Artistic Director

Opportunity Snapshot: Theater by Women, for Everyone
Renaissance Theaterworks (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.

Organizational Structure
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.

The Moment
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.

About the Role
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:
Artistic Vision and Programming
* Curate and guide a season of bold, moving productions that center women’s voices and foster dialogue.

* Advance the Br!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.

Community and External Relations
* 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.


Leadership and Collaboration
* 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.

Financial and Strategic Stewardship
* 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.

Ideal Experience
Strong candidates will bring many of the following experiences and perspectives, understanding that no one path leads to artistic leadership.

* Significant artistic leadership experience in professional or educational theater, or other performing arts settings.

* Experience curating seasons and directing or producing work for diverse audiences.

* Demonstrated success collaborating with playwrights, actors, and designers, fostering new work, and offering fresh interpretations of established plays.

* Background in performing arts leadership, with experience managing the financial, operational, and fundraising aspects of a mid-sized company.

* Experience partnering with Board members to cultivate donor, foundation, and community support.

* Proven commitment to gender equity, accessibility, and inclusive storytelling in artistic programming.

* History of championing underrepresented voices and practices that expand representation onstage and off.

* Knowledge of or openness to the unique dynamics of Milwaukee’s theater community, with the ability to connect local audiences to national conversations.

* Established national networks that can elevate RTW’s profile and partnerships.

* Capacity to balance creative ambition with sustainability and strategic growth. 

* Although experience in nonprofit theater leadership is strongly preferred, candidates with experience in related performing arts settings are welcome.


Residency and Compensation
The Artistic Director must reside in the greater Milwaukee area to ensure consistent presence and connection with the community. Candidates who are not currently based in Wisconsin must be willing to relocate. As this will be a national search, relocation support will be available, scaled to the selected candidate’s distance and individual circumstances.
Compensation for this position will be competitive, commensurate with experience, and will include a comprehensive benefits package.