originally published: 07/25/2022

(MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse has announced that Patrick Parker will step down as Associate Artistic Director after 27 years with the company on September 30, 2022. Parker will continue on a consulting basis, assisting with the transition and consulting on a variety of special projects.

“After almost three decades and much recent reflection, I have decided to step aside from my duties as Associate Artistic Director at Paper Mill Playhouse. I am forever grateful to the many colleagues I have worked with side by side over these many years, our esteemed Board of Trustees, our dedicated stage crew, the committed patrons and donors I have built relationships with, and the myriad of talented artists with whom I have had the privilege to collaborate,” states Patrick Parker. “I am especially proud of my many former students who have gone on to amazing and important careers in the arts and beyond – you have taught me so much! As I contemplate my twenty-seven-year journey with one of the greatest regional theaters in the world, it has been such an honor to participate in its renaissance. To that I owe all those mentioned above, but especially credit my friend, my associate, my brother Mark S. Hoebee. His support, comradeship and leadership has made this journey the highlight of my long career in this industry. I look forward to the next steps in the evolution of this amazing institution and to continuing my relationship with Paper Mill.”

Patrick Parker was recently awarded the Byrne/Kean Arts Advocate Award for his 27 years of service to Paper Mill. He began his tenure in 1995 as Assistant to the Artistic Director. In addition to his many responsibilities in that role, he worked as Associate Director for some of Paper Mill’s most lauded productions, including Follies, Funny Girl, and Gypsy with Betty Buckley and Deborah Gibson. He was promoted to Associate Artistic Director in 2010 and has been an integral part of the Artistic team, helping to curate seasons, choose and hire creative teams, and oversee productions from the first audition through closing night. He has helmed countless audience enrichment events, directed, and choreographed New Voices segments, assembled and rehearsed our Theater School students for decades of galas and other performances, led Development initiatives and built very close relationships with many loyal patrons. Parker has served as resident dramaturg, reading and evaluating thousands of scripts over the years, and as Paper Mill Playhouse resident historian, he has been the gatekeeper of the organization’s archives.

“There is not much about this institution, and the multitude of artists who have worked here, that Patrick does not know,” said Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee. “Patrick’s years of experience, depth of commitment, passion for the work, knowledge of the canon and body of artists is unparalleled. We will all miss his daily presence but are comforted by the fact that Patrick will continue to shape and secure Paper Mill’s future with his work on special projects.”

“Patrick is synonymous with Paper Mill – he has been here through nearly three decades of enormous growth, and also some of the company’s most difficult moments. His impact on the company is immeasurable,” adds Managing Director Mike Stotts.

Paper Mill Playhouse, recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is a nationally renowned, not-for-profit theater under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Mike Stotts (Managing Director). A beloved NJ arts institution since 1938, Paper Mill creates and produces groundbreaking new musicals and reimagined classics. Several productions have gone on to Broadway and launched national tours, including Disney’s Newsies, Les Misérables, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Bronx Tale, and Bandstand. The theater is also the home of an award-winning center for musical theater education and artist training, with outreach programs that impact tens of thousands of students each year. As one of the nation’s premier musical theaters, Paper Mill fosters a creative environment to advance the art form, educate students, develop future theater lovers, nurture inclusion, and provide access for all. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.