Manhattan Theatre Club’s (MTC) artistic director Nicki Hunter and executive director Chris Jennings have announced Scott Kaplan as associate artistic director. Kaplan steps into the new role effective immediately. In this role, Kaplan will continue to work closely with Hunter on programming future seasons for MTC, and on overseeing MTC’s office of artistic development.
“I’m delighted and honored to be stepping into the role of associate artistic director of Manhattan Theatre Club,” said Kaplan in a statement. “Over the past 15 years working at this theater, I have been inspired by Lynne Meadow’s artistry and vision, and the high standard of excellence she has brought to the work happening on and off MTC’s stages. I am beyond excited to enter this next chapter at MTC under the forward-looking leadership of Nicki Hunter and Chris Jennings.”
“I have enjoyed working with Scott for almost as long as I have been at MTC,” added Hunter. “He has always been an outstanding collaborator who leads all that he does with intelligence, passion and a keen eye for drama. He has built wonderful relationships with a myriad of writers and been an invaluable advocate for them all. I highly value Scott’s counsel and am thrilled that we have been able to ascend the ranks of MTC in tandem. I look forward to many more years of discovering talent and shepherding great theater together.”
Kaplan has been a part of MTC’s artistic team since 2010, beginning as an intern. He rose through the ranks to director of play development, a position he held from 2019 until his promotion to associate artistic director. As director of play development, Kaplan worked closely with Hunter and Lynne Meadow, MTC’s longtime artistic director and current artistic advisor, to program multiple seasons for the theater. He has also overseen MTC’s commissioning and artistic development programs, including the Ted Snowdon Reading Series, the Judith Champion Playwriting Fellowship and the Alfred P. Sloan Initiative. During his tenure with MTC, Kaplan participated in the development of plays like “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” “Prayer for the French Republic,” “We Had a World,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Cost of Living” and the Tony Award-winning “Eureka Day.”
Incorporated in 1970, MTC is a nonprofit theatrical institution that produces new plays and musicals across three venues: Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and two Off-Broadway stages at New York City Center. MTC’s Tony-nominated play “The Balusters” is currently running at the Friedman through June 21. The company is set to kick off its 2026-2027 season with “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play,” which begins performances at the Friedman on Sept. 8.
