Robert Hupp will leave his position as the producing artistic director at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre on June 30, the nonprofit announced Thursday.
Hupp, a 56-year-old East Coast native, has accepted a position as the artistic director at Syracuse Stage in Syracuse, N.Y. In a Syracuse Stage news release, Hupp said he was "particularly drawn" to the job "because of its close association with the university." Syracuse Stage, in its 43rd season, is the professional theater in residence at Syracuse University.
"I am at home in the academic world, and I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the educational and cultural life on campus," Hupp said in the news release.
Hupp said in an interview Thursday that moving to Syracuse was like "going home," where he'll be nearer to family and friends he's known his whole life. Hupp grew up in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Hupp has been the producing artistic director at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre since 1999 and is only the second such executive to lead the the Rep since its founding in 1976, according to a Rep news release. Founder Cliff Fanin Baker resigned in 1999.
"After 17 years the thing I'm going to remember the most is the people, the kind and generous people," Hupp said. "Little Rock, Arkansas, lived up to its reputation as being a warm and inviting place."
He said having only two directors in 40 years is a testament to the Little Rock community and noted that many regional theater directors move around like "itinerant preachers."
In Hupp's tenure, the Rep has tripled its budget to about $4 million annually, increased contributions and expanded partnerships with colleges and community organizations, the news release said.
The expansion of the Rep has been a collaborative effort among himself and many other people involved in theater, Hupp said.
Hupp directed 28 shows at the Rep, from Shakespeare plays to The Grapes of Wrath, Les Miserables and August: Osage County.
Vince Insalaco, co-founder of Argenta Community Theater, said Hupp will be missed in the arts community. He recalled Hupp's help getting the Argenta Community Theater started and his work with other organizations across Arkansas.
"What Bob did is unusual," Insalaco said. "Equity directors in a repertory theater, they usually don't take the time to come off their perch and get involved in the community the way he has."
"Equity" refers to membership in a union, which is typical of regional theaters like the Rep that are largely restricted to performers who are equity.
Hupp's experience in theater helped him be a great teacher to young people in the community, Insalaco said.
Additionally, Hupp and Insalaco created a partnership between their organizations. The Rep lets the Argenta Community Theater use costumes, sets and props, and the Argenta Community Theater allows the Rep to use its space for things it can't do at the Rep.
Insalaco said Hupp has made theater more accessible to people and essential to the community. He noted 10 performances were added to the initial run of The Little Mermaid, and it still sold out.
"I think Arkansas is going to miss this man," Insalaco said.
Before leaving, Hupp will plan the Rep's 2016-2017 season, the release said. The Rep's board of directors will launch a national search for the next producing artistic director.
Hupp will direct Bridges of Madison County for the Rep this year, and he said he'll be available to meet with and help acclimate any new director who might be hired before he leaves.
The producing artistic director at the Rep is essentially the CEO of the operation, he said. In Syracuse, Hupp will be artistic director, leading Syracuse Stage along with a managing director.
Hupp has served on civic committees in Little Rock, including the Arts and Culture Commission, Vision Little Rock and the advisory board of the ACANSA Arts Festival, according to the Rep's news release. As director at the Rep, he has worked with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Wildwood Park for the Arts and the Arkansas Arts Center.
Hupp received the 2013 Governor's Arts Award and was named the 2012 Nonprofit Executive of the Year at the Arkansas Business of the Year Awards.
Hupp has taught and directed at Hendrix College, the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he served as interim chairman of the theater department in 2005. While chairman, Hupp helped restructure the department, according to the Syracuse Stage news release.
Metro on 01/09/2016