The Board of Trustees of La Jolla Playhouse has announced the appointment of two-time Tony Award-nominated director Jessica Stone ("Kimberly Akimbo," "Water for Elephants") as the Playhouse’s new artistic director.
"It feels great. I'm really, really excited," Stone enthused. "This was not something that I actually imagined for myself. And when the opportunity first presented itself, I was hesitant because I'm so entrenched in my East Coast life. And a good friend who has worked at the Playhouse quite a bit, Rick Ellis, he said to me, 'Hey, would you ever consider that position?' And I said, 'Oh, I don't know if that's for me.' And he said, 'Have you ever had an artistic home?' I said, 'Well, yes, back in the day.' But he said, 'It's such a gift. And I wish it upon all my closest friends.' And that was the moment of pivot. And I went on a journey of research, and I just am so thrilled to be a part of this nationally renowned institution that prides itself on audacious work."
Stone will begin her role at the Playhouse in early 2026 and will work in partnership with managing director Debby Buchholz.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to have her," Buchholz said. "She's been the North Star that we were hoping would apply, and then she applied, and then we had a good and honest process, and at every moment, Jessica just bubbled to the top. She's described co-leading an institution as linking arms, and I am excited by that term and also can't wait to link arms with her."
Stone was most recently nominated for a Tony Award for directing the original Broadway musical "Water for Elephants" in 2024. In 2023, she received a Tony Award nomination for directing of "Kimberly Akimbo," which went on to win five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Stone succeeds Christopher Ashley, who served as the Playhouse’s artistic director for the past 18 years. Ashley steps down at the end of December to become artistic director of New York’s Roundabout Theatre.
Ashley said of Stone's appointment, "I am very excited about the choice. I think (she's) going to be an amazing leader for the Playhouse. Also, what a great job to step into right now. There's so many strengths at the Playhouse, and I think my successor is going to bring an incredible directorial prowess and great taste and also a real humane vision for how you build community."
Stone was hesitant to discuss specific plans for the future but said she wants to build on what already exists at the Playhouse.
"This hunger for new work and new voices — I would love to deepen the incubator that we already are," Stone said. "I would love to find more and bigger and better ways to support our new voices. I would love to find more and bigger and better ways to support our later stage playwrights with their new work. I'm really interested, always, in physically, pushing the boundaries of what the physical expression of a playwright's idea is. I'm really interested in jumping in that sandbox with the amazing production team at La Jolla.
"When Rick said, 'Have you ever had an artistic home?' one of the things that occurred to me was not so much that I could have an artistic home — which is an amazing notion — but that I could actually be a part of making an artistic home for others. That is incredibly compelling to me, to continue this work that they've done and hopefully deepen and expand this home away from home for many, many different storytellers. And I'm just pinching myself. It's an honor to be a part of carrying on the legacy left by Chris Ashley and Michael Greif and Des McAnuff — these titans. So I really am thrilled."
I look forward to seeing what Stone brings to the Playhouse next year and beyond.
