INDIANAPOLIS — After an extensive nationwide search with Management Consultants for the Arts, the Indiana Repertory Theatre and its Board of Directors is pleased to announce the Theatre’s future Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director, Benjamin Hanna. Hanna is the current Associate Artistic Director, and he will work with Janet Allen on the transition until he officially steps into the role after Allen’s retirement on July 1, 2023.
A director, curator, and avid arts educator, Hanna’s passion for multigenerational theatre and dedication to equity and access fuels his investment in Indianapolis’ community to generate art for — and with — all. As IRT’s Associate Artistic Director for the past five years, Hanna inaugurated IRT’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) initiatives for the Board, staff, and community collaborators, directed many acclaimed productions including Fahrenheit 451, The Book Club Play, and the upcoming thriller Clue, evolved season selection and casting processes, and ensured IRT’s quick pivot to virtual programming during the pandemic, allowing patrons to remain connected and engaged.
Hanna will champion new playwrights’ work, expand offerings for student and multigenerational audiences, and develop partnerships alongside newly appointed Director of Inclusion and Community Partnerships Devon Ginn.
Before the IRT, Hanna served at the Tony-Award winning theatres Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis (the nation’s largest theatre for young audiences) and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. In his native Minnesota, Hanna served on the staff at the Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation’s leading African American theatre, where he expanded education and community engagement programming.
