Nicholas Martin has been named Artistic Director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival effective November 1, 2007, replacing Roger Rees, who has served for the past three years. Rees "will step down and move on to other opportunities," according to a news release from the theater, located on the campus of Williams College in Massachusetts.
Martin has served as Artistic Director of the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston since 2000 and will continue working with the company through Spring 2008. Martin's association with Williamstown spans more than a decade, and for two years he served as resident director under then-Artistic Director Michael Ritchie. In a statement, Martin said, "Williamstown is truly the place where I feel I really learned to direct."
Theater board president Matt Harris praised Rees, saying, "Roger came in at a time of transition for the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and did a great job setting a foundation of innovation for the future. He also helped to reaffirm our focus on training the next generation of artists while continuing our tradition of top notch productions."
