Announcing Revels’ New Artistic Director, Jeffrey Binder

CAMBRIDGE, MA – After a 5-month search and hundreds of hours of interaction with an amazing pool of professionals, Revels is thrilled to announce that Jeffrey Binder will be our next Artistic Director. Binder is the third permanent Artistic Director in Revels’ history, succeeding Artistic Director Patrick Swanson, who led the organization for over 35 years following Revels co-founder and Artistic Director John Langstaff. Current Interim Artistic Director Debra Wise will remain in this role to bring to life the 55th Midwinter Revels: A Scandinavian Story for Christmas!

“When you start a search like this, you set a high bar and wonder if anyone out there can do it all,” said Ned Gulley, Revels Board Chair. “Jeffrey Binder is the one who can. Jeff is a director, producer, writer, actor, and theater educator with decades of experience and a deep appreciation for what Revels offers the world. We are fortunate to have found each other!”

Jeffrey Binder has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at many regional theaters, and on London’s West End, as well as in television and film. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and received his MFA in Acting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He served as Associate Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Florida, for six years, where he directed, wrote, acted, and developed new programs, including adapting a 45-minute, seven-person production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is performed annually with the Naples Philharmonic for the entire eleventh grade of Collier County, FL.

“Jeff is a talented and dynamic theater professional who possesses the diverse skill set needed to lead Revels at this time,” notes Sarah May, search co-chair. “His passion for traditional arts, music, ritual, education, and working with performers of all ages and abilities impressed us all.”

“Building on the foundations of folk and mythmaking, and by elevating stories that gather and bind us all into one great family, Revels invites us to connect with the common humanity and empathy that lives in all of us … to share in a unique artistic experience embracing fundamental tales and traditions which speak to and celebrate what it means to be part of something larger than ourselves,” said Jeffery Binder on his new appointment.

“In our current times, the opportunity as Artistic Director to be a driving force for Revels, an organization that uplifts and welcomes all of us through storytelling, folk ritual, humor, dance, and music, is both humbling and inspiring. I couldn’t be more grateful for the trust given me to continue to shape the Revels tradition built over half a century. As I stand on the shoulders of exceptional past artistic leadership, I relish the opportunity to help usher in another 50 years of joy, growth, artistic excellence, and deep commitment to the Greater Boston community. The loyalty, camaraderie, and talent of the organization, combined with its beautiful, unique mission, is hard to describe for both its scope and positive impact on those who experience it, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Learn more about Revels’ upcoming events at www.revels.org.