Baltimore Center Stage has hired Adam Frank as the theater’s managing director.
Frank comes to Center Stage from Waterwell, a nonprofit theater and education program based in New York where he has been managing director since 2018. Frank will begin his new role on Dec. 13.
With an MFA and MBA from Yale, Frank has been active in theater across the country including New York City’s Public Theater and Los Angeles Music Center among others. At Center Stage, he will join artistic director Stephanie Ybarra to build a slate of performances for the upcoming years.
As managing director, Frank will assist Ybarra in the strategic vision for the theater. As one of the longest-operating nonprofit theaters in Maryland, he will continue to plan programming that engages the community and work with staff to grow and sustain the organization.
“People are the center of my management practice,” Frank said. After spending time at organizations of varying sizes, he’s also eager to work with such a strong institution. The person-first ethos is what drew Frank to this role at Center Stage. Frank hopes he can continue to lead with empathy and bring dynamic programming to the theater.
“I’m excited about Center Stage but I’m also excited about Baltimore as a city,” Frank said about moving. ”Everyone who we’ve met there has been so welcoming,” he said. Frank hopes that Baltimore can become a home for his family and they can continue to give back to the artistic community.
Waterwell was founded in 2002 by Iranian American actor Arian Moayed — known for appearing in shows like “Succession” — and theater executive Tom Ridgely. Since then, the organization has continued to tackle difficult civic questions through performance. As managing director of Waterwell, Frank increased revenue and partnered with community organizations focused on immigration and labor rights.
“Adam was selected for his track record of empathetic management, operational rigor, community outreach and support for vibrant, ambitious theater,” said Sandy Liotta, a Center Stage board member.
