For Immediate Release

 Contact: David Henderson, dhenderson@hartfordstage.org

860.520.7250, cell 917.488.9086

Elizabeth Williamson Joins

Hartford Stage Artistic Team 

Hartford, CT, July 31, 2012 - Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak today announced the selection of Elizabeth Williamson as the company's Senior Dramaturg and Director of New Play Development.

Tresnjak said, "I want to welcome Elizabeth Williamson to Hartford. She is a superb writer and brings a wealth of knowledge, in both classical dramaturgy and new play development, to Hartford Stage. I look forward to working with her on premieres, revivals, translations, and especially on planning our 50th Anniversary Season."

Williamson served the past four years as Associate Artistic Director and Literary Manager for Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, where she founded and ran the theatre's New Play Initiative. Through this program, she helped develop new works by many esteemed playwrights, including Brooke Berman, Kyle Jarrow, Wendy MacLeod, Dan O'Brien, and Bess Wohl.

As Dramaturg, Williamson's impressive list of collaborators includes Mary Zimmerman, Jon Jory, JoAnne Akalaitis, and Dominique Serrand. She has worked on projects for Lincoln Center Theater's Directors Lab, where she has been a member since 2001; Williamstown Theatre Festival; Berkeley Rep's School of Theatre; and American Conservatory Theater.

A former National Endowment for the Arts fellow in literary translation, she holds a Bachelor's degree in theatre and comparative literature from Bennington College, VT, and a Master's degree in European literature from Oxford University. 

Hartford Stage Company

Hartford Stage, since its founding in 1963, has been known for innovative revivals of classics and the development of important new works, including 65 World or American premieres. Recent work includes Quiara Alegria Hudes'Water by the Spoonful, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Horton Foote'sThe Orphans' Home Cyclewhich had a celebrated run at the Signature Theatre in New York during the 2009-2010 season; a landmark production of Harper Lee'sTo Kill a Mockingbird;the premieres of Michael Kramer'sDivine Rivalry;and Daniel Beaty'sResurrection (later retitledThrough the Night,which had a successful run off-Broadway during the 2010-11 season). In 1998 the theatre launched an unprecedented ten-year retrospective of Tennessee Williams, which included the premiere of three plays. Other new work includes the premieres of Eve Ensler'sNecessary Targets, Edward Albee'sAt Home at the Zoo,Matthew Barber'sEnchanted April(which transferred to Broadway), Matthew Lombardo'sTea at Five, and many others. The theatre has earned numerous distinguished honors, including a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Margo Jones Award, OBIE awards, New York Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards. In 2005 Hartford Stage was awarded The Hartford Courant's Tapestry Award recognizing its outstanding work in diversity, and in 2008 it was awarded the Bank of America Neighborhood Builder's Award recognizing its excellence in building community in Greater Hartford. Hartford Stage is currently under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts.