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The La Jolla Playhouse is properly recognized as one of our nation's most important theatres. It is renowned for its high standards of production; the quality and extent of its development of new work; an innovative and free spirited approach to productions; a broad-based aesthetic; its ongoing success in having productions transfer to not-for-profit and commercial venues; and, quite fundamentally, its attraction as a place for artists to do their best work. In January 2005, the Playhouse fulfilled a long time dream when it opened a new addition to its theatre complex, the "Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for La Jolla Playhouse." Its state of the art flexible theater space seating up to 450 people now joins the three theatres (proscenium, thrust and studio stages) shared with long time collaborating partner, the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). This new Center also adds three more rehearsal halls (suitable for public performance), administrative offices, educational spaces, enhanced production capacity, and many audience amenities. Readings, workshops, and cabaret performances are all possible in this lively new village. A full-service restaurant with a nationally known restaurateur is soon to be added to the mix. The Playhouse now produces throughout the year as it expands beyond its former 7-8 month season. There is also the opportunity to enrich the partnership with UCSD which has so far been based on shared facilities, shared technical production staff, and training of theatre artists. The Playhouse has a record of brilliant and innovative productions of classics and new plays and musicals, including 41 world premieres, 24 West Coast premieres, and seven American premieres. These have merited over 300 major honors including the 1993 Tony Award as America's Outstanding Regional Theatre. The most recent American Theatre recognition were the four Tony awards for its production of Jersey Boys on Broadway. From Broadway to Moscow, the Playhouse has established an extraordinary history of productions that have gone on to stages around the world. These include Roger Miller and William Hauptman's Big River; The Who's Tommy; Lee Blessing's A Walk in the Woods; Matthew Broderick in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Lifegame; Lisa Kron's 2.5 Minute Ride; Jessica Hagedorn's Dogeaters; Randy Newman's Faust; the West Coast premiere of Rent; the American premiere of Jane Eyre; the world premiere of Thoroughly Modern Millie; Dracula, the Musical; the Playhouse's Page to Stage productions of the Tony Award and thePulitzer Prize winning I Am My Own Wife and Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays. In addition to its productions, the Artistic Director can also look forward to taking pride in the Playhouse's Education and Outreach Programs that directly impact some 40,000 children and adults each year, including a major program that tours a commissioned new play each year to the schools. The theatre was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, and revived in 1983 under the leadership of Des McAnuff, who served as Artistic Director from 1983 to 1994. Mr. McAnuff was succeeded by Michael Greif, who served as Artistic Director from 1995 to 1999. Since 2001, the theatre has again been led by Des McAnuff, who has announced his intention to step down effective in the spring of 2007. The 2007-2008 season (through March, 2008) will be the last selected by him. At that point he will become Director Emeritus and may on a limited basis develop and direct work for the Playhouse. The Playhouse has worked to fulfill it mission "to advance theatre as an art form and as a vital social, moral, and political platform by providing unfettered creative opportunities for the leading artists of today and tomorrow,.[and to be] a permanent safe harbor for the unsafe and surprising." Today, the new spaces and the expanded schedule present enormous opportunities for growth, especially in the play development process and in community standing and positioning. The new Artistic Director will work closely with Steven Libman, the Managing Director entering his second year of service; a creative and committed artistic and administrative staff; a flexible and gifted production team; and a growing Board of Trustees. Collectively, they will assure the Playhouse will remain a community asset, as well as a national treasure, in perpetuity. This naturally requires a strong organization with sufficient financial reserves to support the breadth and ambition of the artistry. Sustainability is key to the future, and the entire team, including the Artistic Director, will be working to achieve this objective. The Playhouse operates on a budget of $10 to $13 million per year. It has a full time permanent professional staff of 57. It is governed by a Board of about 40 business, civic, and social leaders. The local audience draw is from throughout the greater San Diego region which has a rich cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic landscape, including a demographic of 35% Caucasian, 20% Hispanic, 20% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 15% African American. The core value held by all who work in and for the Playhouse holds to an artist-driven approach to the Playhouse's present and future.