New McCarter Theatre head discusses challenge

By Michael Redmond / Lifestyle Editor
   For Timothy J. Shields, whom McCarter Theatre named on Wednesday as its new managing director, the challenge facing Princeton’s Tony Award-winning arts center is not the bright lights of New York City and Philadelphia. The challenge is to "get people out of their houses in the first place."
   Mr. Shields, 52, who will be leaving the nationally distinguished Milwaukee Repertory Theater to take McCarter’s top management post, was referring to "all the entertainment options that weren’t available to people even as recently as 10 years ago," such as the cable TV explosion, Web broadcasts and state-of-the-art home entertainment technology.
   "That’s the real competition," he said. "And the answer, of course, is for McCarter to continue to produce and present the very best in live performance, and continue to emphasize the unique experience that only live performance provides.
   "And that’s why I’m really looking forward to working again with Emily Mann and Bill Lockwood," McCarter’s artistic director and special programming director, respectively.
   Mr. Shields is no stranger to Princeton. He served as McCarter’s business manager from 1983 to 1987 and general manager from 1988 to 1992. For the past 10 years, he has managed Milwaukee Rep, which has a budget of $10 million, compared to McCarter’s $12 million. During his tenure in Milwaukee, the Rep’s operating budget more than doubled, ticket and contributed income reached record levels, and statewide tours of Rep productions were re-established, according to McCarter’s announcement of Mr. Shields’ appointment.
   "Some people are surprised when they hear that Milwaukee has eight professional theaters within the city limits," he said. "Competition for audience and support dollars is no less keenly felt in Wisconsin than New Jersey. I’m coming in with no agenda, no mandates for anything, except to build upon the solid foundation McCarter already has and with the hope we can get more and more people to share the passion for McCarter that the theater’s audience already feels."
   Mr. Shields’ resume reflects a commitment to institution building and community building. He currently serves as a vice president of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the national management association of professional not-for-profit regional theaters. He also serves on the board of the Theatre Communications Group, the national service organization for professional non-profit theater; Milwaukee’s Latino Arts Board, and the Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee. He was the co-founder and president for eight years of Theatre Wisconsin, the association of the Badger State’s professional not-for-profit theaters.
   But "becoming managing director of a Tony Award-winning theater in such a great location was simply too hard to pass up," said Mr. Shields, who holds a bachelor of fine arts degree, Drama/Production, from Carnegie-Mellon University. He will succeed longtime McCarter managing director Jeffrey Woodward, who left to become managing director of Syracuse Stage in March.
   "Tim is right for McCarter at this moment in time, and we are right for him," Emily Mann said. "Tim’s energy, passion and love for the work we create at McCarter will bring us new energy to meet the challenges, both economic and cultural, that face all arts institutions in this new era."
   Mr. Shields takes up his new duties on Jan. 1. He is looking for housing in the Princeton area. His wife, Megan Miller-Shields, and their 10-year-old daughter, Blair, a fifth grader, will be joining him in New Jersey after the 2008 school year ends, in June. Their son, Taylor, 18, is in college.