The newly constituted Bedford Playhouse recently selected its board of directors to lead the fledgling organization and realize its mission of providing a local space for eclectic film and theater offerings.
Leading the board as chairwoman is Sarah Long, a former actress who serves on several boards in New York City, including as vice chair of The New 42nd Street, a theater redevelopment organization.
In total, 22 board members were selected across a spectrum of skill sets that will suit the playhouse”™s pursuits, Long said in a press release.
“This group represents a broad cross-section of the communities we serve, and that”™s intentional,” Long said. “The board was selected to cover the full range of disciplines that will make the Playhouse a long-term success.”
Supporting Long as vice chairs are Norm Livingston, head of a real estate firm in New York City, and Audrey Zinman, a longtime Bedford resident who has volunteered in the fields of education and mental health.
Serving as board secretary is attorney William Jackson, who has called Bedford home since 1978.
John Farr and Wendy Ross, the driving forces behind the resurrecting of the playhouse, were elected to the operating roles of president and executive director, respectively. Both will hold board seats.
“We wanted to strike the right balance between business and artistic backgrounds, and have everyone share a creative sensibility and a belief in the importance of film and culture in Bedford,” Farr said.
The business and legal side of the endeavor is represented by real estate professionals Eric Hadar and Ken Horn, whose company, Alchemy Bedford, owns the building.
Marketing and communications professionals as well as board members representing artists, filmmakers and the local community were also selected to serve on the board.
Additional members include Anita Friedman, Tamiko Bolton Soros, Kevin Brenner, Ed Filipowski, Joe Lovering, Mark Lee, Don Greenwald, Nicholas Firth, Robert Harris, Courtney McGinnis, David Worby, Abby Gerry, Joe Berlinger and Carey Lowell.
Theboard is scheduled to meet again in September and will be oversee the renovation process as the theater prepares for its grand opening, tentatively scheduled for summer 2016.
