Norristown’s Theatre Horizon has found its new artistic director in 30-year-old Nell Bang-Jensen, a nationally recognized rising star among theater professionals, writes Jane M. Von Bergen for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“It’s a huge responsibility and a huge gift,” said Bang-Jensen.
She will replace the theater’s co-founder and artistic director Erin Reilly, who will continue with the theater in a new fund-raising role.
This generational shift is opening a lot of new conversations on how theater is serving local communities, said Bang-Jensen.
“How can we make theater more diverse, more inclusive, and more equitable?“ she asked. “It might mean mixing up traditional theater models to prioritize the public good.“
She added she was very interested in experimenting with various models and “with what theater can do in the 21st century.“
Bang-Jensen is a well-known name in theater circles. She was named one of the six “theatre workers” to know by American Theatre magazine. She is also one of eight people accepted into the Leadership program by Theatre Communication Group. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the program is intended for individuals who represent the future of national theater.
Read more about the new artistic director at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.
