The Alliance Theatre has appointed Christopher Moses and Tinashe Kajese-Bolden as its new artistic directors. This decision follows a national search for a new artistic director following Susan V. Booth’s departure from the Alliance in October 2022. Moses previously served as director of education and associate artistic director and has a 20-year history with the organization, while Kajese-Bolden held the role of the associate artistic director for four years.
Moses and Kajese-Bolden have served as interim co-artistic directors since Booth left last October to become artistic director of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. The pair offered their candidacy as a team, and become the first co-artistic directors in the Alliance’s 55-year history.
“Three things make them the ideal candidates for this role,” said Alliance Board Chair Jocelyn Hunter, who led the search committee, in a press release. “First, each is extraordinarily talented. Second, they have had a remarkable impact on the Alliance during their period of interim leadership. Third, their vision for the theatre’s continued relevance and growth is ambitious and compelling.”
Kajese-Bolden’s credentials include directing Toni Stone, a co-production between Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Alliance Theatre; The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd and Nick’s Flamingo Grill, both world premieres at the Alliance Theatre; and other productions. She is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Directing and has worked as a director and actor regionally and on and off Broadway. As associate artistic director, Kajese-Bolden stewarded the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab and oversaw the Spelman Leadership Fellowship.
“I have a vision for theater at the heart of public life for all,” said Kajese-Bolden in the release. “A vision where Atlanta is an artistic hub for the nation and the Alliance a symbol of what is possible when we prioritize the well-being of artists and staff.”
Moses has worked in professional theater for 20 years and was awarded the Governor’s Award for Arts and Humanities. He became the director of education in 2011, overseeing the Alliance Theatre Institute — twice recognized as an Arts Model by the U.S. Department of Education — Theatre for Youth and Families programming and the Acting Program.
Under Moses’ leadership, the Alliance launched the Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young program, the Alliance Teen Ensemble and the Palefsky Collision Project.
“The opportunity to build upon the momentous foundation set by Kenny Leon and Susan Booth and to realize our dream of making theater a birthright for everyone in our community is tantalizing,” said Moses in the release.
“Tinashe and Chris know Atlanta and the national theater scene, they are field-leading in new works and they have the trust of our board and stakeholders of all ages,” said Alliance Managing Director Mike Schleifer in the release. “I’ve been thrilled over the last eight months at how well the three of us worked together to program, schedule and budget next season while joyfully executing this one.”
