The Hippodrome State Theatre has a new producing director, the theater’s board of trustees announced this week.
Thomas Eldon Anderson has been appointed as the new producing director and will begin on Oct. 1, according to a news release.
Anderson was chosen by a community committee out of 50 nominees from across the country, said Mary Hausch, the theater’s current producing director.
His duties will include overseeing the theater’s UF student outreach programs, which help bring in 7,000 students to watch productions put on by theater students at the university, Hausch said.
“Anderson has a keen sense of bringing his knowledge and love of theater and balancing it with an administrative side to help excel programs in place,” Hausch said.
Anderson said he aims to install new programs to further connect the theater to the community.
“I want to protect what’s good and pose questions to all of Gainesville so I can use all of my resources,” he said.
Belle Jampol, an 18-year-old UF theatre freshman, said she thinks Anderson will effectively bridge the gap between students and the production house.
“It is refreshing for someone with an open mind and a creative vision to come in and work to intertwine the students into the Hippodrome’s productions,” she said.
A version of this story ran on page 3 on 9/20/2013 under the headline "New Hippodrome producing director steps in, starts in October"
