Kate Warner leaving Dad’s Garage Theatre

Kate Warner, artistic director of Dad’s Garage Theatre, is leaving the theater to become artistic director of the 25 year-old New Repertory Theatre in Boston. In a quick phone call last night, marketing director Linnea Frye told me that Warner will leave in April, giving her time to direct the plays Mojo (opening tonight at the Top Shelf) and The B-Team (March 13-April 4). She’ll have to be replaced for this summer’s musical boy-band mockumentary Boy Groove.

Warner was an Artistic Associate with Dad’s Garage from 2002–2004 before taking over as artistic director in 2005. At Dad’s she’s directed such plays as Debbie Does Dallas, The Rocky Horror Show, Reefer Madness, Skin, Indulgences and The Jammer. When Warner took over from Dad’s founding artistic director Sean Daniels, I wrote:

Warner is a steady, reassuring choice rather than a flashy one. She’s been an artistic associate at Dad’s since 2003 and as a director has often proved simpatico with the company’s lighthearted aesthetic. Plus, after spending almost 10 years as managing director of Theatrical Outfit, she has firsthand experience with the challenges of making theater in an often indifferent city.

Frye says that the Inman Park playhouse is putting together a search committee to identify Warner’s replacement.

Updated: After the cut, some quotes from the Dad’s Garage official press release.