Scott Elliott, Artistic Director
Scott is the founding artistic director of The New Group, where he has directed and produced many plays including David Rabe's Hurlyburly (won a Lucille Lortel award and four nominations / four Drama Desk nominations), Wallace Shawn's Aunt Dan and Lemon, Trevor Griffith's Comedians, Deborah Brevoort's The Women of Lockerbie, Mike Leigh's Smelling a Rat, Goose-Pimples (three Drama Desk nominations), and Ecstasy (OBIE and SSDC's Calloway Award), Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw, Ayub Khan-Din's East is East, Rob Urbinati's Hazelwood Jr. High, Stephen Bill's Curtains (OBIE), and Ed Cachianes' Andrew After Dark. His Broadway credits include Noel Coward's Present Laughter, and with the Roundabout (where Scott is an Associate Artist), Clare Booth Luce's The Women (also filmed for PBS), and Chekhov's Three Sisters. Other credits include Christopher Kyle's The Monogamist (Lucille Lortel award and Drama Desk nomination), the American premiere of Arthur Miller's The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, Jon Robin Baitz's The End of the Day, and Justin Bond and Kenny Mellman's Kiki & Herb: Coup de Théatre. He directed the feature film based on Jane Hamilton's novel, A Map of the World, starring Sigourney Weaver and Julianne Moore (National Board of Review award for excellence in independent filmmaking).
Geoff Rich, Executive Director
In 2002, Geoff became Executive Director following a 20-year career in network radio. In 1984, he co-founded Radio Today, an independent radio syndication company. In 1998, ABC bought Radio Today and Geoff became Executive Vice President of Programming for ABC Radio Networks. His radio production credits include Flashback, Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40, Walter Cronkite's Twentieth Century, The Matt Drudge Show, Bob Brinker's Moneytalk and The Dr. Laura Program. In 2000, Geoff founded New York Gothams Youth Baseball, a non-profit youth sports organization. A graduate of Princeton University (1978), Geoff is the President of the Board of Trustees for the Princeton Summer Theater company.
Jamie Lehrer, Director of Development
Jamie comes to The New Group and New York after 25 years living abroad in Switzerland, Singapore but mostly London where she was Head of Development at the Lyric Hammersmith. Her working life began in publishing as an editor and she has authored a children's book, The Magic Costumes (published in the USA, UK, Australia, Portugal & Spain in 1996 and reprinted in 2004). Jamie grew up in Dallas, Texas and Washington, DC.
Ian Morgan, Associate Artistic Director
Ian has been with The New Group since 1999, developing and directing new work, and running the New Group (naked) second stage series and the New Group/New Works play development program. He also supervises and directs Life Stories, the New Group ensemble for New York City high school students. For The New Group, he has directed Critical Darling by Barry Levey, A Spalding Gray Matter by Michael Brandt, and the Drama Desk-nominated The Accomplices, by Bernard Weinraub. Recent productions also include Progress by Matei Visniec (Immigrants Theatre Project at HERE); Ham Lake by Nat Bennett and Sam Rosen, and The Toad Poems by Gerald Locklin and George Carroll (both at the Soho Playhouse); Ethnic Cleansing Day by Brett Neveu (The Production Company at the Kraine); Missing Time by Michael Brandt (Breedingground at CSV); and the 24 Hour Plays at the Lucille Lortel and the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. He has also directed and workshopped new work at the Atlantic, Center Stage, the O'Neill, the Public, Rattlestick, New York Theater Workshop, New Dramatists, and Ensemble Studio Theatre. Ian previously worked as a director and dramaturg in Minneapolis, where he was a literary manager at The Playwrights' Center.
Elisabeth Bayer, General Manager
Elisabeth holds a BA in Economics from Barnard College/Columbia University. Her thesis examined government support of the performing arts, focusing on non-profit theater in the United States as a case study. As Business Manager of The Splinter Group, she worked on projects such as Christine Jorgensen Reveals (Drama Desk Award), Apparition, Confessions of a Mormon Boy, Gutenberg! The Musical!, and the 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Elisabeth has also worked at The New Victory Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Road Company, and Manhattan Ensemble Theatre.
Matthew Klein, Artistic Associate
Matthew first came to The New Group as an intern in 2008! He currently assists in the Literary and Artistic departments as well as educational programs, including Life Stories as a co-instructor of the playwriting class. He received a BA in Liberal Arts from The New School (class of '09), and his MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College (class of '11), where he was honored with the Lipkin Award for Playwriting. Matthew is the founder and Artistic Director of The Mekka Collective, a small non-profit theatre company specializing in the development of new works from emerging artists. He's produced, and been produced, at venues including The Producers Club, Gene Frankel Theatre, The Red Room, Under St. Marks, and upcoming at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre, as well as having received recognition from several playwriting competitions throughout the US.
Anthony Merced, Marketing Associate
Anthony was born and raised in New York City. After receiving his B.A. in Film from Hunter College, he found his home in theater having worked with The New Victory Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Abingdon Theatre Company, Harlem Stage and now The New Group. Anthony helped to market over 50 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions over the past ten years.
