COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 22, 2021) — Following an exhaustive national search with review and recommendation by search committee, staff and community, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) is proud to announce that Pirronne Yousefzadeh, an accomplished director, writer and educator, will be the next producing artistic director of the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company effective Dec. 1, 2021.
As producing artistic director, Yousefzadeh will be responsible for leading strategic direction of the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company, working to shape and implement the artistic agenda for annual seasons of theater productions as well as community and campus projects.
“Pirronne is one of the most exciting theatre professionals working today. A born leader, she brings significant experience as a director, producer, educator, champion of new and canonical work, and advocate for theatre professionals of all walks. For a multi-disciplinary, civic-minded institution that is part of a college, I can’t think of anyone better suited. Colorado Springs, get ready!” said FAC Executive Director Idris Goodwin.
Most recently, Yousefzadeh worked as associate artistic director and director of engagement at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY. As a senior member of artistic leadership, she was a key collaborator in season planning and artistic programming while also directing numerous productions annually, managing a new engagement committee and creating ancillary programming centered on community engagement.
“With the visionary leadership of Idris Goodwin and the energy and passion of a dynamic and committed staff, this position is a dream come true for me. I am excited to steward the theatre during the 2021–2022 season and build programming that includes both reimagined classics and new work by some of the boldest and most innovative artists in our field today. Through our programming and transformative community engagement efforts, the Fine Arts Center will be a nexus for civic discourse, a beacon of hope, and a national model for equity, inclusion, and justice in the arts,” said Pirronne Yousefzadeh.
Yousefzadeh received her master’s degree in directing from Columbia University, where she was a Shubert Presidential Fellow and Matthews Fellowship recipient. As a professional stage director, Yousefzadeh has helmed projects at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Actors Theatre of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and other regional theaters across the country. With a passion for arts education, she brings extensive teaching experience through work with the theatre departments of University of Rochester, New York University, University of Texas at Austin, Fordham University and Rutgers University, among others. Yousefzadeh is also a founding member of Maia Directors, a consulting group for artists and organizations engaging with stories from the Middle East and beyond.
The Fine Arts Center is a multi-disciplinary arts organization featuring an accredited museum, an award-winning performing arts program, and a community art school. As producing artistic director, Yousefzadeh will serve as a member of the FAC’s leadership team in strategic plan implementation and cross-disciplinary collaborations with the museum and art school to create meaningful and sustained connections with the community. This is one of two key leadership positions being filled in 2021 to implement the aspirational strategic plan established through the alliance with Colorado College.
Yousefzadeh will begin transitioning to join the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company mid-August in advance of her official start date of Dec. 1, 2021.
ABOUT THE FAC
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
The story of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) began with the founding of the Broadmoor Art Academy 1919. A museum, performing arts theatre, and community art school, the FAC is a pillar in the cultural community of the Rocky Mountain West providing innovative, educational, and multi-disciplinary arts experiences designed to elevate the individual spirit and inspire community vitality. The FAC and Colorado College recognize and honor the original inhabitants of the land on which it resides. For more information about the FAC, visit fac.coloradocollege.edu or follow on Facebook @CSFineArtsCenter.
FAC Theatre Company
The award-winning FAC Theatre Company produces an annual season of innovative and exciting theatrical productions. In 2019, The Colorado Theatre Guild recognized the FAC with its most prestigious honor, the Henry Award for Outstanding Season for a Theatre Company (2018–2019). Theatre at the Fine Arts Center traces its roots back to 1919, when the Colorado Springs chapter of the Drama League began performing at the newly opened Broadmoor Art Academy (the predecessor to the FAC). Since then, the company has gained a reputation for high-quality productions of musicals, comedies and dramas and the Colorado premieres of new American work.