Eric Newsome
Good news for a change from Germantown Community Theatre. Eric Newsome — who comes to the theater by way of an engineering and telecommunications background — has accepted the position of Executive Director.
GCT has been struggling to stay afloat — you can read all about that here. With this announcement it looks like things are finally stabilizing.
From GCT’s official announcement:
Eric’s interest in the stage began in 1992 when he was magically transported through time and space (i.e. college road trip) to witness his first musical on Broadway. Following a successful career in engineering and management in the telecommunications industry, he transitioned into the entrepreneurial domain and started Historic Images, a local Memphis company that specializes in bringing life to vintage photography archives from media outlets around the country. He and his partners grew the company into a multi-million dollar organization, and he continued to get more entrenched in the local arts scene. He also focused his energy on starting a non-profit organization with local church leaders, Arpana House, that works with partners in India to find homes for abandoned girls. Along the way, he witnessed his incredibly talented wife rekindle her passion for live theatre, and subsequently bring the children along to grow up in the local theatre community. He first appeared onstage in Memphis in 2010, and was smitten. He has since served on local boards and continued to act on stage in various productions, including shows at GCT. Everyone in the family has a long and storied resume in local theatre, from dresser to featured role to stage manager to pin to cameo and everything in between. “I love theatre for many reasons, but chief among them is I believe in the power of story to connect us all. Life is full of struggle and love and pain and joy and we all, every one of us, identify with varying degrees to this whirlwind of emotions. The stage helps connect us all in our own, unique way to these common travails through the raw vulnerability of creating and telling a story. It helps us get through it all, with a sense of unity and belonging. I’m looking forward to applying my backgrounds in corporate management and entrepreneurial success, woven in with a passion for the craft, to ensure that GCT will bring great entertainment experiences to our community for generations to come.”Bo Adams, president of the Board of Directors, had the following to say. “The close of the 2016-2017 season marked a challenging chapter in history of GCT. The opening of the 2017-2018 season has the board excited about the future. Part of this excitement comes from the hiring of Eric Newsome. Eric brings a unique mix of business experience, having spent time in the tech industry as well as being an entrepreneur and being an active member of a non-profit. I would like to thank the all of the supporters, donors, and patrons that have made this possible especially the city of Germantown and the Germantown Women’s Club.”
