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Fort Worth's Amphibian Stage hires Elizabeth Kensek as managing director
Artistic director and managing director Elizabeth Kensek.
Two months after being abruptly let go from WaterTower Theatre in Addison, Elizabeth Kensek has found a new artistic home: Amphibian Stage.
The Fort Worth theater company announced Kensek's appointment as managing director on October 18. She will officially assume the role January 1, 2025, but has already begun transitioning into it during the run of The Amazing, Fabulous, and Spectacular Untruths of Juan Garcia this October and November.
Kensek’s hiring comes on the heels of the organization bidding farewell to its founding artistic director, Kathleen Culebro, who will step down at the end of this year after 25 years of leadership.
Newly appointed artistic director Jay Duffer will work with Kensek and Amphibian's board of directors to oversee the theater’s business operations, administration, and daily activities.
“I’m ecstatic to work alongside Elizabeth," says Duffer. "She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in producing nonprofit professional theater. She comes with such great ideas and vision — she is going to teach me things about the job!"
Duffer says he knew he had to "seize this opportunity quickly," calling Kensek "a highly valued asset to our North Texas artistic community" who is "beloved by artists and patrons alike."
Kensek brings more than 20 years of experience in the theatrical arts, as a performer, stage manager, educator, and producer. She grew up in Chicago, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Illinois Wesleyan University, and called NYC her home for over a decade. She moved to DFW in August 2019 to serve as associate producer of WaterTower Theatre. Prior to that, the Chicago native served as the director of development and artistic associate for New York City's Theatre 4the People and was a member of Working Man’s Clothes Theatre Company.
Kensek is also a founding member of the DFW Theatre Alliance, which united North Texas professional theaters during the pandemic, and she has served on grant committees for TACA and NAMT.
“I am honored to be joining Amphibian Stage in their historic 25th year," Kensek says. "I have been a long-time admirer of Amphibian, and of Kathleen Culebro and Jay Duffer as artistic leaders in American theater. I rarely missed an Amphibian production since returning to DFW five years years ago. I was always struck by the high caliber of talent, ingenuity, and creativity in their programming, but also by my own excitement every time I walked into their lobby—knowing that I was about to be welcomed in and would have the opportunity to experience something new and unexpected. I believe in serving the artistic community here in DFW, and I believe that we have the opportunity to become a national destination for theater.”
Amphibian Stage's current season concludes with The Amazing, Fabulous, and Spectacular Untruths of Juan Garcia, which closes November 3.
