American Theater Company's months-long national search for a new permanent artistic director has resulted in the appointment of Will Davis, an alumnus of the Theatre School at DePaul University, ATC's board announced today.
Davis, 33, holds an M.F.A. in directing from the University of Texas at Austin in addition to his B.F.A. from DePaul. He's currently based in New York, where his recent work includes a Clubbed Thumb production of Jaclyn Backhaus's Men in Boats; New York Times critic Ben Brantley praised Davis's "highly ingenious direction."
While at DePaul, Davis served as assistant director to then-artistic director Damon Kiely on ATC's acclaimed revival of William Inge's The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. He takes the top slot most recently held by PJ Paparelli, who served from 2007 until his untimely death last May. Bonnie Metzgar has held down the fort as interim artistic director in the months since.