How can one lead a theater artistically, logistically, and sustainably, all with deep humanity? In this episode of our Artistic Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with Maria Manuela Goyanes, current Artistic Director of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre and incoming Artistic Director of LCT3 at Lincoln Center, for an honest conversation about what it takes to run a cultural institution with integrity. Maria offers wisdom on assessing risk in today’s theater ecology, why comedy and community are essential “tentpoles” for new audiences, and how she reframes leadership as a form of abundance, not scarcity. Together, they discuss how to build meaningful community engagement, reimagine institutional “best practices,” develop sustainable career pipelines, and say yes to bold, risky theater that centers innovation and joy. This episode reminds us that there is no one model of leadership and that the most revolutionary thing you can do is bring your full, human self to the table.

About Maria Manuela: MARIA MANUELA GOYANES (she/her) is currently the Artistic Director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. She will assume the role of Artistic Director of LCT3 and Producer of Lincoln Center in NYC this fall. Prior to joining Woolly, she served as the Director of Producing and Artistic Planning at The Public Theater,  working on plays and musicals like HAMILTON by Lin-Manuel Miranda, PASSING STRANGE by Heidi Rodewald and Stew, and HERE LIES LOVE by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, to name a few.  While at The Public, Maria also held a position on the adjunct faculty of Juilliard and curated the junior year curriculum of the Playwrights Horizons Theater School at NYU. She has guest lectured at Bard College, Barnard College, Brown University, Columbia University, Juilliard, the National Theater Institute at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, UCSD, the University of Texas-Austin, and Yale University, among others. From 2004 to 2012, Maria was the Executive Producer of 13P, one of her proudest achievements. Maria is a first-generation Latinx- American, born to parents who emigrated from the Dominican Republic and Spain. She was raised in Jamaica, Queens, and has a collection of hoop earrings to prove it. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in 2001 from Brown University.

Maria Manuela's IG: ⁠⁠@MariaGoyanes

Maria Manuela's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/maria-manuela-goyanes

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