FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tonya Bell, Sunshine Sachs
bell@sunshinesachs.com 212.691.2800
Natasha Shrieves, The Broad Stage
Shrieves_natasha@smc.edu 310.434.3473
WILEY HAUSAM NAMED ARTISTIC AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
SANTA MONICA’S ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD STAGE
Hausam to Assume His New Position at the Groundbreaking Performing Arts Facility on October 1
Photo Credit: © Linda Cicero/Stanford News Service
SANTA MONICA, CA – August 18, 2015 – The Board of Directors for The
Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts
Center today announced the appointment of veteran arts executive
Wiley Hausam as the organization’s new Artistic and Executive Director.
Hausam will assume his new role at The Broad Stage, which presents
the best in classical and jazz music, opera recitals, theater, dance and
children’s programming, on October 1. He will be charged with leading
the Santa Monica cultural institution in the next phase of its journey—
including the opening of its newly expanded $23 million East Wing
facilities on the SMC Performing Arts campus in early 2016—while
building on its successful seven year legacy.
“We are entering into an exciting new phase in The Broad Stage’s history,” said Richard Kendall, Chairman of
the Board of Directors. “With our newest performance hall at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts
Center set to open in 2016, and our ten year anniversary not far in the distant future, we are thrilled to have
Wiley—an incredibly accomplished executive in the field—at the helm.”
Philanthropist and Broad Stage namesake, Eli Broad noted, “Wiley’s unmatched leadership experience in the
performing arts, from production to launching large-scale initiatives for top-tier arts institutions, gives us great
confidence that we will continue to build on the remarkable growth we have experienced over the past few
years while expanding our dynamic cultural offerings and providing our community with access to the highest
quality performing arts in Santa Monica.”
Hausam is a seasoned arts executive with over 20 years’ experience both as a producer and executive for some
of the nation’s most highly regarded arts institutions. Since 2012, he has served as Executive Director of
Stanford Live—a presenter and producer of music, dance, theater and opera at Stanford University. He also
launched the university’s new, state-of-the-art vineyard-style venue, Bing Concert Hall, which has doubled
attendance at performing arts events since its opening in 2013. He will remain on staff at Stanford through the
end of October.
Under Hausam’s leadership, Stanford Live—now entering its fourth season—grew to stage over 60
performances by the world’s leading performing artists. In addition, he launched a new initiative, Live Context:
Art + Ideas, to connect the surrounding community to the issues, ideas and discoveries that inform the
performances led by Stanford faculty.
Hausam notes, “What The Broad Stage has managed to accomplish over the past seven years is truly
remarkable." Founding Director Dale Franzen’s vision and passion for bringing a world-class performing arts
venue to the Westside, and the hard work and support of Eli Broad, the leadership at Santa Monica College,
and countless others have helped to transform this community by providing compelling programming that
engages its residents and visitors in a significant way.” He continues, “I am extremely honored at this
opportunity and look forward to working with Mr. Broad, Mr. Kendall and the Board of Directors as well as
with the staff, and our audiences and supporters to lead this remarkable institution through the next phase of
its journey.”
In early 2016, SMC’s Performing Arts Center will complete a two-year $23 million expansion project, which will
provide much needed performance and rehearsal space to elevate the arts curriculum and expand arts
programming. The new three-story East Wing facility will be housed on the performing arts campus, and will
include a two-story multipurpose main hall, high-quality and flexible rehearsal spaces, additional special event
facilities, a choral classroom, and a piano classroom.
“Wiley is the perfect fit to take The Broad Stage to new heights,” said Jeffery Shimizu, Interim President of
Santa Monica College. “His vast experience in innovative programming and managing performing arts centers
at universities like Stanford will be a significant catalyst as we expand our educational mission to bring worldclass arts to Los Angeles and reach new audiences.” Actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, who credits
Hausam for her big break, echoed Shimizu’s sentiments, noting, “It is just great that Wiley will be taking over
leadership of the Broad...[it] is a very inspirational place to perform—its newness fills me with hope every
time—and Wiley is very forward-looking, a great match!”
Hausam began his production career as an Associate Producer at The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare
Festival where he helped to launch and co-curated programming for the renowned downtown club, Joe’s Pub.
He went on to found his own independent consultancy, Wiley Hausam Associates, where he worked on
projects with clients ranging from The Kurt Weill Foundation to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In 2002, he opened
and launched New York University’s Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, and later led The
Performing Arts Center at Purchase College before taking on the Executive Director role for Stanford Live and
Bing Concert Hall in 2012. He has played a key role in helping to develop the careers of outstanding talent—
from producer/director George C. Wolfe and composers, Jonathan Larson and Adam Guettel to actor/singer
Audra McDonald and playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, among many others.
Hausam received his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and studied at the Kellogg Graduate
School of Management. He replaces The Broad Stage’s Interim Director Mitchell Heskel who assumed the role
after Founding Director Dale Franzen stepped down in September 2014. Heskel was recently named Dean of
Education Enterprise at Santa Monica College.
About The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage
The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center opened its doors in
October 2008 under the leadership of Founding Director Dale Franzen and Artistic Advisory Chair Dustin
Hoffman. Inspired by Italian horseshoe theaters, and conceived in a contemporary vernacular, The Broad Stage
is unlike any performance space in the country. Both sublimely intimate with 499-seats and strikingly grand, it
forges a new kind of artist and audience experience in Los Angeles. Theater shows, dance, film, operas,
musicals, symphony and chamber orchestras are presented on one of the city’s largest proscenium stages.
In addition to The Broad Stage, The Edye Second Space, a hundred-seat black box theater, presents new,
developing and innovative work in theater, music and dance as part of the Under the Radar and Quincy Jones
Presents Series. Featuring innovative artists in jazz, world music, classical, chamber pieces and plays,
programming at The Edye is intentionally spontaneous, reflecting the dynamic nature of the space and
allowing the latest, most exciting artists to be booked on short notice. The Broad Stage’s education and
outreach program offers opportunities for cultural exposure through various student events, currently
reaching 16,000 students and diverse community members annually through over 30 free and low-cost events.
###