Business

Hart leaving Playhouse for Minneapolis

Hillary Hart

By Bill Moss, Published: September 16, 2014

Hillary Hart, who came on board during a financial crisis at the Flat Rock Playhouse and helped guide the theater toward a more stable future, is leaving her post to become general manager of the nationally recognized Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the Playhouse Board of Trustees announced today.

Hart will immediately begin working with the Board and staff to ensure a smooth transition, the Playhouse said in a news release. While she will step down Oct. 3, she will be available as a consultant without charge as long as needed to advise on both operational and strategic planning matters, the trustees said in a news release.

"We have been blessed to have had Hillary with us," said Cliff Stalter, president of the Flat Rock Playhouse Board of Trustees. "We knew when we hired her that a person of her talent and skills was likely to be courted by bigger names and theaters out there, but we were willing to take that chance." Stalter said Hart during her 18-month tenure helped the Playhouse operate more like a business with greater discipline and strategic focus. "Hillary has laid a solid foundation for more sustainable operations and we are committed to build on it," he said. "We are forever grateful to Hillary for her outstanding leadership."

Hart's influence has helped the theater recover from a financial crisis that threatened its existence in 2012. She instituted increased financial rigor including the first comprehensive business and budget office system resulting in reduced expenses and a dramatic shift in financial performance. During her tenure, the Playhouse moved from a $256,000 2012 year-end operating deficit to a $238,000 year-end operating surplus in 2013. The Playhouse is currently projecting a year-end surplus again in 2014.

The theater's first general manager not directly focused on the creative side of productions, Hart successfully renegotiated the terms of FRP's long-term debt through loan consolidation and improved union collective bargaining agreements. She also instituted a strengthened financial management process that has saved more than $200,000 in annual operating expense, the trustees said.

Hart also has elevated community engagement and fund-raising results. Over the past 18 months, contributed revenue increased over projections by an average of 40 percent. Working with trustees and the strategic planning committee she helped restructure the Board of Trustees and revise bylaws, orient new board members and draft a long-term strategic plan designed to build a sustainable business model for the future. She also has been actively involved with community and government leaders.

"I have had the profound pleasure of working in one of the most unique and palpably important theatres in the southeast region and am proud of the work we've done to create a sustainable plan for the future," Hart said in the news release. "I am so grateful to the staff, the Board, and to the wonderful members of this community for so warmly embracing my family. I firmly believe that the Playhouse is on the right track toward the next 60+ years of providing quality artistic and educational programming. The opportunity to become the General Manager at the Guthrie is a once-in-a-career opportunity for me and my family and has been one of the hardest decisions we've ever had to make."

Near-term, Hart's duties will be transitioned to current staff in close collaboration with the board and Acting Artistic Director Lisa K. Bryant. Longer-term plans for this role will be considered as part of the Board's ongoing strategic planning process.