Theatre News Wire

Strawdog Theatre Company's Board of Directors today announced Artistic Director Leda Hoffmann will step down effective August 15, 2020. Hoffmann, who joined the company in January 2019, has accepted a position as Artistic Director of CATCO in Columbus, Ohio. Ensemble member Kamille Dawkins will serve as the company's Interim Artistic Director.

Hoffmann will return to Chicago to direct Strawdog's world premiere of Welcome to Keene, New Hampshire by Brian James Polak. The production, originally slated for spring 2020, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new date will be announced for next season.

Strawdog Board President Jennifer Nelson comments, "It has been our pleasure at Strawdog to have Leda as our Artistic Director. Her leadership and vision were immediately apparent and impactful - and obviously other companies were taking notice. While we wish we could have worked together longer, Leda will always be a part of our artistic family and we wish her the very best. We are thrilled to have ensemble member Kamille Dawkins step in as interim Artistic Director and look forward to her leadership in this time of transition."

Leda Hoffmann adds, "I am so grateful for my time as Artistic Director at Strawdog and for the wonderful collaborators with whom I've had the pleasure to work. While I am thrilled about this new position and the opportunities it provides, I am sad to be leaving Strawdog and this theatre community. I look forward to returning to direct Welcome to Keene, New Hampshire."

Kamille Dawkins comments, "It is an honor to be entrusted with the role of Interim Artistic Director. This transition is made all the much easier with the support and confidence of my fellow ensemble members. We are sad to see Leda go, but are looking forward to working with her again and watching her succeed in her new position."

Kamille Dawkins is a graduate of the Savanah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA where she earned a BFA in both Performing Arts and in Film and Television. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Kamille moved to Chicago in 2016 after completing her nine month Emerging Professional Residency at The Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She has since joined the Chicago theatre community as an actor, musician, singer, writer and assistant director. She was invited to join the Strawdog ensemble in 2017, shortly after performing in the company's production Once in A Lifetime. Since then, Kamille has performed in several Strawdog productions and has served as both Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair as well as Co-Ensemble Manager for the company. Kamille is also an ensemble member of One Year Chekhov.