Tony-nominated director Jessica Stone has been named artistic director of California's La Jolla Playhouse, one of the industry's most prolific Broadway incubator regional companies. Stone will succeed the company's longtime leader Christopher Ashley, who is departing to take the reins at New York's Broadway and Off-Broadway producing house Roundabout Theatre Company. Stone is set to begin her tenure in early 2026.
The appointment is a major one in the world of U.S. regional theatre, which has historically been led overwhelmingly by men. Stone, whose Broadway resume includes Tony-nominated work helming Kimberly Akimbo and Water For Elephants, will be at the head of one of Broadway's most powerful incubators. The theatre's recent Broadway transfers include Best Musical winner The Outsiders, Redwood, Lempicka, Diana, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Indecent, Come From Away, Memphis, Jersey Boys, Thoroughly Modern Millie, I Am My Own Wife, The Grapes of Wrath, and Big River. It is also the winner of the 1993 Regional Tony Award.
Stone will be the company's eighth artistic director, following in the footsteps of founders Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer; Des McAnuff, Michael Greif, Anne Hamburger, and Ashley.
Before Stone's directing career, she was a successful Broadway actor, starring in the 1994 revival of Grease!, the 1995 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, 2001's Design for Living, 2002's The Smell of the Kill, the 2005 revival of The Odd Couple, 2006's Butley, and 2011's Anything Goes.
“Joining this resoundingly successful company, one that has local and national reach, one that is a home for new work, one that cares deeply about cultivating new audiences, one that believes in educational and community outreach, and one that pushes the boundaries of what theatre can be—is thrilling to me,” says Stone in a statement. “La Jolla Playhouse is one of the foremost theatres in the country, and I am honored to be a part of its storied history, to build on Christopher Ashley’s legacy, and imagine ways in which to expand its possibilities for nurturing artists and audiences.”
“Jessica’s artistic vision is truly exhilarating. She has a deep understanding of the Playhouse culture and our commitment to being a safe harbor for the development of exciting new work," adds Managing Director Debby Buchholz. "The entire Playhouse staff and board look forward to working with her, and I can’t think of a better partner to co-lead this organization."
READ: Jessica Stone Had a Successful Acting Career. Then She Left It Behind to Become a Director
Though Stone's directing career goes back as far as an assistant directing job on Broadway's Match in 2004, she made her biggest entrance into the field with a 2010 all-male revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Williamstown Theatre Festival, starring her husband, Christopher Fitzgerald, as Pseudolus. Since then she has helmed productions at A.C.T., Shakespeare Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company, The Old Globe, Two River Theatre Company, Off-Broadway, and more.
Visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org.
