In September, not only will Rhode Island's Trinity Repertory Company get Donald Margulies’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner with Friends, they also boast new managing director Edgar Dobie.

Dobie, who recently served as managing producer for the 1999 and 2000 Tony Awards, will join the 1981 Tony Award-winning Regional Theatre in Rhode Island. He succeeds William P. Wingate who ends a three season term with the company which has just closed five consecutive seasons with a balanced budget.

Dobie worked in nonprofit theatre from 1979-1988 as a founding managing director of Toronto's Canadian Stage Company and general managers at various theatre in Canada. He then spent two years as vice president for Live Entertainment Division of Cineplex Odeon and became senior VP when the company became The Live Entertainment Corporation (Livent). From 1992-1997, he headed Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Company, Inc. as president overseeing North American operations. In 1997, he formed his own producing companies: Edgar Dobie, Inc. and Watt Dobie Productions, LLC.

Trinity Rep's artistic director Oskar Eustis welcomes his new partner to the 37 year-old company with praise in a released statement, " Edgar has the skills, the experience and the vision to guide Trinity's ambitious plans for the future." Eustis also pointed to the weight of the decision when he spoke of "a seven-month international search" for the position.

Dobie reciprocates his partner's enthusiasm, stating "to work at Trinity Repertory Company is a dream come true,” adding his pleasure in working for a company with "such a proud history of accomplishments and with such ambitious plans for the future.” Following a transitional period alongside Wingate, Dobie will take on full time duties overseeing the $7 million budget and all business operations of the theater company in September. The 38th season at Trinity Rep begins with Michael Frayn’s comedy Noises Off (Aug. 31-Oct. 7), followed by Donald Margulies’ Dinner with Friends (Sept. 21 Nov. 4). Trinity Rep continues with its 25th anniversary production of A Christmas Carol (Nov. 16-Dec. 30) and Marc Wolf performs his Another American: Asking and Telling (Jan. 4-Feb. 10, 2002). Then, two world premieres kick of the 2002 year, David Henry Hwang’s new play Savage in Paradise and a play to be named (March-April, 2002). J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan then runs (April-June 2002). Bookending the Trinity Rep season is Michael Frayn’s 2000 Tony-winning play Copenhagen.

For more information, visit Trinity Rep’s website at www.trinityrep.com or call the box office at (401) 351-4242.

— by Ernio Hernandez