Organization
The Gamm Theatre is a leading New England professional theatre known for its epic yet intimate productions and commitment to storytelling that challenges and inspires audiences across Rhode Island and beyond. Heading into its 42nd season, The Gamm is one of the region’s premier professional theaters and a cultural asset that has been producing theater since its founding in 1984. Its mission is to tell stories that entertain, provoke, and engage seriously with the most important issues of our time, while further serving the public through educational programming that enriches the cultural and civic life of the community.
The theatre presents an eclectic season of exciting new works and classics made to feel new, drawing on the talent of local and visiting artists. Its productions are designed to use an intimate performance space to engage, provoke, and entertain audiences while addressing important issues of the present moment and across time. This intimate, actor-centered stage is a destination for critically acclaimed productions, including world and regional premieres, and has received several Elliot Norton Awards from the Boston Theater Critics Association, among other professional recognitions, and is defined by bold choices and close-up performances. Deeply appreciated by the Rhode Island arts community and its patrons, The Gamm repeatedly sells out shows while offering audiences exciting off-stage engagement.
The Gamm’s history began in 1984, when seven graduates of Trinity Rep Conservatory formed an artist collective called Alias Stage and began performing in abandoned mill buildings in Providence’s Olneyville neighborhood. In 1994, the company moved to Providence’s Jewelry District, where its reputation grew for quality acting, challenging plays, and vivid Shakespeare productions. In 1998, the theater was renamed The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre in honor of the late arts educator and supporter. The company later relocated to an annex of the historic Pawtucket National Guard Armory, where it performed for 15 seasons before moving in 2018 to its current home in Warwick.
The theatre’s home provides a newly renovated venue with more seating, greater comfort, and expanded potential for artists and audiences. The 21,000-square-foot building includes a 2,850-square-foot black box theater with 185 seats. The Gamm’s season runs from September to June, offering audiences across Southern New England, including Rhode Island, Connecticut, Greater Boston, and beyond, access to professional theater in an intimate setting. The Gamm is affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association as a proud member of New England Area Theatres.
Gamm Education is an essential part of the organization’s mission, engaging students across the region and introducing them to the power of theater. For nearly 20 years, The Gamm’s education department has brought theater into classrooms across the region through partnerships with schools, teachers, and students. Its programs include in-school residencies, student matinees, vacation camps, Gamm Studio and Gamm Studio Jr. classes, and community programs designed to build the next generation of theater artists, audiences, advocates, and engaged citizens.
Through programs such as Gamm on the Go, a Shakespeare residency program that collaborates with schools and community organizations across the state, The Gamm extends its educational and community impact. With professional performances, post-show discussions, classroom residencies, study guides, and flexible program models, Gamm on the Go provides students with access to theatrical experiences that engage their creative and civic minds. Additional programs and opportunities include student matinees, camps, classes, community forums, youth usher opportunities, and the Gamm Fellowship Program for emerging artists of color in partnership with Rhode Island’s public institutions of higher education.
The Gamm has an 18-member Board of Directors led by Board President Miriam Weizenbaum. The Executive Director has six direct reports, including the Director of Operations and Administration, the Director of Annual Giving and Strategic Communications, the Director of Marketing and Design, the Institutional Giving and Stewardship Manager, the Bookkeeper, and the Director of Education and Community Programs, and reports to the Board of Directors. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Gamm reported a total revenue of $2.7 million, with 41% from earned revenue sources, 55% from contributed income, and 4% from other revenue sources. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, The Gamm’s operating budget is $2.5 million, with 48% from earned revenue sources and 52% from contributions.
Sources: edited from gammtheatre.org; propublica.org
Community
Rhode Island offers an exceptional quality of life shaped by coastal beauty, historic communities, cultural activity, and regional accessibility. Known as the Ocean State, Rhode Island has more than 400 miles of coastline, and all residents live within a 30-minute drive of the Atlantic Ocean or Narragansett Bay. With an estimated 2025 population of 1,114,521, the state combines the scale and connectivity of a compact region with the amenities of a much larger cultural and economic center. Rhode Island residents are well educated, with 89.7% of adults age 25 and older holding a high school diploma or higher and 37.7% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Providence and Newport anchor two of Rhode Island’s most distinctive regional identities. Providence, the state capital and largest city, is a civic, cultural, and economic hub with waterfront access, highways, rail lines, and proximity to Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. Newport, founded in 1639, is recognized for its coastal setting, architecture, waterfront, arts, hospitality, and connection to nine coastal communities that share a rich New England history and strong sense of place. Together with the surrounding suburbs of both cities, these communities create a highly connected environment for residents who value cultural experiences, coastal recreation, historic character, neighborhood life, and access to the full breadth of Rhode Island’s civic and visitor amenities.
