JASON LOEWITH HIRED AS FIRST NNPN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The National New Play Network (NNPN) is pleased to announce that Jason Loewith has been hired as the Network's first Executive Director. Loewith will assume the Executive Director position on March 1, 2009, and will operate out of offices in Washington, D.C.

The NNPN is a 10-year old service organization comprising an alliance of 24 contemporary professional not-for-profit producing theatERs championing the development, production, and continued life of new plays for the American theatERe. It is funded through membership dues plus generous grants from the NEA, the Shubert Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation as well as through contributions from individuals. For its first 10 years, the NNPN administered its programs through volunteer leadership. Most recently, John Pietrowski, Artistic Director of Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, has served as Acting Executive Director. Mark Routhier, former Director of Artistic Development at Magic Theatre, served as Acting Executive Director from January 1 - February 28.

Loewith is Artistic Director Emeritus of Chicago's Next Theatre Company. He served as Artistic Director for Next Theatre Company for six years, and established a stellar record of both institutional management and artistic leadership. At Next, Loewith shepherded more than 20 productions, including five plays in world premieres or workshops. His programming twice received the After Dark Award for Outstanding Season (03-04 and 05-06), and work that he directed or produced won multiple Jeff, After Dark, and Black Theatre Alliance Awards and received critical accolades from Chicagoland's major media outlets. Loewith conceived and co-wrote (with Josh Schmidt) The Adding Machine: A Musical. Loewith produced the world premiere at Next, and that production went on to a six-month commercial run Off-Broadway, garnering Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best New Musical of the Season, alongside four OBIE Awards for direction, design and performance.

Loewith increased Next's budget from $168,000 to $700,000, retiring $100,000 of inherited debt along the way, and running surpluses in each of six seasons. Loewith also built up the Next board of directors from four to 19 members. After extensive training in long-term planning from the New Artistic Leadership Institute and TCG's Mellon/Duke New Generations program, he created and implemented two strategic plans for Next Theatre, which led to triple-digit subscription and contributed income growth.

During his years in Chicago, Loewith also created successful multi-theater collaborations. In 2002, he founded a consortium of theaters on Chicago's North Shore. That initiative, North Shore Live!, was funded by the Boeing Company and continues to serve an increasing number of organizations. More recently, Loewith served as Executive Producer of Chicagoland's participation in Suzan-Lori Parks' 365 Days/365 Plays Festival. He raised more than $30,000 for this effort from grants and the 60 participating theaters, bringing free new plays to more than 7,000 patrons between 2006 and 2007.

Prior to his leadership roles in Chicago, Loewith served five years as General Manager of Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway.