WHITE RIVER JUNCTION —On Oct. 30, The Shaker Bridge Theatre board of directors announced the appointment of Adrian Wattenmaker as managing director of Shaker Bridge Theatre. Wattenmaker joins founder and artistic director Bill Coons as co-leader of this regional professional theatre company.
The Shaker Bridge Theatre’s mission is to discover and create provocative, contemporary plays and to expand the boundaries of theater by presenting compelling and innovative work. Now in its second year as the resident theatre of the Briggs Opera House, Shaker Bridge is enthusiastic about sharing the theater with the community, providing a space for Upper Valley artists to present their work and hold events.
“I welcome Adrian to the SBT family with a mixture of delight and gratitude,” Coons said. “His graduate education in theatre and in directing prepares him for the challenges of guiding a theatre into what lies ahead. His extensive background and experience in theatre management are evidence of his skill in knowing how to keep this complicated machine running and well-tuned. As the artistic director, I’m thrilled to have him right next to me as the managing director, a partner in our trip down the road to the promise of the future. It’s going to be fun to have someone else in the front seat with me.”
Wattenmaker joins Shaker Bridge Theatre after a successful run as associate artistic director of Hudson Theatre Works, Weehawken, New Jersey, where he saw the company through a time of strategic growth. At HTW, he expanded their play development and education programs in addition to directing and producing main stage productions, including new work by John Patrick Shanley, Neil LaBute, and Dan O’Brien. Wattenmaker was associate director of the 2022 – 2023 TONY nominated Broadway production of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Between Riverside and Crazy.” From 2021 to 2023, he served as production manager for LAByrinth Theater Company, where he helped oversee their transition into a long-term residency at 59E59 Theaters. Wattenmaker has worked in association with Atlantic Theater Company, Second Stage Theater, Baltimore’s Center Stage, HB Playwrights Foundation, Greg Stump Productions/Delamo Films, Studio USA/Universal, NBC (“Law & Order”), and served on the Drama Desk Awards nominating committee.
“I am delighted to be joining Shaker Bridge Theatre and to be a part of the Upper Valley community,” Wattenmaker said. “I have wanted to move to Vermont for a long time, and the cultural hub of White River Junction seems like a great fit. Shaker Bridge Theatre produces the type of intimate and engaging theatre that I relate to and feel is very important to the arts. I look forward to working closely with Bill and the Board to expand programming, grow our role in the community, and make sure that SBT is around for a long time.”
As an educator, Wattenmaker has taught at Brooklyn College, Lafayette College, University of Nevada-Reno, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and is the former director of the School of Creative and Performing Arts (SOCAPA), Los Angeles campus. Wattenmaker earned his BA in theatre arts from Towson University and his MFA in directing from Brooklyn College.
“Shaker Bridge Theatre is thrilled to have Adrian Wattenmaker on board as our new managing director,” Board President Joan Ecker said. “Adrian comes from a strong theatrical management and artistic background. Although Vermont has always been a favorite skiing spot for him, White River Junction is a completely new experience. He arrived in this little town in mid-August and hit the ground running. Between looking for a place to live, figuring out our SBT culture, learning what we need in order to grow, rebuilding the social media platform, and running the financial end of things, he’s barely had a chance to say hi to our wonderful community. Adrian hasn’t stopped working since the day he got here, and we couldn’t be more fortunate than to have found him in the New York theater world, lured him here, and convinced him that SBT and Adrian Wattenmaker are a perfect fit. We are excited for our future now that he’s in it.”
Shaker Bridge Theatre’s 17th season continues with “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon (Dec. 5 – 22), “The Effect” by Lucy Prebble (Jan. 23 – Feb. 9), and “Maytag Virgin” by Audrey Cefaly (May 8 – 25)—a season featuring all-woman playwrights.
