Leadership in the Performing Arts

What does it mean to be a performing arts leader? Leadership in the Performing Arts addresses and analyzes this question by presenting the wisdom and expertise of eleven men and women with experience leading nonprofit performing arts institutions in the United States. These successful leaders provide many real-world examples of business practices that may be generally applied by practitioners in our field, and throughout the nonprofit sector.

The book examines:

- The leader’s career path and professional growth
- The leader’s vision
- Leadership styles and the importance of interpersonal skills
- Setting and executing organizational priorities
- Leading decision-making and communication processes
- Creating change and innovation
- Challenges faced in leading an institution

Interviewees include: Kathy Brown, executive director of the New York City Ballet; Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera; Heather Hitchens, president of the American Theatre Wing; Karen Brooks Hopkins, president and chief executive officer of the Brooklyn Academy of Music; Timothy J. McClimon, president of the American Express Foundation; Laura Penn, executive director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; Arlene Shuler, president and chief executive officer of New York City Center; Paul Tetreault, director of Ford's Theatre; Nancy Umanoff, executive director of the Mark Morris Dance Group; Patrick Willingham, executive director of The Public Theater; and Harold Wolpert, managing director of the Roundabout Theatre Company.