After 45 years of steadfast service, Carole Rothman will step down as the artistic director of Second Stage Theater in the spring of 2024. 

Rothman has led the company since its founding in 1979, when she endeavored to create a new company to support living American playwrights and new emerging talent. Over her 45 years of leadership, she has produced more than 250 plays and musicals, including Next to Normal, Eurydice, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Dear Evan Hansen, and more. Originally an Off-Broadway company, Second Stage purchased the Helen Hayes Theater in 2015, making it one of only four non-profit theatre companies operating on Broadway. The company continues to operate both on and off Broadway.

Her final season as artistic director will include the world premiere of Paula Vogel's Mother Play, starring Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jessica Lange and Jim Parsons, and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Appropriate, starring Sarah Paulson.

“For 45 years, I have had the great honor of working with countless incredible artists and playwrights, many at the beginning of their careers, who are now among the brightest stars in the industry,” said Rothman. “The shows we have brought to life have been award-winners, conversation-starters, and groundbreakers. I’m forever grateful to all the people who have helped make Second Stage the creative springboard it is today. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished together."

Information on her successor is forthcoming.