WASHINGTON, D.C.: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company has announced the departure of artistic director Maria Manuela Goyanes following seven years of inspired leadership, as she goes on to serve as the artistic director of LCT3, the new-work division of Lincoln Center Theater in New York City, starting this fall. Goyanes officially leaves Woolly in September. Woolly will celebrate its 45th anniversary on March 25, as well as Goyanes’s impact on the theatre.
“It has truly been an honor to work alongside Maria, who is an incredible visionary and one of the most tenacious advocates for bringing innovative and thought-provoking new work to Washington, D.C.,” said managing director Kimberly Douglas in a statement. “Her commitment to the progression and sustainability of American theatre is awe-inspiring and I have had the privilege to witness firsthand the impact of her relentless advocacy, passion, and dedication to the ART, which will forever change all who have been touched by her leadership.”
Under her stewardship of Woolly Mammoth, Goyanes has advocated for artists such as Aleshea Harris, Heather Christian, Aya Ogawa, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Monty Cole, Seayoung Yim, Jess McLeod, Paola Lázaro, Justin Weaks, Gethesmane Herron, Sasha Denisova, Vivian J.O. Barnes, John Jarboe, Dave Harris, Ryan J. Haddad, Amir Nizar Zuabi, and more. She created a touring program for Woolly, producing tours of international and national artists who would not otherwise have had such reach. These include works such as Where We Belong by Madeline Sayet and Amm(i)gone by Adil Mansoor, which opens this week in NYC in partnership with PlayCo, the Flea, and Kelly Strayhorn. Most notably, Goyanes produced A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson with P73 and Playwrights Horizons, which garnered Woolly Mammoth’s first Tony Award.
The Washington, D.C. community has benefited from Goyanes’s emphasis on Woolly’s acclaimed Connectivity department, which she made integral to the civic provocation and hyper-local connections of the theatre. A few highlights during her tenure at Woolly include:
- Launched the Lin-Manuel Miranda Family Fellowship program with the Miranda Family Foundation, a response to the long-held practice of unpaid or under-paid fellowships in the American theatre. These full-time entry-level positions aim to move the needle on a more equitable theatre ecology. Now in its fourth cohort, the program has sent alumni to the Public Theatre, Arena Stage, Strathmore, Woolly Mammoth, Sixth and I, and other arts organizations.
- Brought Woolly into the Bold Women’s Leadership Circle, a visionary initiative of the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation to bridge the career gaps for women+ in the American theatre.
- Co-created the Arts and Social Justice Fellowship (ASJF) program for high school students with Strathmore. Now in its fourth year, this program continues to support youth leadership at the intersection of arts and social change.
- Established Woolly’s first dedicated commissioning program with the Weissberg commissions, with support of the Weissberg Foundation.
“Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is such a special place, and there are very few theatres in the country like it,” said Goyanes in a statement. “I came to Woolly to double down on its mission, guided by the two pillars of aesthetic innovation and civic provocation. I feel so proud of what we have accomplished, and I carry a Woolly heart to LCT3—one that has expanded with artistic ambition, adaptability, and courage. The D.C. theatre community is so vibrant, and I am honored to have gotten to be a part of it.”
Recognized for her influence in the field, Goyanes was named one of the 150 Most Powerful Women in Washington, D.C., in both 2022 and 2023. In 2020, she co-founded the Professional Nonprofit Theatre Coalition (PNTC) in response to the existential financial crisis facing theatres during the Covid pandemic. Alongside fellow artistic and executive leaders, Goyanes played a central role in mobilizing the nonprofit theatre sector, advocating for government intervention to ensure its survival. The coalition successfully pushed for unprecedented federal support, securing access to billions in relief funding through initiatives such as the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program. During the pandemic, Goyanes centered artist sustainability, focusing on paying artists and staff a living wage while stabilizing the theatre and ensuring an appetite for future innovation.
Founded in 1980, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company creates badass theatre that highlights the stunning, challenging, and tremendous complexity of our world. For over 40 years, Woolly has maintained a high standard of artistic rigor while simultaneously daring to take risks, innovate, and push beyond perceived boundaries. As of 2024, the theatre has a budget of approximately $6.1 million.
