In her final search with Sage Search Partners before joining Lindauer, Paula Fazli partnered with Boston Conservatory to find a dynamic leader with a vision to shape the future of theater.
Distinguished theater educator, choreographer, performer, and entrepreneur Krisha Marcano will join Boston Conservatory at Berklee as Dean of the Theater Division starting July 1.
With more than 30 years of experience in the performing arts, Marcano comes to Boston Conservatory from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), where she served for eight years as associate professor of theater dance and assistant dean for student affairs and entrepreneurial studies. At the School of Drama, she was the resident choreographer, where she choreographed musicals, advised on dance movement for plays, and directed staged works.
Prior to UNCSA, Marcano led a dynamic performance career on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. For the first six years of her career, she danced with the acclaimed Martha Graham Dance Company, as well as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She performed on Broadway for the following 17 years in hit musicals such as Fosse (as part of its first national tour), Disney’s Aida, Sweet Charity, and Motown: The Musical. Marcano notably originated the role of Squeak in Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple in 2005. She has also collaborated with esteemed organizations such as the Winston-Salem Symphony, the National Black Rep, and the International Black Theatre Festival (previously known as the National Black Theatre Festival) as a producer and choreographer.
“Krisha’s presentation during her campus visit articulated an inspired vision for the future of theater and energized our entire community,” said Michael Shinn, Interim Executive Director for Boston Conservatory at Berklee. “I am confident that Krisha’s excellence as an artist, entrepreneur, and community leader will help to propel the Theater Division forward into a dynamic future.”
Marcano is the fifth leader of the Conservatory’s Theater Division. She will be the first woman to lead the Theater Division and the first Black woman to serve as a dean at the Conservatory.
Read the full announcement on Boston Conservatory’s website.
Krisha Marcano was appointed in April 2024. The search was led by Paula Fazli, Lindauer Senior Vice President and Higher Education Practice Co-Lead.