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Tim Bond, who in 2020 became only the second artistic director in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley history, announced today, July 6, he is stepping down from the post to lead the famed Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
The move is scheduled to take place later this month. Stepping in as interim TheatreWorks artistic director is Giovanna Sardelli, an award-winning stage director who’s been affiliated with the company for more than 15 years. She most recently had been the troupe’s artistic associate and director of new works.
The move will reunite Bond with the 88-year-old Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, a company that draws theater fans and tourists from around the world. Bond worked there for 11 years as associate artistic director and, as he notes, “it is a place my family thinks of as home.”
But Oregon Shakespeare, like many performing arts companies in the post-COVID landscape, is facing financial difficulties and an uncertain future. The company, citing poor ticket sales, has said it needs to raise several million dollars to finish its 2023 season.
“It is with a heavy heart that I leave the TheatreWorks community that I have come to know and love,” said Bond in a statement. “I had hoped to serve here longer, continuing to expand the legacy of founder Robert Kelley. But my former artistic home has asked if I can return to support it during a critical period, and I am compelled to return there.”
More details to come, check back for updates.
Originally published at Randy McMullen