Huntington's New Artistic Director

After an 11-month search, the Huntington Theatre Company has announced the name of its new Artistic Director.

Peter DuBois will step into Nicholas Martin's role this summer after leaving his current job as resident director and Associate Producer at the Public Theater in New York. WBUR's Andrea Shea has more on DuBois' move to Boston.

Audio for this story will be available on WBUR's web site later today.

TEXT STORY:

ANDREA SHEA: At 37 years old, Peter DuBois will be the youngest Artistic Director the Huntington has ever hired. But William McQuillan, President of the theatre company's Board of Trustees, and co-chair of the search committee, says while Dubois' age was appealing it wasn't the deciding factor.

WILLIAM McQUILLAN: Peter has what can only be described as an infectious enthusiasm for everything that he seems to do.

ANDREA SHEA: McQuillan cites DuBois' victories...with an avant-garde theater troupe in the Czech Republic...the innovative Perseverance Theatre Company in Juno Alaska...and his most recent tenure at the highly respected and well-attended Public Theater in New York.

WILLIAM McQUILLAN: One of the things that that represents to us is a sort of adventurousness that we find refreshing and frankly necessary in terms of bringing not simply cutting-edge theater but also entertainment.

ANDREA SHEA: After DuBois ties up loose ends in New York he'll take over the Huntington in July...and says while he's thrilled...he does anticipate challenges in doing theater in Boston.

PETER DUBOIS: There is a need in Boston and I see it nationally for a theater that's really bringing in the best work from around the country and working with the most exciting artists from around the country and at the same time creating a home for Boston artists so it's really working at it from both ends.

ANDREA SHEA: DuBois says he plans to capitalize on the company's new Calderwood Pavilion in the South End. He also wants to expand the theater's partnership with Boston University.

PETER DUBOIS: I've developed relationships at the Public and living in Europe and even in Alaska that are relationships that I plan to be bringing to the Huntington Theatre and I think the programming is going to represent a really diverse range of what theater means.

ANDREA SHEA: DuBois has collaborated with well-known actors and playwrights such as Rosie Perez and Tony Kushner. Last year playwright and director Neil LaBute had the opportunity to work with DuBois in New York on 'Wrecks'...a one-man play starring Ed Harris. LaBute says Dubois is professional, easy to work with, and not scared to take risks.

NEIL LABUTE: From the work I've seen he's done everything from 'Richard III' to a play with Labyrinth Theater with Phillip Seymour Hoffman called 'Jack Goes Boating', very inventive staging, so I think he approaches the classics and blows the dust off them and brings them you know to real life.

ANDREA SHEA: DuBois' connections and rolodex bode well for the Huntington...and theater goers in Boston, according to Jeff Poulous. He's the Executive Director of StageSource, a theatre alliance in Boston.

JEFF POULOS: Sounds like he knows how to cultivate directors, knows how to cultivate playwrights and of course actors as a director himself so bringing somebody in who has sort of the complete package.

ANDREA SHEA: Complete in the fact that DuBois has been successful in cultivating not only artists at his previous jobs...but also donors. Huntington Theater Trustee William McQuillan hopes the energetic, young director will stick around.

WILLIAM McQUILLAN: We're delighted that Peter is the age that he is, we certainly expect that Peter will be with us for a good 10 year run and I think the city of Boston's gonna love him.

ANDREA SHEA: Before moving to Boston Peter DuBois will spend some time in San Francisco working with playwright and actor Sam Shepard on a new version of 'The Curse of the Starving Class.'

For WBUR, I'm Andrea Shea.