Meet Our New Managing Director!

I couldn’t be more excited to join Orlando Shakes in its 31st year! Of course, I am sorry I missed all the hoopla and celebration of the 30th birthday last year – but I recall when I entered my 30’s the entire decade was a fascinating journey.

I spent my 20’s mostly based in NYC. I had co-written the stage adaptation of Marlo Thomas’s Free to be You and Me and produced it onstage in Chicago and then on national tours to Broadway roadhouses. This was the entrepreneurial launch of my career. I was running a company that grew from a 7-city circuit to 70 cities in three years. It was a time of growth and learning – trial and error.

My Free to Be credit attracted the attention of some publishing companies. I was fortunate to sign a multi-book deal with HarperCollins to create theatre kits for children. So, You Want to Be a Star kits and my original plays were sold in major bookstores, museums and theatre gift shops throughout North America. 17 books followed in my 20’s and led me to a production deal between myself and Disney. I was very fortunate at age 30 to create an arts-based television series for children, Out of the Box.

My early 30’s were spent in a windowless television studio in New York City as the Executive Producer of what would become a very popular, award winning television series. It was a time when I could bring everything I learned from producing theatre in my 20’s and my experience as an author to a much larger platform – television. For me, my 30’s was the first time, I wasn’t flying by the seat of my pants. I had a passion for the arts that was tempered by real production experience and that empowered me to feel confident leading a large team of more than 100 employees to make and support the creative product.

It is exciting for me to join Orlando Shakes at this particular time when it can look back on three decades of growth and stand on the shoulders of that success as it speaks to audiences today.

Douglas Love-Ramos

It is exciting for me to join Orlando Shakes at this particular time when it can look back on three decades of growth and stand on the shoulders of that success as it speaks to audiences today. Since the company started as Orlando Shakespeare Festival, our name evolution alone tells you so much about where we are in our 30’s decade. While we still are producing exceptional Shakespeare plays, we are bringing contemporary new plays and classics to life for our audiences – of all ages.

The theater’s commitment to new plays is extraordinary as well. I can’t wait to see and hear the newest voices in American theater during our PlayFest in early November, and watching those plays evolve and take on lives of their own in professional theaters across the country and right here in our Signature Series on our stages like the powerful My Lord, What a Night that started in PlayFest and now is part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere March 18 – April 26.

There is so much to be delighted about this season and I am honored to be a part of our 30’s.

Warmest regards,

Douglas Love-Ramos
Managing Director, Orlando Shakes