HOUSTON – If you haven’t paid a visit to Houston’s downtown theater district, you’re definitely missing out. But if you have, then chances are you’ve come across Stages and been in awe of how it stands out as one of the city’s largest nonprofit performing arts producers.
Founded in 1978, Stages not only makes plays - it tells stories that connect with audiences in a live, but deep manner. Derek Livingston, who will be taking the reins as Stages’ new artistic director in August, looks to strengthen that legacy by bringing his wealth of knowledge to Houston’s already iconic theater scene.
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“Stages is a regional theater, so it has a reputation - a national reputation, and wisely, the search committee at Stages decided to engage a national search firm that has a stellar reputation in the theater community,” Livingston explained to me in an interview. “And they knew that I’d been an artistic director 20 years ago in Los Angeles. I was the interim artistic director of the Utah Shakespeare Festival for two seasons.”
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Admittedly, Livingston said he’d never been to Houston before but was well aware he and Stages would have a mutually beneficial relationship.
“The quality of the productions are exceedingly high, when you go to a Stages production, you can expect that your heart and your emotions are going to be entertained and, in many cases, as well as your intellect, and you’re going to hear about the worlds of other people,” he explained. “And even if the play itself does not reach down into something that is profound, the entertainment value is going to create a profoundly entertaining experience, which I think is just as legitimate in theater.”
“Stages really just fit so much of what was important to me that I decided to throw my hat into the ring and was fortunate to emerge as the person whom they selected,” Livingston continued. “And I’m still humbled and very proud about that as well.”
Though Livingston will be taking on a leadership role, he argues his work will be more collaborative; something he is very much looking forward to.
“When I was interviewing, one of the meetings I had was with other theater artistic directors, and what we talked about was how we can work together collaboratively to raise the entire profile of theater in Houston, how we can support artists who are doing stage work and have lived in Houston as stage artists,” Livingston said. “And so that involves us collaborating with each other, but also involves promoting each other’s shows... So it’s just a matter of us celebrating it here in Houston and telling the world that it exists.”
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Livingston will be succeeding longtime artistic director, Kenn McLaughlin, who in a press release statement, said he is confident Stages will be in good hands.
“I will always be eternally grateful to my Stages family and for the time I spent with this incredible company,” said McLaughlin. “Although I will miss everyone dearly, I am ready for a new chapter in life and overjoyed to witness Stages’ next chapter. Derek’s credits are wildly impressive and I have been inspired by his great love of theater. For me, perhaps most importantly of all, Derek is a warm, caring man who brings joy, wit, and passion to his engagements. I believe he will connect with Houston audiences in wonderful new ways, and I feel confident that Derek will lead Stages into a bigger, bolder, and brighter future as Artistic Director.”
Livingston is just one of several new hires at Stages including Gwen Watkins, who was recently named the theater’s new managing director and will be co-leading with her. He will make the full transition, however, in August.