With no fanfare, the board of trustees of the Academy of Music Theatre have hired a new executive director, Debra J’Anthony, who resigned from the Shea Theater in Turners Falls earlier this year after sixteen years of service as its executive director.
In a telephone interview Monday, Northampton resident Ms. J’Anthony said that she has been hired for a term of one to two years as interim director to help guide the Academy through its transition from a first run movie house to more of a performing arts venue. Her first day on the job was March 31. J’Anthony indicated that the Academy’s board of trustees spoke with several other candidates before selecting her for the position and stated that she was their second choice for executive director in 2005 when they instead opted to hire Elissa O. Getto.
Her goals are simply stated, "Enhancing programming and development, I would like to see shows offered every weekend at the Academy." She also said that she would be involved in fund raising.
J’Anthony deferred questions regarding community involvement to the Academy’s board of trustees.
