Jeremy Blocker to Depart NYTW

Jeremy Blocker will depart this summer after a tremendously impactful ten-year tenure as our Executive Director. Jeremy will be joining Audible Theater as head of live creative producing where he will drive all live programming and producing at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theater.

“Being part of New York Theatre Workshop for the last decade has been the honor of a lifetime; I am indescribably proud of what the community has accomplished and deeply grateful for the time I have spent here. While departing NYTW is bittersweet, I am excited to celebrate and support the Workshop’s next chapter under Patricia McGregor’s leadership.”

–Jeremy Blocker, NYTW Executive Director

In the 10 years since Jeremy joined NYTW, we’ve doubled our annual budget, allowing us to produce major work including: the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Hadestown from Anaïs Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin; Heidi Schreck’s Tony and Pulitzer nominated What The Constitution Means to Me; Jeremy O. Harris’s Tony nominated Slave Play; Kristina Wong’s Pulitzer nominated Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord; Aleshea Harris’s Pulitzer nominated On Sugarland; Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich’s Pulitzer nominated Here There Are Blueberries; Maria Friedman’s current Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along; David Bowie, Enda Walsh and Ivo van Hove’s Lazarus; Sam Gold’s Othello, starring David Oyelowo, Daniel Craig and Rachel Brosnahan; four plays from Mfoniso Udofia’s The Ufot Cycle; Martyna Majok’s Sanctuary City; and a series of “Instigator Projects” which we created and commissioned from members of our artistic community throughout 2020 and 2021 to make new work in various forms while in-person theatre was not possible.

“While stepping into my role and envisioning the next chapter at New York Theatre Workshop, it has been invaluable to have the partnership, expertise and passion for the work that Jeremy brings to the table every day. I’ve seen first-hand how he champions bold work; how he cherishes the staff and our community of supporters; and how he meets each challenge with a dexterity of thought and steadfastness of action. We will miss him on East 4th Street and I know he’ll bring the same creativity and rigor to his new role at Audible.”

–Patricia McGregor, NYTW Artistic Director

Administratively, Jeremy significantly increased our reserve funds to secure the financial future of our organization and led the effort to create our most recent strategic plan which saw an expansion of season productions, a 200% increase in artist compensation, the launch of the 2050 Administrative Fellowship, and the renovation of our Fourth Street Theatre.

Over the last five years, he led our organization through the pandemic with a focus on community—including financially supporting artists and maintaining our full complement of staff through the shutdown. On the heels of that, he steered our organization through our first major transition in artistic leadership in more than three decades.

“Over the past ten years, Jeremy has grown NYTW’s capacity to meet the ever-evolving ambitions of our artists with grace, adroitness and ingenuity. We will miss him dearly. His legacy and his positive impact on our NYTW family will continue long after he departs.”

–Jaye Chen, President, NYTW Board of Trustees

Prior to arriving at NYTW, Jeremy served as the first Managing Director of Ars Nova, where he produced six world premiere productions including the Obie Award-winning Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 by Dave Malloy, seven festivals, and dozens of concerts, readings and workshops. He has also previously served as Director of Individual Giving at Manhattan Theatre Club, Development Associate for Capital Projects at Atlantic Theater Company, and Producing Director of Babel Theatre Project, which he co-founded. Jeremy is an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Theatre Management and Producing at Columbia University’s School of the Arts and holds a BA from Harvard University and an MFA from Columbia.

“Jeremy’s contribution to New York Theatre Workshop was a boon to the entire theater community and it was a privilege to enjoy and applaud his work. We look forward to working side by side with him here at Audible where we will create incredible live performances at the Minetta as well as lasting audio content that reaches new and existing audio and theater lovers around the world.”

–Kate Navin, Audible Head of Creative Development

A search for a new managing leader to join Artistic Director Patricia McGregor in stewarding NYTW will begin imminently. We are committed to an equitable and transparent process and will announce a search firm partner and further details about the timeline for submissions and selections as soon as that information is available.

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Photo of Jeremy Blocker by Marcus Middleton

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