Snehal Desai Named Artistic Director of Center Theatre Group
Snehal Desai has been named the next artistic director of Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, becoming the first person of color to serve in this position in the organization’s history.
Desai has worked as producing artistic director of L.A.’s historic East West Players since 2016. He will start at Center Theatre Group in August and make his first public appearance as incoming artistic director at Center Theatre Group’s “Light Up Los Angeles” Gala on April 15.
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Desai was appointed to the position after a nationwide search led by Arts Consulting Group and an internal search committee, with the goal of making the process the “widest and most equitable search possible.” After wide-ranging discussions on the needs of the position, CTG crafted a job description and received more than 100 applicants. Thirty applicants were interviewed and eventually Desai was referred to CTG’s Board of Directors, who voted unanimously for the appointment.
While at East West Players, the largest Asian American theater in the country, Desai directed three of its highest-grossing and most-attended shows, including an engagement of Allegiance starring George Takei. Desai also led co-productions with Center Theatre Group, among others, including Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and Soft Power at the Ahmanson Theatre.
Desai is a graduate of Emory University and received his MFA in Directing from the Yale School of Drama. He currently serves on the board of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.
In the position, he will work alongside CTG’s managing director and CEO Meghan Pressman. The pair will lead the organization as it seeks to bring audiences back to theater after the pandemic.
“I am pleased to welcome Snehal as our new artistic leader,” said Center Theatre Group Board President Amy Forbes. “He’s an ideal and invigorating leader for this inflection point in Center Theatre Group’s history, as we navigate the hard realities of the post-pandemic theatrical landscape. We need to get folks back experiencing shows. We need to retain and grow audiences and remind people of the excitement that is live theatre. And we need to engage with the entire Los Angeles County. Snehal impressed us all with his thoughtful and entertaining vision for the future.
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