Meet the New Artistic Director of a Beloved Houston Theater Company

Derek Charles Livingston begins our conversation by singing a few bars of “Rhode Island is famous for you” a funny and charming little song taken from a musical revue from the 1940s called In the USA.

Livingston holds a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from Brown University, located in Providence, RI. This author is from the nearby town of Cranston. The song provided a moment of connection.

And connection is something deeply important to the new artistic director of Stepswho succeeds Kenn McLaughlin this summer, who is retiring after 23 years at the helm of the theater.

He sees Stages as an organization that has a vital place in Houston’s arts community, and he envisions myriad ways to build connections between theater and the city. Amidst his obvious enthusiasm for this new journey he is about to embark on, he is also filled with gratitude.

“I am honored. I am extremely grateful. I’m excited about the possibilities,” Livingston told CultureMap. “The Gordy is like offering a playground to an artist! »

He imagines the Maison de Stages as a place where visual artists can present their work, inspired by or linked to performances on stage. He sees the huge lobby as a natural meeting place to discuss the arts and things we see on stage and how they can change us.

“There are so many exciting opportunities,” he says.

Livingston comes to Houston from the Utah Shakespeare Festival, where he has served as director of New Play Development since 2021 and interim artistic director from June 2022 to November 2023. His experience also includes serving as general artistic director of Los Angeles. “Celebration theater. And he has a long history as someone who seeks to bring communities together. He has a photo in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and was national co-chair of the 1993 LGBTQ Equal Rights March on Washington, one of the largest in American history. UNITED STATES.

He plans to bring that experience with him to Houston, to further enhance the work Stages does in launching new works and new artists. He brings up the idea of ​​strengthening the theater’s Sin Muros festival, which celebrates Latinx voices and stories with a series of readings and workshops.

“I want to have spaces where we develop new works with new writers and new voices, but also help them recalculate and rework their pieces, from readings to workshops to our stage,” he says. “And not just our stage, but also evolving these works until they can be performed anywhere in the country.”

The idea of ​​giving artists the space to develop their pieces at the Gordy speaks to Livingston’s belief that the arts are a connection between communities. Allowing audiences to watch a play from its first reading through its first full staging gives them insight into what it takes to create this particular art, while demonstrating that Stages is committed to having a place in the country’s evolving theater scene.

By taking the top spot at Stages, Livingston is one of the first black men to lead a prominent arts organization in Houston. He is one of the few across the country.

“Being a leader in the black arts now puts me in a brotherhood,” he says, listing several other organizations led by black men, including the Actors Theater of Louisville, the Arena Players in Baltimore and the Geffin in Los Angeles. “We have all earned the right to be in these spaces, and for me, with that comes the responsibility to be an active, visible presence for other people of color. It speaks to our belief that artistry and dynamism can bring about change.

Livingston looks forward to exploring Houston and collaborating with the city’s other institutions.

“Houston has a museum District“, he said, emphasizing the last word. “It tells me how Houstonians view themselves in relation to art and the artists that are here. This tells me that the city recognizes the importance of expression and what it means to be present in the world.

His first official day in his new role will be August 5. Before that, he’ll be in Houston for a week in June, spending time with the Stages team and doing what he calls a “brain transfer” with McLaughlin to help him. prepare yourself for what comes next.

Livingston’s enthusiasm is evident when he talks about his future here in Houston. He hopes it will be embraced by the community and is very aware of the legacy it has been left with.

“I won’t violate this!” he says.

He also wants his new city to understand that his desire to connect goes both ways, and while he’s eager to be a part of Houston, he hopes even more Houstonians will be eager to be a part of Stages.

“Come to the theater,” he concluded. “Bring your fears. Come with an open mind and heart and let’s chat.