Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre lands new executive director

The Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre will enter its 100^th season with a new executive director.

The theater, in residence at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, has hired John Hedges, most recently executive director for Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio.

A Brownsburg native, his theatrical experience includes time at Civic as a teenager. Since then, his career has included appearances at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, and the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. At the American Stage Festival in New Hampshire, he performed opposite Olympia Dukakis in “The Cherry Orchard.”

Behind the scenes, Hedges served as associate producer at North Shore Music Theatre, managing director of First Stage Milwaukee, and general manager of New York’s Pearl Theatre Company. His seven-year stint at Weathervane Playhouse included increases in audience base as well as total revenue.

Hedges replaces Cheri Dick, who will continue her involvement with Civic by focusing on the theater’s ongoing capital campaign.