(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The Board of Trustees of George Street Playhouse have announced the appointment of Edgar Herrera as Managing Director, effective June 1, 2023. Mr. Herrera had previously been serving as Executive Director & Chief Development Officer of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra.
“After an international search, we are thrilled to welcome Edgar Herrera as our next Managing Director. His demonstrated success in fiscal management and fundraising will be an incredible asset to the organization as we enter our 50th season,” said James Heston, Chairman of the Playhouse’s Board of Trustees.
Penelope Lattimer, Ph.D., President of GSP’s Board of Trustees added, “Edgar Herrera’s passion and commitment to the arts is extraordinary. His background and experiences embody the diversity of our community, and we know that he’ll be a wonderful advocate for George Street Playhouse both regionally and at the national level.”
David Saint, GSP’s Artistic Director said, “The first thing you notice about Edgar Herrera is his infectious enthusiasm! I am so eager to collaborate with this gifted leader in the arts as we bring George Street to new heights in our brand new beautiful home. Edgar will be an important new member of our team as we grow!”
Born and raised in Mexico, Mr. Herrera received the prestigious 2004-2005 Management Fellowship of the League of American Orchestras, taking on special projects with senior leadership at The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Atlanta Symphony, The Aspen Music Festival & School and The Elgin Symphony (IL). In 2005 he was appointed the Executive Director of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra; after two years leading the PSO, he was nominated for the League´s Executive Director of the year under 40. In 2007 he was recruited by the Syracuse Symphony to lead the Marketing and Patron Development department. Mr. Herrera moved to Mexico City in 2009 to become the Executive Director of a private foundation formed by partners of the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. In 2013 the Clinton Global Initiative extended an invitation to Mr. Herrera and his foundation to become a member. In 2014, with an entrepreneurial mindset and smart investments, Mr. Herrera successfully developed a multitude of business ventures, including a digital accounting firm, an international trade enterprise, a consulting firm and a mining business, which he sold in 2019 to go back to his real passion, the performing arts. Mr. Herrera joined the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra in early 2020, where he successfully used his experience, both in the Arts and in the private sector, to completely transform the institution.
“I couldn´t be happier to join the amazing team at GSP. I look forward to working with everyone to continue delivering the mission of GSP to a growing and diverse community and to support the exceptional artistic vision of David Saint,” said Mr. Herrera.
Mr. Herrera is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, where he received an undergraduate degree in Piano Performance, and the University of Cincinnati, where he completed double Masters Degrees in Business and Arts Administration.
He arrives to New Jersey with his wife, Luz, their twin 5-year old daughters and two cats.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint since 1997, George Street Playhouse produces groundbreaking new works, inspiring productions of the classics, and hit Broadway plays and musicals that speak to the heart and mind, with an unwavering commitment to producing new work. As New Brunswick’s first producing theatre, George Street Playhouse became the cornerstone of the revitalization of the City’s arts and cultural landscape. Entering its 50th season, the organization has a rich history of producing nationally renowned theatre. The Playhouse continues to fill a unique theatre and arts education role in the city, state and greater metropolitan region.
Beginning with the 2019-20 Season, George Street Playhouse moved to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in downtown New Brunswick. Featuring two state-of-the-art theatres -- The Arthur Laurents Theater with 253 seats and The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater which seats 465-- and myriad amenities, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center marks a new era in the esteemed history of George Street Playhouse.
Founded by Eric Krebs, George Street Playhouse, originally located in an abandoned supermarket on the corner of George and Albany Streets, was the first professional theatre in New Brunswick. In 1984, the Playhouse moved to a renovated YMCA on Livingston Avenue, and in 2017 took temporary residence in the former Agricultural Museum at Rutgers University during construction of its new home.
The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway. In 2018, George Street Playhouse was represented on Broadway with Gettin’ the Band Back Together which premiered on the Playhouse mainstage in 2013. American Son, produced by George Street Playhouse in 2017, opened on Broadway in 2018 starring Kerry Washington and Stephen Pasqual, and was seen on Netflix. Other productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger. In 2015, It Shoulda Been You opened on Broadway and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies opened off-Broadway. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. Others include the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at the Playhouse during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays.
George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
