Around Town: Peter Rothstein

By Julie Milton | Photo by Nancy Guth | November 2023

There’s a smiling and kind new face around town that belongs to a man who has the power to make us happier, less stressed, and more empathetic.  Who has this power you ask and where do I find him?  

Just purchase tickets to any or all Asolo Repertory Theatre productions this season, and you will experience an array of powerful emotions brought to you by Asolo Rep’s new producing artistic director—Peter Rothstein. 

Co-founder and artistic director of Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis, Rothstein has wowed audiences for 25 years, winning numerous theater awards and accolades. He has directed theater, musical theater, and opera and has committed much of his career to the development of new work.  For Asolo Rep, he directed Ragtime (2018), Sweeney Todd (2019) and Man of La Mancha (2023).

After an extensive nine-month search, Rothstein was selected to replace the beloved Michael Donald Edwards, who helped build Asolo Rep into the powerhouse theater with national recognition that it is today. According to Asolo Rep board chair Randell Johnson, “Peter Rothstein is the perfect person to be Asolo Rep’s next producing artistic director.”

We had a lot of questions for this new man around town with big shoes to fill, and he was happy to give us the answers.

Artist of the year. Director of the year. Numerous Ivey awards. You’ve been honored throughout your outstanding career, and we are thrilled to have a person of your talent in Sarasota and at Asolo Rep. Will your producing and artistic process be any different for a Sarasota audience than a Twin Cities audience? I’m a producer who wants to be in conversation with my community. I spend a lot of time listening, reading local newspapers and local authors, attending art exhibits, seeing work at other performing arts organizations. I want the shows on our stage to resonate with this community, to honor what’s important to them, to share its sense of humor. As far as the artistic process, every play demands its own unique creative process, so that’s ever changing. 

With a robust slate of shows each season, Asolo Rep has always had a diverse repertoire of new plays, reinterpretations of classical works, and re-imagined musical theater experiences. Will you continue this direction and focus? One of the reasons I was so drawn to this position was because of Asolo Rep’s programming. Michael Donald Edwards built an incredible reputation for putting creative teams together that were inspired to create truly unique theatrical events. Whether producing classic plays, contemporary drama or musical comedy, the productions were Asolo originals developed by innovative artists creating work that resonates with contemporary audiences. I hope to build on that tradition.

Asolo Rep opens its season on November 15 with Crazy for You, which will be directed and choreographed by Denis Jones. You can’t go wrong with this classis romantic musical comedy loaded with Gershwin tunes. What can the audience expect from Asolo Rep’s production of this classic?Crazy for You is rarely produced because it demands extraordinary talents. The entire cast needs to be triple threats: great actors, singers, and dancers. It’s a big old fashioned American musical filled with hits songs, great comedy, and huge dance numbers. It is also a celebration of the theater itself; it’s about the magic that happens when a group of people come together to create something that didn’t exist before. I wanted to open this season with total joy, and Crazy for You is absolutely that. 

You will direct the classics Inherit the Wind and Twelve Angry Men this season. How will you bring Inherit the Wind to life?I have wanted to direct Inherit the Wind for years. It’s been one of my favorite plays since I first saw a community theater production of it back in high school. It is a play written in the 1950’s, inspired by a historical event (Scope’s Monkey Trial) in 1925, but entirely about what is happening today. Our goal is to make it feel like it was written yesterday. To create a theatrical event that is immediate, entertaining, and profound. 

Twelve Angry Men is being billed as a new musical—not something one would expect from one of our greatest dramas. Tell us more. Sarasota audiences will be some of the first to see and hear this new American musical, adapted from one of America’s greatest dramas. Reginald Rose was a leading writer in the early days of television. His teleplay went on to become a major film, starring Henry Fonda, and has a robust life on Broadway and the regional theater for the past 70 years. I’ve been working with the writers of this adaptation for the past five years. Composer and lyricist Michael Holland and playwright David Simpatico have created a truly unique musical, and through song, illuminates why this drama has withstood the test of time.

Asolo Rep, just like every other arts organization in town, needs generous donations to thrive. The theater staff produces some of the best events in town, and there will be a few new ones this season. Will you be front and center at these events? Sarasota is a remarkable place. I can’t think of another city of our size that has the quantity and quality of arts and culture. That is only possible because of the generosity and the deep investment of donors, volunteers, and audiences. I am looking forward to welcoming patrons to the Asolo, but I am also looking forward to being in the audience and being inspired by my colleagues who are creating extraordinary work for this community.

Ross Egan has been named Asolo Rep’s new managing director, replacing the incredible Linda DiGabriele, who served in that capacity for many years. It’s a fresh beginning for the theater! How will you work together to craft the future of Asolo Rep and what are your goals for the theater five years from now?Ross Egan and I have been spending our first few months intently listening—listening to our staff, our board, our audience, and our colleagues in this community. We are learning about why folks have chosen to make this their home, what the Asolo means to them and their families, and what dreams they have for its future. Our goals will be articulated by first listening. All the performing arts were forced to push the reset button coming out of the pandemic. It is an opportunity to ask ourselves: who do we want to be in this new beginning? How do we reengage our traditional audiences and welcome in new audiences? The pandemic made us all palpably aware of the power of community and the strength in gathering. For me nothing is more inspiring than the communal experience of live theater; my primary goal is how to best share that passion.

When you’re not at the theater, do you have any hobbies you love?My husband Omar and I both love to travel, and we are both very close to our families.

Now that you have been here for a few months, tell us some of your favorite places, restaurants, and things to do in Sarasota.I love fresh seafood. Sarasota has so many fantastic restaurants and most of them have fresh fish on the menu. I am in culinary heaven.

As a kid and young adult my family would vacation on the west coast of Florida. It holds a special place for us. There is nothing like a walk on the beach at sunset.

Asolo Rep’s season is packed with drama, fun, and excitement.  Be sure to get your tickets early at asolorep.org or by calling the box office at 941.351.8000.

Crazy for You 

November 5, 2023 – January 4, 2024

Inherit the Wind

January 17, 2024 – February 24, 2024

Born with Teeth

February 7, 2024 – March 29, 2024

Intimate Apparel

February 28, 2024 – April 18, 2024

Dial M for Murder

March 20, 2024 – April 25, 2024

Twelve Angry Men

May 8, 2024 – June 9, 2024