Julie Friedman Leaving Dobama Theatre

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Dobama Theatre's Managing Director Julie Friedman will leave the company at the end of the 2018-2019 season. Friedman is pursuing an opportunity to live and work abroad, Dobama's Board of Directors said on Wednesday.

"Julie has been integral to the ongoing advancements made and accolades earned by Dobama in the theatre's Lee Road history and she will be missed," said Marcel Duhamel, Dobama Board President. “We are grateful for her steadfast, principled and dedicated leadership and look forward to the guidance she will be able to offer her successor before leaving us for new adventures."

Friedman first joined Dobama as a financial manager 12 years ago. She then became the associate managing director and finally managing director, in August 2013. She has a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Oregon, and an MFA in Dramaturgy and Theater Criticism from Brooklyn College CUNY.

“My journey with Dobama has been challenging and rewarding,” said Friedman. “I have been involved with the theatre during a time of great growth, including the construction of and move into our Lee Road venue, becoming the region’s first AEA Small Professional Theatre, and the doubling of our operating budget over the past five seasons. I have had the privilege of working with talented and passionate colleagues, both the Dobama Staff and Board as well as with many artists and craftspeople during my tenure. I am thankful to our audiences and donors for their ongoing support."

In her role as managing director, Friedman oversaw development, personnel and Board relations, and navigated the theatre's transition to a fully professional Equity Theatre.

A national search will be conducted to find Friedman's replacement, the Board of Directors said. Friedman will help transition her replacement into her role during the spring of 2019.

“I am grateful to have called Dobama Theatre home during much of my time here in Northeast Ohio," Friedman said. "As I prepare for new opportunities outside of the United States, I also look forward to what awaits Dobama as it turns sixty - and in years to come!”

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Photo from Dobama Theatre