La Jolla Playhouse Bids Farewell to Long-time Artistic Director

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• Becky Biegelsen- [email protected]

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When Christopher Ashley, La Jolla Playhouse's Rich Family Artistic Director, announced his departure from the Playhouse last September, his move seemed a long way off. Now, as he begins rehearsals for his final project - the world-premiere musical "Working Girl" - his tenure is officially coming to an end, capping off an incredible 18 years leading the nationally renowned theatre. Ashley will depart the Playhouse in January 2026 to lead New York City's esteemed Roundabout Theatre, which presents Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

Over the last two decades at the Playhouse, Ashley directed more than 20 productions, oversaw the development of 50 world premieres and shepherded 20 shows to Broadway, among them the hit musicals "The Outsiders" and "Come From Away," for which he won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Director. Throughout this time, Ashley - working closely with Playhouse Managing Director and UC San Diego alumna Debby Buchholz '84 - built on the robust, symbiotic relationship between the Playhouse and campus.

Since its rebirth in 1983 - the first iteration of La Jolla Playhouse, founded by Gregory Peck, Dorothy Maguire and Mel Ferrer, was active from 1947 to 1959 - the Playhouse and UC San Diego have worked closely together to create an integrated environment for the adventurous theatre produced by the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse and the nationally-renowned theatre training program offered by the UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance. The two entities share four performance spaces - the Mandell Weiss Theatre, the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, the Mandell Weiss Forum and the Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre. The Playhouse offers professional residencies to every UC San Diego graduate student in acting, directing, design and stage management, providing students invaluable opportunities to work on major productions.

"Christopher Ashley's leadership has strengthened and expanded the relationship between La Jolla Playhouse and UC San Diego's thriving arts ecosystem, creating unparalleled opportunities for our students, faculty and alumni," said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "Through initiatives like the WOW Festival and residencies for our MFA Theatre and Dance students, Chris has nurtured the next generation of artists and contributed significantly to our university's reputation as a destination for the arts. As he departs, Chris leaves behind a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire and connect the artistic landscape of San Diego for years to come."

In 2011, Ashley spearheaded the creation of the Playhouse's popular and widely-acclaimed Without Walls program of immersive and site-inspired work, including the annual WOW Festival, which has frequently been presented in partnership with UC San Diego. The very first WOW Festival launched at UC San Diego in 2013 and returned to campus again in 2015, 2024 and 2025. This April, the 2026 WOW Festival will also be a collaboration with UC San Diego, once again turning the campus into a vibrant communal space where patrons can gather to experience WOW performances and engage in lively discussions about the work.

Hundreds of UC San Diego students and alumni have created projects for the WOW Festival over the years. In 2024, a special course was developed for undergraduates to create and produce a WOW production under the mentorship of Christopher Khul, design faculty, and Deborah Stein, playwriting faculty, both in the Department of Theatre and Dance.

In 2019, Ashley worked with UC San Diego Theatre and Dance faculty to jointly establish a commissioning program, strengthening the great bond between the two institutions by guaranteeing that each MFA playwriting graduate will continue to have a relationship with the Playhouse as they enter the professional world.

"UC San Diego's graduate playwriting program is among the very best in the nation, nurturing the voices of numerous stellar alumni - including Jeff Augustin MFA '14, Naomi Iizuka, MFA '92 (currently head of the graduate playwriting program), Mat Smart, MFA '04, and Lauren Yee, MFA '12, all of whom have been produced by the Playhouse," says Ashley. "Our unique partnership with the university not only develops and showcases promising new talent but also attracts the greater community to UC San Diego for top-notch theatre."

In 2013, Ashley launched the Playhouse's DNA New Work Series, creating an incubator for playwrights and directors to develop their works - more than a dozen of which have later been programmed as part of the Playhouse's subscription season. Many UC San Diego MFA graduates have been featured in DNA, while countless others have worked on Playhouse productions - both on stage and off.

A champion of the San Diego theatre community, Ashley established the Resident Theatre Program in 2010, which provides a home and resources to an itinerant local theatre company each year. His vision has also helped launch such programs as the biennial Director Fellowship, paid internships, and the Veterans Playwriting Workshop, while building on the success of the Playhouse's signature Performance Outreach Program Tour for young audiences. He has continued to foster numerous community partnerships, including the Native Voices Play Festival, Latinx New Play Festival and Voices of Our City Choir, to name just a few.

Ashley has brought extraordinary artists to develop their work at the Playhouse, among them Pulitzer Prize winners Ayad Akhtar, Paula Vogel and Doug Wright, along with celebrated artists Anna Deavere Smith, Matthew Broderick, Danya Taymor, Moisés Kaufman, Idina Menzel, as well as UC San Diego graduates Robert Brill '88 (currently part of the Theatre and Dance design faculty), Jefferson Mays, MFA '91, and Anne Kauffman, MFA '99.

Ashley's legacy of innovation, community engagement, and new work development has cemented La Jolla Playhouse as the place to see what's next on the American theatre landscape - a nationally-renowned cultural destination right here on the UC San Diego campus.

"It has been my honor, privilege and joy to serve as the Playhouse's artistic director for the past 18 seasons. La Jolla Playhouse will always remain a cornerstone of my career, both as an artist and a member of this extraordinary creative community," said Ashley. "I am beyond grateful to all those who have supported the Playhouse mission, from our incredible Board of Trustees; to our unparalleled staff, artists and production teams, who work tirelessly to develop, build and sustain the exciting new work on our stages; to my colleagues at UC San Diego, with whom the Playhouse has shared a deeply rewarding partnership for more than 40 years, all of whom have contributed to making La Jolla Playhouse and the UC San Diego Theatre District one of the most vibrant and innovative theatres in the country - if not the world."

La Jolla Playhouse's world-premiere musical "Come From Away," for which Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley won the Tony Award for Direction. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)