Roundabout’s Board of Directors has named theatrical general manager, producer, and nonprofit leader Rebecca Habel as the institution’s new Managing Director. She will join incoming Artistic Director Christopher Ashley to comprise a new two-person leadership model for Roundabout.

In this new role, Rebecca will be leading Roundabout’s business management and administration, beginning in January 2026. Christopher was very involved in Rebecca’s selection, and on the artistic side, he is collaborating with Scott Ellis on our 2026–27 season, and will begin his full-time tenure in July 2026.

“Rebecca’s deft work managing large budgets, productions, and multi-faceted projects and the respect she’s earned with artists, unions, shops, and crews will make her a great leader for Roundabout,” said Kitty Patterson Kempner, Board of Directors Chair. “Since Todd Haimes’s passing, Scott Ellis, Sydney Beers, and Chris Nave have led Roundabout brilliantly, with two of our most successful seasons. I know that having Christopher and Rebecca add their vision to this team will mean great things for artists, audiences, and young people Roundabout serves.”

"I am thrilled to return to Roundabout to work again with Scott Ellis, Sydney Beers, and Chris Nave and to partner with Chris Ashley in guiding Roundabout in its next phase of producing world class theatre. I am grateful to the Board for their confidence as we embark on this work together. I have had a wonderful experience with my partners at TT Partners and am excited for them as they continue to build on all the success we have had together.”

— Rebecca Habel
Incoming Managing Director

The Roundabout search committee included Board of Directors Kitty Patterson Kempner, Thomas E. Tuft, Lawrence Kaplen, Stephanie Kramer, Johannes Worsoe, Taylor Lawrence,  LaChanze, and Mary C. Solomon.

ABOUT REBECCA HABEL.

Rebecca Habel has been the general manager of more than 30 productions on and off-Broadway at Vineyard Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, and at Stuart Thompson Productions and Thompson Turner Productions. On these New York stages, she has overseen productions ranging from Stephen Karam’s first play Speech & Debate in Roundabout’s Black Box Theatre to the Broadway premiere and First National Tour of the musical Mean Girls. She co-created and produced Reconfiguration: An Evening with Other Lives in BAM’s Next Wave Festival and was a producing consultant for The Park Avenue Armory on The Hairy Ape.

She has recently served as General Manager and/or Executive Producer of such Broadway premieres including The Hills of California, Patriots, Leopoldstadt, and Illinoise.

She has a B.A. in Communications from American University and an M.A in Performing Arts Administration from New York University.