Lou Castelli, Managing Director of the Public to Leave the Company this Fall
Lou Castelli, and the Pittsburgh Public Theater , announced his decision to move on after 24 years with the company. The theater veteran and familiar face in the Cultural District will wrap up his work in Fall 2022.
Pittsburgh Public Theater Board Chair Courtney CT Horrigan announced today that Lou Castelli plans to move on as Managing Director of The Public at the end of September 2022. Castelli took on the leadership role with his producing partner, Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski, in August 2018, after leading the theater’s marketing & communications department for 20 years.
“Lou’s loyalty to the company and sincere enthusiasm for the art The Public produces have been unmatched,” said Horrigan. “24 years is a remarkable run, and we’ve been fortunate to have him at the helm with Marya for the past four years. Throughout the pandemic, they have together innovated and kept the company on solid ground, poised for a big and bold return this fall.”
Castelli will vacate his position sometime in late September, and the Executive Committee of the theater’s board has begun a regional search to identify his successor.
“It’s been an honor to serve Pittsburgh Public Theater and our audiences for the past 24 years,” Castelli remarked. “I’ve been lucky to partner with Marya to realize the company’s vision of becoming a true public theater for the community. We’re in the strong position we are today thanks to our collaborative work with an incredibly talented staff and a tremendous board of trustees. It’s been a fantastic ride, and I’m confident the time is right to see what the next exciting step on my career path will be.”
Castelli has spent his entire professional career in arts administration in the Pittsburgh community. He began as an intern at the Pittsburgh Symphony, and worked his way up in their marketing department, spending ten years as part of that team, working closely with then Principal Pops Conductor Marvin Hamlisch on revitalizing and branding the orchestra’s Pops series. In 1998, he arrived at The Public as Marketing Director, and assisted in leading the move from the theater’s former home on the North Side to the O’Reilly Theater, which opened in December 1999. He eventually took on the role of Director of External Affairs, serving on the senior management team, directing all marketing and communications efforts for the theater under the supervision of former Producing Artistic Director Ted Pappas.
“I’m very proud of the high-quality work I’ve been able to do at Pittsburgh Public Theater, and I’m excited to stay connected with the company as I transition from being a leader to becoming an enthusiastic supporter of The Public,” Mr. Castelli stated.