TheatreSquared promotes Shannon Jones to executive director

Fayetteville performing arts venue TheatreSquared (T2) announced Thursday (Aug. 24) the appointment of Shannon Jones to executive director.

She is replacing longtime executive director/producer Martin Miller, who will depart in September to become the executive director for McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, N.J.

Jones’ appointment is effective Sept. 3.

Since 2014, Jones rose to second-in-command of the state’s largest professional theater. Her jobs have included assistant stage manager, production stage manager, associate producer and general manager.

“Having managed theatre operations and collaborated intensively with our outgoing co-leader, Martin Miller, Shannon’s produced a wealth of acclaimed shows and has been instrumental in both budgetary and fiscal management,” board chair Todd Simmons said in a news release. “Her profound relationships with our esteemed artistic partners and our community’s supporters make her the ideal choice. The board feels extremely fortunate that she will continue to bring her deep knowledge of both T2’s operations and its unique culture to her new role.”

Jones will co-lead the theatre alongside artistic director Robert Ford, supported by seven departmental directors.

“We couldn’t have dreamt up a more perfect fit for the role of executive director here at T2,” Ford said. “In Shannon’s nearly ten years here, she’s played a central role in defining T2’s ever-evolving culture. She knows the place inside out and is a fierce defender of our shared values, our fiscal health, and, above all, our people. It’ll be a privilege to serve with her as co-leader of this theatre that she’s poured so much of her heart and soul into.”

Jones is a member of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s 2023 Forty Under 40 class.

“I’m both honored and humbled to step into the role of executive director,” she said. “TheatreSquared and Northwest Arkansas have held my heart since I arrived in 2014, and my commitment to our company, collaborators, community, and patrons remains unwavering as we take these next steps together.”