Lookingglass Theatre Appointed New Leadership Team
The Chicago institution has named new artistic and executive directors to revitalize its production model.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in People
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Lookingglass Theatre has appointed David Catlin and Ericka Ratcliff as co-artistic directors, while Philip R. Smith has joined as executive director and David Schwimmer as producing director. The leadership changes follow Kasey Foster's completion of a three-year term and aim to stabilize the theater's production schedule.
Why it matters
The theater is restructuring its leadership to survive post-pandemic challenges and establish a sustainable business model for original work. This shift signals a push to return to a regular production cadence through risk-sharing partnerships.
Lookingglass Theatre is targeting a return to a four-show season supported by a $2.5 million State of Illinois grant for lobby renovations. The new leadership team takes over following Kasey Foster’s three-year term as artistic director.
The players
Lookingglass Theatre
A Chicago-based theater company that creates original works and is currently transitioning to a new management model.
Philip R. Smith
The new executive director who brings 40 years of history with the theater and previously served at Glencoe's Writers Theatre.
David Catlin
A co-artistic director appointed to lead the theater's renewed focus on original productions.
Ericka Ratcliff
A co-artistic director appointed to lead the theater's renewed focus on original productions.
David Schwimmer
The new producing director at the theater known for his long-standing commitment to the organization.
The details
The incoming leadership team plans to mitigate production risk by utilizing co-productions with external partners. This strategy is designed to create a more resilient operating model as the organization works to move past the financial difficulties that followed the pandemic. Physical upgrades are also underway, including a new marquee approved by the City of Chicago for the Water Tower Pumping Station building.
Timeline
September 29, 2026: Announcement of the new leadership team.
February 2026: David Schwimmer expressed his ongoing commitment to the organization.
Market Landscape
This leadership transition follows a widespread pattern among arts organizations attempting to adapt their operational models to survive in a post-pandemic financial environment. The theater is moving to a co-production model, mirroring strategies used by other regional entities to hedge against rising overhead costs.
Owners and managers should watch for how the theater uses co-productions to spread financial risk, as this can serve as a template for small organizations looking to increase output without sole-sourcing production costs. The upcoming lobby and marquee projects on Michigan Avenue also highlight how capital grants can be used to improve physical assets during a business turnaround.
The takeaway
The theater's move toward risk-sharing via co-productions illustrates a vital strategy for scaling up operations when individual capital is constrained. Operators should evaluate their own production or project workflows to identify where potential partners could share fixed expenses to restore capacity.
Further reading
For more on management shifts, see the latest updates in our People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chicago Tribune.
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