Joshua Borenstein
Long Wharf Theatre’s Board of Trustees has named Joshua Borenstein the organization’s new managing director. Borenstein assumed the role on an interim position in May after Ray Collum, who’d been hired in May 2009, announced in March that he was stepping down.
“I am honored and excited to be returning to Long Wharf,” Borenstein was quoted as saying in a press release. “The work is outstanding, and it is an important cultural asset to both the region, as well as the national theatre community. I am greatly looking forward to working with the Board, Gordon (Edelstein), and the staff on moving the organization forward in this rapidly changing time.”
As the New Haven Independent reported in May, Borenstein worked at Long Wharf Theatre from 2003 to 2008, and in 2006 served as interim managing director until Joan Channick assumed that role on a permanent basis.
Most recently, Borenstein, who studied at Wesleyan University and the Yale School of Drama, has worked as a project manager at AMS Planning & Research Corp., a consulting firm with offices in Fairfield and Petaluma, Calif.
“We’re all very excited about Josh’s appointment,” Steve Scarpa, Long Wharf Theatre’s marketing and communications director, said in a telephone conversation on Tuesday. “We know that the Board of Trustees really worked diligently on this to find just the right candidate.”
The consulting firm Albert Hall & Associates conducted a nationwide search on behalf of Long Wharf Theatre to fill the position.
Charles Kingsley, chair of Long Wharf Theatre’s Board of Trustees, was quoted in the above-mentioned press release as saying: “Josh was simply the best candidate. Because of our national search, his skills and qualification for the position became more and more clear to us on the Board of Trustees. … He’s been serving as the interim managing director for the past six months and he’s done a wonderful job. Josh has the total confidence of the Board, the staff and Gordon.”
Edelstein, Long Wharf Theatre’s artistic director, was quoted in the press release as saying: “This is a historic day for Long Wharf Theatre. … In Josh Borenstein, the Board of Trustees has found someone who combines wisdom, strength, practical theatrical knowhow with strategic savvy. Josh is an immensely personable and generous spirited man, but one who is not afraid to make tough and difficult decisions. On a personal level, Josh and I have been friends for years and have built an easy working rapport. This is indeed a happy day for me and a great day for this great theatre.”