Lear deBessonet will be the new artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater, succeeding André Bishop after his 33-year tenure.
DeBessonet is currently the artistic director of Encores! at New York City Center, which produces revivals of musicals and has seen several of its productions, including the recent revivals of In the woods AND Once upon a time there was a mattresswill move to Broadway. He will work with Bartlett Sher, a well-known Broadway director and Lincoln Center Theater’s resident director, who will take on the new role of executive producer.
As previously announced, Bishop will conclude his tenure in June 2025 and will oversee this season which includes Robert Downey Jr. McNeal, opening this month, and the rebirth of Dr. Floyd Collins this spring. Bishop first joined LCT as artistic director in January 1992, and was named producing artistic director in July 2013. Under his leadership, LCT, which is known for its major revivals of musicals and ambitious new plays and has a Broadway theatre as well as Off-Broadway spaces, has won Tony Awards for its revivals of The King and I AND South Pacific and the theatrical works Oslo AND The coast of Utopia.
In his new role, deBessonet will be responsible for programming and season planning, while Sher will focus on international partnerships, brand expansion, and growing LCT’s fundraising and resources. Before leading Encores!, deBessonet founded Public Works at the Public Theater, which brings community groups into theater productions, and served as the program’s resident director from 2012 to 2020.
Sher, who has been LCT's resident director since 2008, directed To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway, in addition to My Fair Lady, Oslo, Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, The Bridges of Madison County, South Pacific, The Light in the Square and more.
Both will begin their new roles on July 1, 2025, and will report directly to the Chairman of the LCT Board of Directors.
Their appointments come at a time of profound change in nonprofit leadership on Broadway, which has four major nonprofits. Evan Cabnett, who served as artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater’s LCT3, an initiative to produce new works, was recently named the new artistic director of Second Stage Theater, replacing Carole Rothman after a 45-year career. And Roundabout Theater Company is still searching for a permanent leader after the death of Todd Haimes, who ran its programming for 40 years.
“It is the deepest honor of my professional life to serve as the next artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater, following the extraordinary legacy of André Bishop,” said deBessonet. “From the moment I first stepped foot on the Lincoln Center campus, I have felt a sense of wonder and magic. From exciting and important new plays and musicals to exquisite revivals and revelatory explorations of classics, I have experienced LCT as a place where intellectual rigor can coexist with wonder, imagination, and beauty. I believe that theater is a space for community creation and restoration, and my intention in this job is to serve the mission and endless possibilities of LCT, our city, and the industry. I am thrilled to work alongside my dear friend Bartlett Sher, whose artistry and vision have profoundly influenced my work as a director, and the extraordinary board and staff of Lincoln Center Theater to lead this theater into its next chapter of great success.”
“Lincoln Center Theater is one of America’s greatest theaters, and it has been brilliantly led by André Bishop, leaving a legacy of exceptional quality and tremendous strength,” said Sher. “At the same time, theater has never been more important to our culture for building discourse, engagement, and community. Our magnificent theater spaces, combined with our amazing staff, have led to profound and enduring work at the heart of New York and our nation. Lear deBessonet is an incredible artist and leader, and I am deeply honored to collaborate with her as she leads Lincoln Center Theater into a transformative future.”