Artistic Director

Opportunity Snapshot:
Theater by Women, for Everyone

Renaissance Theater works (RTW), Milwaukee’s only professional theater company dedicated to gender equity, is at a historic turning point. With the planned retirement of its co-founding Artistic Director, Suzan Fete, after 33 seasons of bold leadership, RTW is seeking a visionary new Artistic Director to carry forward its nationally recognized legacy. This is a rare opportunity to lead a debt‑free, mission‑driven theater into its next era of daring artistry, community connection, and sustainability.

The Artistic Director will join a deeply committed team of artists, staff, and Board members who have collectively advanced RTW’s pioneering role as a champion for women’s voices and inclusive storytelling. The next leader will bring creative courage, collaborative spirit, and a passion for equity to one of the nation’s oldest gender‑balanced theaters.

The Artistic Director will partner with Managing Director Lisa Rasmussen and a dedicated staff of 3 full‑time and 2 part‑time team members. The Artistic Director will also report to and partner with a volunteer Board of Directors composed of leaders from law, academia, technology, finance, and community service. Together, they will steward RTW’s mission, operations, and artistic vision. The Artistic Director reports directly to the Board of Directors.

As RTW approaches its 35th season, the company is poised to expand its artistic reach while deepening community connection. RTW has responded to the challenges currently facing artistic organizations with creativity and vision, whether navigating rising production costs or post‑pandemic audience shifts. Through the “100 Years of RTW Initiative,” the company is investing in people, infrastructure, and artistic risk‑taking to secure a bold future.

This leadership transition is both a celebration of extraordinary legacy and a call for fresh ideas from the company’s new creative visionary. The next Artistic Director will inherit a company rooted in collaboration and equity, with the freedom to shape new artistic directions while honoring the values that define RTW.

The Artistic Director serves as the lead storyteller and cultural strategist of RTW, responsible for guiding its creative vision, programming, and artistic partnerships. Working in close collaboration with the Managing Director, staff, and Board, the Artistic Director ensures that RTW’s artistic programming remains relevant, accessible, and aligned with its mission.

Key responsibilities include:

• Curate and guide a season of bold, moving productions that center women’s voices and foster dialogue.
• Advance the  !
  
  NK New Play Festival as a signature incubator for emerging women‑identifying playwrights in the Midwest, ensuring continuity at a time when opportunities are becoming more limited.
• Balance new work with contemporary and classic plays that inspire and connect audiences.

• Serve as the public face of RTW’s artistic identity; build partnerships with artists, funders, community organizations, and audiences.
• Expand outreach efforts to engage diverse communities across Milwaukee and beyond.

• Partner with the Managing Director to align artistic and operational goals.
• Mentor and uplift emerging artists, directors, and designers.
• Support a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and artistic risk‑taking.
• Lead with authenticity and conviction, inspiring trust through a genuine connection to RTW’s mission and values.

• Collaborate with the Board and staff on strategic planning and fundraising strategy.
• Partner with the Managing Director to engage in donor cultivation and stewardship, deepening relationships that advance RTW’s artistic and community mission.
• Ensure programming decisions are aligned with fiscal health and long‑term sustainability.
• Harmonize operational discipline with artistic imagination, ensuring both innovation and creativity thrive.

Strong candidates will bring many of the following experiences and perspectives,…