MediaContact:
Kyle Parks
ParksPR
kyle@parkspublicrelations.com
813-352-1325
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – May 19,2026 – American Stage Theatre Company today announced that Producing Artistic Director Helen R. Murray will step down from her role, with the transition taking place effective immediately.
To support the transition, American Stage has engaged nationally respected theatre leader Stephanie Gularte, a former CEO/Producing Artistic Director of American Stage, as a Strategic Consultant. She will offer strategic counsel to staff, including Interim Artistic Director Anthony Gervais, and Board leadership to guide the organization through this next chapter.
“We have a strong team in place and a clear plan for the months ahead,” said Ebrahim Busheri, Board of Trustees Chair. “With Stephanie Gularte joining us during this transition, we’re focused on supporting our staff and artists while continuing to deliver a strong season and move the organization forward.”
American Stage’s leadership and Board are working closely together to ensure a seamless transition, and the upcoming season will move forward as planned.
“American Stage is a vital artistic pillar for Tampa Bay,” said Gularte, who led American Stage from 2015 to 2021. “I look forward to supporting the board and staff with strategic guidance throughout this transition, ensuring that the organization remains a vibrant community treasure for years to come."
About American Stage: American Stage Theatre has operated as a non-profit 501(C)(3) in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida, providing live theatrical productions as a professional regional equity theatre since 1977. As Tampa Bay’s longest-running, most critically acclaimed professional theatre company, its vision is to be a vital arts leader, connecting its community to world-class productions that celebrate the most powerful stories of the moment and the most defining stories from our past.
American Stage’s year-round accessible programming brings the power of quality live theatre to each generation. American Stage believes that through the telling of dynamic stories, the theatre has the power to unite us in our shared experiences and to deepen our connection to one another through the illumination of diverse perspectives.
Powerful Stories. Boldly Told.
Learn more about American Stage at AmericanStage.org
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