The Southampton Playhouse has announced the hiring of its top leadership. Maria A. Ruiz Botsacos will come on board as the inaugural Executive Director, and Eric Kohn will be the newly appointed Artistic Director. The Southampton Playhouse, originally the Southampton Theater in Southampton Village, is slated for a 2025 opening.
Ruiz Botsacos comes to the Southampton Playhouse with over 25 years of experience. She most recently served as Vice President of Events and Special Projects at the Film at Lincoln Center, an organization she had been with for over 13 years.There, she provided strategy for and oversight of year-round special events. She also handled and developed fundraising opportunities for the organization and was the liaison to the Board of Directors.
In her role, Ruiz Botsacos will oversee the organization’s strategic vision and development, collaborate with the leadership team to implement impactful growth plans, work alongside the Board of directors, and manage relationships with stakeholders. She is a BAFTA member and a Board member of Cinema Tropical.
Kohn spent nearly two decades as a critic, reporter, and editor for IndieWire, where he became one of the most established voices in film journalism. More recently, he was Head of Strategy and Development at Harmony Korine’s multimedia design collective EDGLRD, where he will continue to produce feature films. At IndieWire, he was the New York–based Executive Editor and VP of Editorial Strategies, specializing in the art and strategy of film and television.
In his role, Kohn will oversee the theater’s artistic vision, develop and implement creative programs, and work alongside the leadership team. He is also an adjunct professor at New York University, where he has taught since 2014. He co-founded the Critics Academy workshops at the Locarno and New York Film Festivals and the Sundance Fellowship for Film Criticism.
“We couldn’t imagine a better way to launch our journey of delivering outstanding film, live events, and educational experiences to our community and beyond,” read a statement from the Board of the Playhouse. “With Maria and Eric at the helm, the future is in exceptional, thoughtful, and caring hands. They are poised to make the Southampton Playhouse a premier cultural destination.”
The Southampton Playhouse was originally the Southampton Theater, a single auditorium theater built in 1932. It was purchased by Aby Rosen and Charlie Rosen of RFR Holding in partnership with Alex Black, CEO of Lyrical Media, to continue the cinematic tradition, becoming a charitable entity serving the community experience in a newly restored historic theater. The mission is to grow and expand cultural experiences within the community through the immersive storytelling of cinema, live performances, and local arts and educational programs.
The Playhouse will include three state-of-the-art movie theaters and an IMAX theater as the fourth house, the only IMAX in the surrounding area. The Playhouse will be able to show first-run theatrical features and 35mm films.