The theatre’s home, Warwick, Rhode Island, is a welcoming coastal city that combines historic villages, regional accessibility, cultural activity, and abundant waterfront amenities. Warwick continues to invest in a resilient, connected, and forward-looking future, and Visit Rhode Island highlights Warwick as an ideal home base in the heart of the Ocean State, only 10 minutes from Providence, Rhode Island’s vital, exciting cultural capital, and a half-hour drive from historic Newport and beautiful South County beaches. In this coastal and civic setting, Warwick offers the character of an established Rhode Island community with the energy of a city actively shaping its future, an ideal home for people who value waterfront access, historic villages, public spaces, cultural experiences, and meaningful community connection.
Sources: edited from providenceri.gov; discovernewport.org; ri.gov; census.gov; visitri.com; warwickri.gov
Position Summary
The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in shaping the next chapter of The Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) as a regional leader in professional theater. They will serve as The Gamm’s senior administrative and strategic leader, overseeing daily operations, stewarding finances, supervising staff, co-leading with the Artistic Director, and partnering closely with the Board of Directors to strengthen the theatre’s foundation and advance its mission. This person will guide all administrative and operational functions, including operations, staff leadership, financial management, facilities, education, marketing, development, and community partnerships, to ensure alignment with organizational goals and long term sustainability.
A dynamic, community minded ambassador, the Executive Director will bring strong communication skills, collaborative leadership, and sound financial judgment to the theatre’s internal and external work. This leader will strengthen donor and foundation relationships, support fundraising strategy, and build partnerships that expand The Gamm’s visibility and civic impact. In close collaboration with the Artistic Director, the Executive Director will help advance an artistic vision that is entertaining, aesthetically powerful, civically engaged, and provocative, while ensuring decisions are grounded in financial realities, organizational priorities, and audience needs. They will champion The Gamm’s role as a cultural asset for Rhode Island and the region, deepen engagement with stakeholders, and cultivate the relationships and resources essential to the theatre’s long term success.
Roles and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Planning
• Build greater donor engagement and community support for a shared vision for the future of The Gamm, in partnership with the Board of Directors, the Artistic Director, and its patrons.
• Generate and implement inspiring and effective plans, goals, and strategies that advance the organization’s purpose and mission, whilst navigating its real-world challenges.
• Guide planning processes that strategically support organizational focus, sustainability, artistic vitality, and community impact.
• Embrace other strategic leadership and planning responsibilities as needed.
Financial Management and Sustainability
• Ensure that The Gamm’s financial resources are managed wisely, responsibly, and in alignment with organizational goals.
• Oversee professional and accurate budgeting and accounting systems.
• Warrant that appropriate financial controls and risk-management strategies are in place to protect the organization’s assets.
• Supervise and implement financial planning that positions The Gamm to achieve its goals, advance its strategic plan, and build a financial reserve.
• Partner with staff and Board leadership to support long-term financial sustainability.
• Embrace other financial management and sustainability responsibilities as needed.
Fundraising and Development
• Collaborate with the Board of Directors, Development Committee, and appropriate staff to develop, implement, and track fundraising systems and strategies.
• Advance fundraising efforts that enable The Gamm to meet its contributed revenue goals and support operations, programs, and strategic priorities.
• Secure major gifts and cultivate new prospective donors across individual, corporate, foundation, government, and community sectors.
• Strengthen development practices that support donor engagement, institutional sustainability, and mission advancement.
• Build a shared strategy to align fundraising strategies with the organization’s financial needs and long-term goals.
• Embrace other fundraising and development responsibilities as needed.
Organizational Management
• Provide overall leadership for the day-to-day operations of The Gamm, ensuring that staff, systems, and resources are supported and aligned with organizational goals and strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with staff to develop, maintain, and use effective systems that support the successful operation of each department.
• Guide and develop Marketing, Education, Operations, and Development personnel in ways that strengthen collaboration, accountability, and performance.
• Build staff capacity through coaching, clear communication, professional development, and cross-departmental coordination.
• Strengthen organizational practices that continue to advance diversity in all its forms—equity, inclusion, and representation across staff, Board, artists, audiences, and community relationships.
• Foster a productive, mission-driven workplace culture that advances the objectives of the strategic plan.
• Embrace other organizational management responsibilities as needed.
Board Relations and Governance
• Serve as part of The Gamm’s leadership team with the Artistic Director and Board of Directors, supporting a strong and effective governance partnership.
• Develop and maintain a productive working relationship with the Board, grounded in shared information, mutual trust, and clear communication.
• Ensure that Board members have the information and context needed to effectively carry out their governance responsibilities.
• Cultivate strong partnerships with Board members, drawing on their talents, experience, expertise, and resources to advance The Gamm’s success.
• Engage the Board as valued partners in the organization’s operations, financial affairs, and long-term sustainability.
• Embrace other board relations and governance responsibilities as needed.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
• Serve as a spokesperson and public face for The Gamm, representing the organization with clarity, professionalism, and enthusiasm.
