Iowa Stage Theatre Company Announces New Leadership
New Artistic and Executive Directors bring new energy and creativity into young theatre company.
- Des Moines, IA (1888PressRelease) February 12, 2018 - The Iowa Stage Theatre Company Board of Directors has announced the hiring of two new company directors as the theatre group continues its inaugural season.
Kurt V. Rachwitz was selected as the Executive Director position effective January 2nd. Rachwitz's position is the equivalent of a Chief Operating Officer, with an emphasis on raising funds for the nonprofit as it completes its first season and announces its 2018-2019 season. He comes to Iowa Stage after a 20-year career as contracted, professional fundraising counsel for nonprofits from Connecticut to Florida. A Nebraska native, Rachwitz holds a Ph.D in Rhetoric from the University of Nebraska and is married to Pamela Thomas, Director of Business Development Services for the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, Florida.
"The big attractions of this job-other than getting to live in Des Moines among some of the friendliest people I've ever met-were the enthusiasm and commitment of the Iowa Stage board and the talent, professionalism, and dedication of the performance company," Rachwitz says. "When they shared with me their plans for the company's future and their ambitions as a professional theatre company, I knew I had to be part of the excitement."
During his career leading nonprofit fundraising campaigns, Rachwitz has been Director of Development of The Rialto Center for the Performing Arts at Georgia State University in Atlanta; Director of Proposal Development and Quality at Georgia Tech; and resident counsel for nonprofits in ten states.
In addition to the change at the Executive Director position, Matthew McIver will assume the role of Artistic Director on April 1, 2018. McIver is a 20-year member of Actor's Equity and has a diverse history in the performing arts. He is a company member of Iowa Stage and former director with the company's legacy organizations - StageWest and Repertory Theatre of Iowa. McIver also serves on the boards of several local arts nonprofits, among them Pyramid Theatre Company.
McIver arrived in Des Moines in 2008 with his wife, Julie Betts, as part the team that created the Des Moines Social Club. In five years as founding artistic director, he built a variety of programming, events and attractions that included artistic and culinary classes, an art gallery, and the Kum & Go Theater. Prior to DMSC, McIver spent 11 years in New York City as an actor, director, and teacher, including work as a personal assistant to Tony-winner Michael Mayer.
"As a lifelong lover of theatre, I'm delighted and honored to lead Iowa Stage's artistic direction into the coming years," McIver says. "Iowa Stage is transformative theatre and working with our talented artistic team, we intend to tell stories that foster conversations and hopefully open minds".
In his time away from the theater he works in business development for the creative minds at INVISION Architecture, and is the proud father of two children, Vaughn and Flynn.
About Iowa Stage Theatre Company
Based in Des Moines, the Iowa Stage Theatre Company was formed in early 2017. The theatre's mission is to transform, inspire, enlighten and entertain audiences with contemporary and classical theatre offerings. Iowa Stage performs the majority of its productions inside the Kum & Go Theater located at the Des Moines Social Club.
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