ORLANDO, FLA.: Orlando Shakespeare Theater has named Larry Mabrey their new managing director. Mabrey will take over at the end of the month from interim managing director Elizabeth Gwinn, who took the position up on the departure of Douglas Love-Ramos last July.
“I have known Larry for years through the Shakespeare Theatre Association and have admired his skill and talent,” said Orlando Shakes artistic director Jim Helsinger in a statement. “Larry joins us with experience leading a respected Shakespeare theatre, and I look forward to working together to build the future of Orlando Shakes.”
Mabrey recently served as the managing director at Santa Cruz Shakespeare and has also held positions at Circus Flora, the West Virginia Public Theatre, and Webster University. He is the co-founder of the Avalon Theatre Company of St. Louis, where he also served as producing artistic director. Mabrey holds a BFA in theatre arts from Stephens College and studied arts management and leadership at Webster University. He is a member of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab.
“Orlando Shakes’s reputation for high quality professional productions is well-known and I am energized about the opportunities that await us,” Mabrey said in a statement. “I look forward to partnering with Jim Helsinger and the staff to bring the magic of theatre to Central Florida.”
The search for a new managing director was led by board member Linda Landman Gonzalez and Evolution Management Consultants. Gonzalez reported that almost 100 candidates were contacted throughout the process, and 12 were interviewed.
Mabrey will begin his tenure on Nov. 27, in the midst of Orlando Shakes’s 35th anniversary season.
Orlando Shakespeare Theater, in partnership with the University of Central Florida, produces classic, contemporary, and children’s theatre programming and has grown into one of the region’s most acclaimed professional theatres. The company offers immersive educational programs that serve central Florida schools and the community at large. As of 2022, the theatre had a budget of approximately $4.3 million.
