Alliance Theatre’s managing director stepping down

After 11 years, Mike Schleifer departs to become Managing Director of Lincoln Center Theater.

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Mike Schleifer, who has been with the Alliance Theatre since 2014, will leave at the end of 2025 to become the managing director of the Lincoln Center Theater.

“While it’s rare to find a managing director who is equally brilliant at the operational and financial part of the job, it’s simply unheard of to find one who excels on those fronts and leads with such unabashed heart, vision and humor. For the past 11 years, we had the unfathomably good fortune to have all that and more in Mike Schleifer,” said Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses in a joint statement. “Mike’s willingness to bet on our mission and invest in the extraordinary talent of the Alliance staff allowed us to realize aspirational dreams we never would have dared to dream without his encouragement and faith. We’ll miss him daily but cannot wait to witness the joy he’ll bring to the Lincoln Center Theater.”

Schleifer came to Atlanta from Baltimore’s Center Stage in 2014, where he’d worked for 13 years. He began his tenure at the Alliance as general manager before taking on his current position in 2016.

More on ArtsATL: From 2016: Mike Schleifer named managing director at Alliance

As the announcement of his departure notes, Schleifer led the administrative and producing team at the Alliance on more than 100 productions, including four world-premiere musicals that moved to Broadway, and spearheaded the renovation of the Alliance’s state-of-the-art Coca-Cola Stage.

“It’s been a true honor and privilege to work, lead and learn at the Alliance Theatre for the last 11 years. I’m deeply grateful to the staff, artists and audiences of the Alliance Theatre and Woodruff Arts Center who have made this journey so rewarding,” said Schleifer in the press release announcing the news of his departure.

The Alliance plans to conduct a national search to select Schleifer’s replacement.