Before stepping down, Kulick is set to direct two of CSC's mainstage productions: Mother Courage and Her Children, starring Tonya Pinkins; and Nathan the Wise, starring F. Murray Abraham. Doyle will helm the season’s final show, Peer Gynt.

"CSC is one of New York's essential cultural institutions, and I've had the honor and good fortune to serve as its artistic director for the past twelve years," said Kulick in a press statement Oct. 1. "CSC is well positioned for me to pass the baton so that I can devote more time to my own independent directing, my work at Columbia University (where he is a professor of the MFA Directing Program) and my ever-patient family." He also added that he will stay on as a consultant to Doyle during the transition.

Kulick was CSC's sixth artistic director, taking the position in 2003. His 12-year tenure is second only to the company's founder Christopher Martin, and under his leadership, the theatre has tripled its subscription base. He has directed numerous acclaimed productions for CSC, including The Tempest with Mandy Patinkin, Brecht's Galileo with F. Murray Abraham, Ostrovsky's The Forest with Dianne Wiest and commissioned and co-directed poet Anne Carson's An Oresteia. He is also responsible for instituting a Musical Theatre Initiative, which has resulted in productions of Sondheim’s Passion and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Allegro; as well as The Young Company initiative, which brings Shakespeare to young, underserved audiences throughout New York City.

"Brian will leave a legacy of established relationships with the New York theatre community," commented Lynn Angelson, chair of the board. "We are so fortunate that Brian introduced us to John Doyle several seasons ago."

John Doyle joined CSC in 2013 as the company’s associate director, having directed the Broadway productions of Company, A Catered Affair and Sweeney Todd, for which he was awarded the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. He is set to direct the upcoming Broadway revival of The Color Purple, which stars Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson and will begin previews Nov. 10. "I am delighted to have been invited by the board of CSC to become their next artistic director. To follow Brian Kulick’s remarkable tenure is an honor, as he has done so much to develop a challenging audience and repertoire," said Doyle.

Visit www.classicstage.org for more information on the company and the upcoming season.