Oskar Eustis, the long-serving artistic director of the Public Theater and a prominent player in the theater world, will step down after 23 years at the helm.
Eustis, who oversaw the creation of Tony Award-winning shows including Hamilton and Fun Home at the Off-Broadway theater, will not renew his contract after it concludes July 31, 2028, which is the 60th anniversary of the Public.
“I have long hoped that my 70th birthday would be the right moment for me to pass this magnificent theater on to the next generation, and I believe that indeed, the perfect time has arrived. The theater has come through the storm of the last six years with its mission intact, robust and thriving, having weathered Covid, societal upheaval, and the worst crisis the American non-profit theater has ever faced,” Eustis stated.
“Our Board, staff, and artists are strong and united around our mission; our audience is robust and hungry for our work; The Public is ready to tackle new challenges with all the integrity and creativity it has shown for the last 70-plus years,” he continued.
The Public Theater Board, chaired by Luis A. Miranda, Jr (father to Lin-Manuel Miranda), will establish a search committee this fall, with the goal of naming a successor next year.
