Bernstein will lead the nationwide search for his Bucks County Playhouse successor during the next several months and supervise the 2013 Playhouse season that launches on May 23
NEW HOPE — Bucks County Playhouse announced today (May 15) that Producing Director Jed Bernstein has accepted a position as the next president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, home of 11 of the world’s foremost arts institutions, including the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet, beginning in January 2014.
Mr. Bernstein will lead the nationwide search for his Bucks County Playhouse successor during the next several months and supervise the 2013 Playhouse season that launches on May 23.
”Bucks County Playhouse has reclaimed its place as a true star in the national theatrical landscape and a jewel of our community, thanks in large part to Jed’s leadership and vision,” said Kevin and Sherri Daugherty, founders of the Bridge Street Foundation, the nonprofit family foundation that financed the Playhouse’s revitalization.
”Jed is following a well-worn path of artists, from Grace Kelly to Robert Redford, who have shared their talents at the Bucks County Playhouse and gone on to even greater prominence in the arts. We wish him nothing but the best as he follows in the footsteps of John D. Rockefeller III, the founder and first president of Lincoln Center, and pursues this incredible opportunity to run one of the preeminent performing arts centers in the world.”
”I am profoundly grateful, first and foremost, to the remarkable Kevin and Sherri Daugherty, as well as the talented Bucks County Playhouse staff and all of the passionate supporters who have made this wonderful transformation possible,” said Mr. Bernstein. “The work we have done together to bring premier theatrical entertainment back to the people of Bucks County in this beloved venue will always be a source of personal and professional pride for me. I know the best days are still to come for the Playhouse.”
Bucks County Playhouse celebrated its grand reopening in 2012, following extensive renovations and creative revitalization.
The Playhouse is a vital, year-round hub of community activities and arts education programming for New Hope and Bucks County. The 46th annual BCP Student Theater Festival, produced in conjunction with Newtown Arts Company, recently returned to the Playhouse after a two-year absence.
”The future of the Bucks County Playhouse as a successful, self-sustaining cultural force – including, importantly, a hub for community programming and arts education — is thrilling to all of us who care so deeply about this great venue and the importance of the arts to our community,” added the Daughertys.
”We are excited to identify the dynamic, new leader who will have the chance to build on the tremendous accomplishments of the past two years and lead this vibrant theatrical institution forward. In the meantime, we look forward to another wonderful summer of great, live theater in New Hope, and many more to come.”
Prior to joining Bucks County Playhouse, Mr. Bernstein was, for 11 years, president of the League of American Theatres and Producers, now the Broadway League. He then launched Above the Title Entertainment, a theatre/television production company and marketing consultancy.

