Winitsky to Leave Maplewood's What Exit? Theatre

How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm when they've seen New York?

That's the double-edge sword of living here in the shadow of the arts center of the country (some would say, the world): Maplewood benefits from its proximity to NYC as some of the best and brightest of Broadway and media live under our shady trees. But sometimes we lose a good one to the Big Apple.

That's the case today as Maplewood's What Exit? Theatre announces that Co-Artistic Director David Winitsky will leave the company this week to pursue a new venture — although he won't be gone entirely.

For the past six months, Mr. Winitsky has been a PresenTense New York Community Entrepreneurship Fellow, working with business leaders and Jewish agencies to create a new entity dedicated to creating new plays and musicals centering on contemporary Jewish identity. He will be leaving What Exit? for this new venture, The Jewish Plays Project.

“I am really excited for the coming year,” said Winitsky. “We’ll be rolling out some pilot projects throughout the New York region – a Jewish Playwriting Contest here in the Metrowest area, a Development Series in Manhattan, and other programs as far out as West Chester and Long Island. It’s a full plate, and with What Exit? on solid footing for the future, it seemed like a great time for the transition to happen.”

“I am so grateful to Bev and the entire What Exit? community for the joyful ride of the past six years,” said Mr. Winitsky. “It’s been so amazing to help make great theatre here, and to have brought the performing arts to kids, but what I will remember most is all the laughter. From our board meetings to our shows, everything at What Exit? centers on the idea that life is better when you laugh.”

Since joining the company in 2004, Mr. Winitsky has directed four shows: The Fourth Wall (2006), Beau Jest (2007), The Santaland Diaries (2008 and 2009), and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Plays (2010). Most recently, Mr. Winitsky presented the second annual Funny Ladies, a local and New York writers.

“David is a master in all areas of the theater,” said Bev Sheehan, Co-Artistic Director of the company.  “He directed many very successful productions with high artistic standards, designed sets, wrote grants, hired staff and started our very successful Performance Classroom.  He's got that rare combination of talent, sweat, and resourcefulness that will make him a star in any place lucky enough to have him.  I'll miss his every day presence but we'll still be seeing each other on the sidewalks of Maplewood, in backyard barbecues, and hopefully out in the rest of the wide world of the theater.”

As a producer, Mr. Winitsky expanded What Exit?’s reach through co-production partnerships with Luna Stage and the Bickford Theatre, and led development efforts that eliminated the company’s outstanding debt and kept What Exit? in the black throughout the recession. Two What Exit? shows also went on to Off-Broadway presentations in New York (Gen X Gets a Mortgage and Hebrew School Dropout), and one traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland (Montana Ranch) for the world famous Fringe Festival.

In 2005, Mr. Winitsky created The Performance Classroom, the arts education program that has served more than 500 Maplewood kids through classes each semester at the Burgdorff Center and enrichment classes in every elementary school in the district.

“The education program has been a real highlight. It all started with Len Grossman asking us to do some classes, and it immediately hit a chord in the community. We found our niche in having the kids write original scripts and songs, and I have just been amazed at their creativity and confidence on the stage. Now that we are working in so many schools as well, the impact has been tremendous.”

The Performance Classroom will continue under the guidance of Director of Education Jenn Crane Turner, a Maplewood native and educator. The next offering is Summer Camp in August, including one session called Pixar Party and a second called Pirate Playhouse.

 “The Maplewood performing scene just keeps getting more exciting,” he opined. “With the Maplewood Arts Council formed, Studio B and Midtown Direct Rep joining What Exit? and the Strollers, I’m just glad I get to live in town and enjoy all the great shows.”

For more information about What Exit? Theatre, visit www.whatexittheatre.com.