The Helen Hayes Theatre Company announced Oct. 7 that Mary Oleniczak will replace Tony Stimac as the theatre's executive director. Stimac, who earlier in the year announced his decision to leave the position, will assist with the transition through January of 2003. He will, however, remain as the theatre's artistic director.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Oleniczak has held positions at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, John Harms Center for the Arts, General Motors Corporation, Century Boat Company and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. She worked as executive director of the latter for six years, where she presented a diverse series of performing arts and film, workshops and master classes. Oleniczak most recently worked as CEO of the John Harms Center for the Arts, where she oversaw the operations of the organization.

About her new position, Oleniczak recently commented, "I'm excited about the challenges and opportunities ahead. The Helen Hayes has a wonderful reputation in the arts industry. The quality of the productions and name recognition put the theatre in the forefront of regional theatres. My challenge is to build upon those aspects and continue to expand the audience base, develop new relationships in the community and continue to develop exciting theatrical productions. The Helen Hayes is poised to make great inroads in the cultural landscape of the area."

Next up for the Hayes is the new musical revue Showtune: The Jerry Herman Songbook, which begins performances Oct. 12 with Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie and former Baby star Martin Vidnovic. The Helen Hayes Theatre Company is located at 117 Main Street in Nyack, N.Y. For more information, go to www.hhtco.org.

—By Andrew Gans