After 11 years in Atlanta as managing director of the Alliance Theatre, Mike Schleifer will become managing director of the Lincoln Center Theatre in New York City by the end of 2025.
During his tenure in Atlanta, Schleifer has led two major renovation projects for the Alliance Theatre — a $36 million renovation of the Coca-Cola Stage and the $26 million renovation of the Goizueta Stage — he has produced more than 100 productions, and he helped guide the Alliance through a global pandemic.
“There are not many jobs that would have pulled me away from Atlanta,” Schleifer said in an interview.
In a statement he added: “We’ve achieved remarkable milestones — from moving productions to Broadway to completing transformative capital projects. I’m excited for what’s next, but I won’t be leaving until we cut the ribbon on the new Goizueta Stage for Youth and Families — a project that reflects the Alliance’s deep commitment to the next generation of theatergoers, both with the physical theater space and with the endowment we’re raising to make the work on that stage financially accessible for all.”
Initially, Schleifer told Lincoln Center the timing wasn’t good for him to leave Atlanta because he was committed to seeing the completion of the Goizueta Stage project, which should be completed by January.
Lincoln Center officials asked Schleifer if he would consider the position if they waited until January to fill the job. That’s when he agreed to be a candidate.
If the Alliance Theatre and the umbrella Woodruff Arts Center find someone to become managing director before Dec. 31, Schleifer said he could leave earlier. But he is committed to making sure the transformative Goizueta Stage is ready for prime time before he leaves.
In his new role as managing director of Lincoln Center Theater, Schleifer will oversee its financial and operational health to ensure long-term sustainability and growth. He will work to align strategic planning with artistic goals, manage the theater’s union relationships, lead budgeting, marketing, and capital planning efforts and identify and develop new revenue opportunities.
That’s similar to the role he has played as managing director of the Alliance, where he has overseen all operational, marketing, financial, fundraising and shared service activities for the theater.
In a joint statement, co-artistic directors Chris Moses and Tinashe Kajese-Bolden said:
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. 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 described the Alliance as an entrepreneurial enterprise, and he hopes to bring some of that spirit to the Lincoln Center Theatre.
“They are looking to reinvent themselves,” said Schleifer, who added that it already has brought on new artistic leadership. “I want to bring ideas, insights and entrepreneurial approach to Lincoln Center.”
That includes building partnerships, providing more educational opportunities and bringing a broader vision of what theatre can be in a community, he said.
That dovetails with the work he’s been doing in Atlanta.
In addition to his work at the Alliance, Schleifer is serving on the boards of the League of Resident Theatres and True Colors Theatre Co. In 2018 he co-founded Volute Partners, a theatre consultancy focused on capital projects and the subsequent operational support and budgets needed to sustain them. Schleifer also was in the Leadership Atlanta 2020 class.
“We are immensely grateful for Mike’s leadership and tireless dedication to the Alliance Theatre,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center, in a release. “His vision, passion, and expertise have left an indelible mark on this organization. We take great pride in seeing him step into this well-deserved opportunity, knowing he will make a lasting impact at Lincoln Center Theater.”
Schleifer also helped produce four shows that made their way to Broadway, including last season’s “Water for Elephants” and this season’s “Maybe Happy Ending.” Under his leadership, the Alliance more than doubled its operating budget, tripled its endowment and continued to be a national leader in developing young audiences.
In fact, when Schleifer first decided to come to Atlanta, he thought it would only be for a few years. But that changed the more he got to know the city and the work of the Alliance.
“I had a Northeastern elitist view towards the South,” Schleifer said. “I knew the Alliance was special. Then I came here and saw a theater production for the very young — for children five and under. No theater in the country was doing that kind of work. Atlanta does have a smart way of approaching business and looking forward. We think outside the box here. I now have a sense of pride being from Atlanta that I did not have when I moved here.”
Woodruff Arts Center leaders, with support from Alliance board members, will conduct a national search for the theater’s next managing director. The executive Corps Team is helping with the search.
Kendrick Smith, chair of the Alliance Theatre board, thanked Schleifer for his 11 years in Atlanta, saying he oversaw a “period of unprecedented growth with a spirit of collaboration and unwavering commitment to the theater’s artistic vision.” Smith the Alliance will remain dedicated to the theater’s mission of expanding hearts and minds, on stage and off.
Meanwhile, Schleifer called the Alliance the “most thoughtful theater in the country” with the artistic direction of Moses and Kajese-Bolden.
Together, the three have figured out “how to keep a nonprofit theater in America healthy and thriving,” he said. “I’m never going to let the Alliance Theatre be more than an arm’s length away,” Schleifer said. “This place is in my heart and always will be.”
