After a nationwide search, Philadelphia Theatre Company has found its new artistic leadership—and it’s quite the dynamic duo.
Nationally acclaimed husband-and-wife team Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky were recently named PTC’s new Co-Artistic Directors. Following the five-year tenure of Paige Price, who stepped down to focus on commercial theatre producing, Magar and Dobrowsky will start their official duties in September.
Magar is an Egyptian-American director whose work has been seen across the U.S. as well as internationally, and her accolades include an Obie Award for Directing (2018, ‘Is God Is’ by Aleshea Harris), the Break Out Award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union and her Lortel-winning revival of Anna Deveare Smith’s ‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’ is set to open at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fall.
Dobrowsky is the former Associate Artistic Director and Director of New Play Development at Trinity Repertory Company, a Tony-award winning theater located in Providence, Rhode Island. He has two decades of experience producing regional theater, with a focus on community engagement, creating education programs for young people, and developing world premiere plays and musicals.
The pair will partner with current Managing Director Emily Zeck to set the stage for PTC’s new chapter, which begins this fall with the World Premiere of ‘The Tattooed Lady’ opening Friday, Nov. 4.
“I am very excited about Taibi and Tyler joining PTC as Co-Artistic Directors,” said PTC Board Chair Gary Deutsch in a statement. “Taibi and Tyler are rising stars in the theatrical world, and their artistic leadership will energize PTC and the Philadelphia performing arts community. PTC is embracing a new leadership model that will take advantage of Taibi and Tyler’s complementary strengths. They share PTC’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility and they will advance our goals of expanding PTC’s constituency and bringing entertaining and thought-provoking programs to the Suzanne Roberts Theatre.”
The new Co-Artistic Directors have both developed new plays throughout their careers—Magar as a director and Dobrowsky as a producer. In the fall of 2021 they co-directed ‘Macbeth in Stride’ written by Obie-winner Whitney White at American Repertory Theater. They also worked together on the theatrical adaptation of Mike Stanton’s New York Times best-seller ‘The Prince of Providence’ at Trinity Repertory Company.
Magar has local connections to Philadelphia – she directed Lighting Rod Special’s international sensation ‘Underground Railroad Game’ and was a senior lecturer at University of the Arts. Dobrowsky has a background in commissioning new works by writers such as George Brant, Jackie Sibblies Drury, James Ijames, Whitney White, and Lauren Yee, among others.
“It’s especially gratifying when a new play you’ve shepherded and produced goes on to have a rich, full life either in New York or across the country,” said Magar. “We can’t wait to work with the truly fantastic artists in Philadelphia and bring our network of collaborators to PTC in order to develop the best new plays in the country right here in Philly.”
Dobrowsky and Magar have a deep interest in community engagement and the educational side of theatre. “Community engagement and education are inextricably linked to who we are as people, and as artists,” said Dobrowsky.
“It is a humbling, thrilling opportunity to make our artistic and creative home in such a vibrant city like Philly. We can’t wait to develop educational opportunities for the young people of this city, and to start building mutually beneficial, reciprocal relationships with community groups throughout Philadelphia and beyond.”
The pair looks forward to making their mark on the Philadelphia theatre landscape.
“Philadelphia should know that we will always put the highest quality theater on our stage,” said Magar. “And this high quality theater will be tied to our profound commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.”
“We believe a theater isn’t just a place to see great plays, but that it should also be an integral part of the social, cultural and civic fabric of the city,” added Dobrowsky. “We want PTC to be a public square, a place for communal gathering, reflection, and learning – a community center dedicated to art and culture that reflects this beautiful, diverse city. We want to emphasize the ‘Philadelphia’ in Philadelphia Theatre Company.”
