Lear deBessonet Makes Her Entrance At Lincoln Center Theater With A Life-Changing Gift

Forbes

03-07-2025

Lincoln Center Theater board chair Kewsong Lee and Kewsong Lee artistic director Lear deBessonet
Sometimes a gift does more than support—it ignites. And as visionary theatermaker Lear deBessonet steps into her new leadership role at Lincoln Center Theater, she does so with a new title: Kewsong Lee artistic director. Just yesterday, it was announced that Lincoln Center Theater's board chair, Kewsong Lee, and his wife, Zita Ezpeleta, are funding deBessonet's artistic director role.
A former artistic director at Encores!—where she directed Once Upon a Mattress, Into the Woods, and Oliver!—deBessonet has long been devoted to making live theater accessible to all and rooted in community. As she said in her TED Talk, 'When we talk about making the arts accessible to all, it isn't charity. It's how we become whole.' This gift will help her bring that very energy to Lincoln Center Theater, one of the nation's most celebrated nonprofit theaters.
deBessonet joins forces with managing director Mike Schleifer, executive producer Bartlett Sher, and a leadership team that includes producer Nicole Kastrinos, executive director of development and planning Naomi Grabel, and LCT3 artistic director and producer Maria Manuela Goyanes. Together—with the support of a dedicated board and a staff of 60—they are guiding Lincoln Center Theater into its next chapter, building on the legacy of André Bishop, who helmed the theater for 33 years.
This September, deBessonet will open her inaugural season with a new production of the sweeping musical Ragtime, which she directed last fall at Encores! With a score by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and a book by Terrence McNally, Ragtime stars Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, and Brandon Uranowitz. Also in the works is the Whoopi Monologues. Directed by Whitney White, Kerry Washington, Kara Young, and three other actors will perform monologues written by Whoopi Goldberg for her 1984 Broadway solo show.
Add to that a free silent disco listening party for the 'Warriors' album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, productions of Kyoto and Amahl and the Night Visitors, a collaboration with Chef Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana, and an eclectic mix of reading and comedy series.
deBessonet says that the leadership gift from Kewsong Lee will impact her life forever. From the moment she met him, she found Lee inspiring and brilliant. 'The depth and insight of Kew's questions are constantly driving us toward more innovative, resilient ideas. And I was exhilarated by the challenge of meeting his big ambitions for Lincoln Center Theater,' she says.
'His invitation to dream allowed me to not just think about success for our organization, but how we can manifest transformational impact in our field and for the city of New York,' adds deBessonet. 'Words can't express the profound impact of an investment like this on an artistic leader's journey, and I know I will be thanking him for the rest of my life.'
From Left: Lear deBessonet, Kewsong Lee, Mike Schleifer, and Bartlett Sher
Jeryl Brunner: What inspired you to select the musical Ragtime?
Lear deBessonet: One of the things I believe Lincoln Center Theater does like no place else is musical revivals of sweeping scale. It felt exciting to build on that legacy, particularly with a show that we hope will create community and appeal to a wonderfully wide audience. In addition to its glorious score, Ragtime holds unique resonance in our time as it explores American history through both an epic and deeply personal lens.
Brunner: How do you define your artistic mission at Lincoln Center Theater? And how might that evolve now that you have this foundational support behind you?
deBessonet: Our artistic mandate at Lincoln Center Theater is to deliver exceptional theater—theater that is beautiful, transporting, intellectually rigorous, and aesthetically exquisite. Kewsong Lee's bold leadership support gives us a strong foundation and the momentum we need to manifest a vision we hope everyone will want to be part of.
Brunner: What inspired you to give the Kewsong Lee Artistic Director gift to Lincoln Center and fund Lear deBessonet's artistic director role?
Kewsong Lee: We are at an exciting and important moment for Lincoln Center Theater and our industry. As our next generation of leadership steps up, the question is, how do we celebrate and respect who we are and all that we've accomplished, while pushing forward to evolve given that the environment and broader audience is certainly changing?
Moving an organization like Lincoln Center Theater forward certainly takes many moving parts working together. We need amazing people and staff, loyal patrons and guests, a thoughtful and engaged board, and magic on our stages created by our life-blood: talented artists who call us 'home.' And very, very importantly, it absolutely takes gifted leadership and resources, which is why my wife and I are so excited to be supportive of Lear and Lincoln Center Theater.
Brunner: How specifically will the gift help Lear and Lincoln Center Theater move forward with this new leadership?
Lee: Zita and I believe in the power of live performance and the importance of collective experiences. The magic on our stages over the past 40 years has evoked countless laughs and tears, endless debate and reflection, untold moments of angst and joy, infinite sparks of inspiration and creativity, and truly immeasurable emotions of hope, surprise, and happiness. Collective experiences connect us all. This is what Lincoln Center Theater does. And we are excited in our own way to support this mission. And we hope others join as well.
Brunner: This is a unique example of a board chair directly investing in an artist's leadership. How might this model change how we think about supporting arts institutions?
Lee: To get to this moment took careful planning and patient commitment. We are blessed to have an amazing and supportive board at Lincoln Center Theater. Several years ago, we articulated a multi-year progression and path forward as the industry emerged from COVID. For us, it began with a year of restoration and engagement, as we reestablished the social fabric at the board and reconnected with our artists and audience while getting our muscle memory going again on our stages.
Next, we turned to a year of strategic planning and prioritization, to thoughtfully make important institutional and organizational decisions. Then, this past season was all about a year of transition and celebration of our beloved André [Bishop] and our 40th anniversary. Which brings us to the present—our next chapter begins as this board and new leadership takes us forward.
The Vivian Beaumont and Claire Tow theaters