January 29, 2013 – Dobama Theatre’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that it has appointed Nathan Motta as its new Artistic Director effective February 15, 2013. Motta succeeds Joel Hammer, who will move to the role of Artistic Director Emeritus. Motta will be the fifth artistic leader in the theatre’s 54 year history. Motta will be transitioning from Associate Artistic Director at Dobama Theatre to the Artistic Director position. Current Associate Artistic Director Dianne Boduszek will remain on the artistic staff as Artistic Associate – Production.
“We are delighted to have Nathan Motta step into this role at Dobama Theatre,” said Joel Hammer. “It is rare to find a new Artistic Director with such energy and credentials, as well as a commitment to Dobama’s mission and the greater theater community.”
Laura Anderson, President of Dobama’s Board of Directors said of Motta: “Not only are Nathan’s artistic abilities and leadership skills exemplary, his passion for Dobama is contagious. We are thrilled that Nathan will lead Dobama, its artists and its audiences into this next phase of the theatre’s artistic mission.”
“It’s a great privilege to follow in the footsteps of people like Don Bianchi, Joyce Casey, Ron Newell and Joel Hammer,” Motta said. “Dobama has a long history of producing Cleveland premieres of important new plays. The work that has been done to bring professional productions of these new works to the greater Cleveland community is both exciting and vital to the arts culture in the city. I look forward to continuing this work, to helping to grow Dobama Theatre’s theatre community, and to advance this theatre’s essential mission.”
NATHAN MOTTA
Nathan Motta is a professional freelance director, conductor, and composer/lyricist who has worked with Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Opera Cleveland, Ohio Light Opera, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Mercury Opera Rochester (NY), and Civic Light Opera (Pittsburgh). Motta was named Associate Artistic Director at Dobama Theatre in 2012, where he directed A BRIGHT NEW BOISE for the 2012-13 season. He is the Founding Artistic Director of the Dobama Emerging Actors Program where he teaches acting and has directed productions of ANTIGONE, THE TEMPEST, and BLOOD WEDDING. He is also the producer of Dobama’s Young Playwrights programs. At the Cleveland Play House, Motta has worked on productions of EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOR (with the Cleveland Orchestra), A CAROL FOR CLEVELAND, BELL BOOK AND CANDLE, and GALILEO (the inaugural CPH production in the Allen Theatre). Motta has composed and adapted two original musicals: LITTLE WHITE GLOVES (an adaptation of the movie All I Wanna Do), which premiered in February 2010 and MIDSUMMER (based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) which premiered in 2012. As a conductor, his recording of the operetta Der Vogelhändler with the Ohio Light Opera Company was released on the Albany Records label in 2008. He acted as Assistant Conductor to Marvin Hamlisch and Robert Page in a series of Pittsburgh Symphony Pops performances of “A Tribute to Richard Rodgers”. He holds a B.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon University and Master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music. Mr. Motta will be directing Dobama Theatre’s final show of the 2012-13 season, Nicky Silver’s THE LYONS, which opens April 19th, 2013.