• Promote the organization’s mission, programs, impact, and role in the community.
• Advocate for The Gamm’s mission and work with key constituents and stakeholder groups.
• Build and sustain relationships with community partners, political and civic leaders, patrons, donors, artists, and other stakeholders critical to the organization’s success.
• Strengthen The Gamm’s visibility, relevance, and community connection through thoughtful engagement and partnership development.
• Embrace other community engagement and partnerships responsibilities as needed.
Artistic Collaboration
• Collaborate with the Artistic Director to develop strategies that support and advance The Gamm’s artistic vision.
• Champion an artistic vision that builds on and expands the theatre’s established role as a leader in producing entertaining, aesthetically powerful, civically engaged, and provocative art.
• Shape and implement plans that align artistic priorities with The Gamm’s strategic goals, including building a financial reserve and pursuing the purchase of a long-term home for The Gamm.
• Align with the Artistic Director to ensure that artistic ambition, financial sustainability, and organizational strategy are mutually reinforcing.
• Embrace other artistic collaboration responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Executive Director will be a resourceful, instinctive, and receptive leader who brings practical judgment, strong communication skills, and a collaborative spirit to advance The Gamm’s mission. Strategic and visionary, they will be able to see both immediate needs and long-term possibilities, connecting people, programs, resources, and ideas in ways that strengthen organizational direction and institutional impact. Driven by results, they will maximize the value of time, talent, energy, and resources while remaining open to new ideas, methods, and opportunities. With an ability to draw upon experience, intuition, and knowledge-seeking, the Executive Director will navigate complex and competitive environments with confidence, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. They will be comfortable engaging frequently with diverse stakeholders, building trust across the Board, staff, artists, patrons, donors, civic partners, and community members. Accessible, transparent, and empathetic, the Executive Director will listen actively, welcome input, and translate ideas and concerns into clear action. A versatile and unifying leader, they will adapt quickly to change, encourage shared ownership, support others generously, and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and collective success.
Other key competencies include:
• Self Starting – The motivation to take initiative, begin work independently, identify priorities, and propel progress without prompting, while demonstrating drive, discipline, and determination in achieving results.
• Personal Accountability – The willingness to self-evaluate, learn from mistakes, take responsibility for personal actions and decisions, accept setbacks, look for ways to progress, and understand how obstacles impact results.
• Flexibility and Leadership – The ability to organize and motivate others to accomplish goals and the agility and adaptability to embrace and implement change when needed.
• Teamwork – The integrity to recognize and appreciate the contributions of team members and to make team objectives a priority.
• Planning and Organizing – The dexterity to navigate traditional systems while forming realistic action plans that prioritize work, assess variables and risks, allow for recalibration, lead to increased efficiency, and minimize wasted resources.
Qualifications
Experience in the management of nonprofit organizations is required, with experience in a nonprofit theater organization preferred. Five to 10 years of senior leadership experience is highly desirable, preferably in an organization that has experienced growth or expanded its organizational capacity, visibility, and philanthropic support. Demonstrated fundraising experience is essential, including major gifts, donor cultivation, development planning, and building relationships across individual, corporate, foundation, government, and community sectors. Experience fostering a culture of philanthropy, identifying and cultivating new prospective donors, and supporting increased giving through thoughtful planning and relationship-building is necessary. The successful candidate will be an organization builder with experience managing staff and demonstrated knowledge of growing capacity, strengthening systems, and aligning financial resources with strategic priorities. Strong leadership skills, financial management experience, strategic thinking, business acumen, and well-developed interpersonal and networking abilities are essential, along with knowledge of public relations and marketing, organizational planning, human resource management, and nonprofit management practices. Excellent oral and written communication skills are necessary, as is the ability to work effectively with the Board of Directors, volunteers, staff, donors, artists, patrons, community partners, and other stakeholders.
Compensation and Benefits
The Gamm offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including an annual salary range of $125,000 to $140,000. Benefits include medical insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, dental insurance through Delta Dental of Rhode Island, a SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with an employer match of up to 3% of salary, an Employee Assistance Program, vacation, personal days, sick days, bereavement leave, and 12 paid holidays. For eligible employees, The Gamm pays 80% of the individual medical and dental premiums, with employees responsible for 20% of the individual premium and 100% of family coverage. Employees who waive medical coverage may receive a stipend of $250 per month, or $3,000 annually.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/the-gamm-theatre-seeks-executive-director/
It is the policy of The Gamm to guarantee every applicant for employment; and every employee, the right of equal treatment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, handicap/disability, or veteran status. In recruiting and selecting employees, it is the policy of The Gamm to further the principles of equal employment opportunity by seeking talented and competent persons who are suited for a specific position by reason of training, experience, character, personality, intelligence, and general ability.
