On the heels of announcing its next season, American Stage broke the news that it will soon have a new woman in charge — Producing Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte. She will begin official duties on Feb. 24.
Gularte, 43, has 14 years of experience as a producing artistic director in northern California, including 10 years as the executive artistic director of Capital Stage Company, a reputed professional, nonprofit theater company in Sacramento.
As she departs for Tampa Bay, her former theater is working on the Sacramento premiere and winner of the 2014 Glickman Award for Excellence in Playwriting: Ideation, a psychological suspense thriller, in which a group of corporate consultants work together on a mysterious and ethically ambiguous project. It's the type of vanguard, forward-thinking fare we hope Gularte will bring to the more middle-of-the-road American Stage.
"Looking at its current season and the slate of works already chosen for 2015/16, American Stage seems to be a less adventurous company than the one Gularte started [in 2005]," said Marcus Crowder of the Sacramento Bee. The story went on to say that Gularte hopes to "move the needle a bit" during her tenure at American Stage.
The multi-talented theater dynamo holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in theatre arts and government, from California State University at Sacramento, and she is working toward a Master of Fine Arts in directing from the University of Idaho this year.
For seven years, Gularte has taught as an adjunct professor at a community college in California, leading classes on theater, acting and film studies.
She is also a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Union, Actors’ Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, and the National New Playwrights Network.
As an actor, she's starred in Hedda Gabler and How I Learned to Drive. Directorial credits include Enron, True West, Good People and Anna Karenina. In 2014, Gularte was presented with a proclamation from the city of Sacramento, honoring her many years of service to the arts in the region.
Meg Heimstead, who served as American Stage’s Interim Artistic Director following the departure of Todd Olson last year, will resume her role as Director of Education upon Gularte’s arrival.
"I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie Gularte to the American Stage team," wrote Heimstead in an email to CL. "She brings with her a wealth of management and directing experience. I look forward to the infusion of new energy she will bring to American Stage. Her unique perspective will lead us into the next chapter of our creative story. The board made an excellent choice with Stephanie and I can’t wait to work with her."
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2015.