepares for the 2020 season. She also begins rehearsals in early June for How to Catch Creation, which she is directing. How to Catch Creation opens in the Thomas Theatre on July 23.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be named incoming artistic director of Oregon Shakespeare Festival and it is an honor and privilege to inherit such a wonderfully rich and dynamic legacy of artistic excellence in partnership with a dedicated board, staff, company and local community,” said Garrett. “I am equally excited and inspired by OSF’s dedication to expanding our worldview and look forward to maintaining our commitment to the revolutionary spirit of Shakespeare and classical text, while continuing to explore and expand opportunities for new voices and narratives through new play development.”
Garrett most recently served as acting artistic director for Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) during the organization’s 18-month leadership transition, working in partnership with the managing director, chief executive officer and board of directors, and managing the theatre company’s $27 million annual budget.
For more than 20 years, Garrett has worked as a theatre administrator, director, producer, playwright, educator, activist and mentor. She is a graduate of California Institute of the Arts with an MFA in directing.
During June and July, in addition to directing, Garrett will fulfill incoming artistic director duties, including getting to know the Company, the Board and the local community. She assumes the full title and responsibilities as OSF’s artistic director on August 1.
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