PHOENIX, AZ. and SARASOTA, FLA.: Sean Daniels has announced that he will step down as artistic director of Arizona Theatre Company, and in spring 2023 take the role of associate director and director of a new Recovery Project at Florida Studio Theatre (FST).
“We are very excited to have Sean join the FST team,” said Richard Hopkins, FST’s producing artistic director, in a statement. “Mr. Daniels will be an excellent addition to our creative core. He brings three decades of professional experience and excellent proven skills as a director, playwright, play developer, and fundraiser. He knows how to lead; he knows how to follow; and most importantly, he knows how to collaborate.”
In his new role, Daniels will oversee FST’s new-play development program and its Stage III Series, and will lead the Recovery Project, FST’s new initiative to remove the stigma of addiction and recovery through the development of plays, theatre education programs, and outreach. The Recovery Project will serve both theatre artists and the public, focusing on those who need support and those who create the stories that expand our understanding of the world. Daniels will also serve as a resident director for all five of FST’s stages.
“As a person in long-term recovery and an arts leader, I know that telling stories, changing hearts and minds, and creating empathy is what our art form does best,” said Daniels in a statement. “It’s time to use all of these tools to change the narrative around a disease that kills someone every five minutes. This is where I want to be spending my time. Hands down, Florida Studio Theatre is one of the great theatres of our country, and Richard Hopkins is one of the great architects of the regional theatre movement. Richard’s offer to not only invest in a community, but to create new work that will address the public health crisis of addiction was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do everything I love. It takes real leadership to make room for more leaders on your team.”
Prior to leading ATC, Daniels served as artistic director of Merrimack Repertory Theatre and of Dad’s Garage, which he co-founded. He also served as associate artistic director of California Shakespeare Theatre and Actors Theatre of Louisville. Daniels holds a degree from the Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens and Florida State University.
FST is a contemporary theatre founded in 1973 whose mission is to make the arts accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. As of 2020, the theatre’s annual budget was around $6.9 million.
