Pictured: Erica Daniels.

Artistic Director Chay Yew and Board President Steven Miller announced today the appointment of the theater’s new Managing Director, Erica Daniels.

Daniels said “I have long admired the work of Chay Yew and the staff and artists at Victory Gardens. It is a thrill for me to join an organization with such a committed board, talented staff and both renowned and emerging artists. I look forward to being part of an organization that is dedicated to the social responsibility of theater while producing excellent and challenging new works.”

Daniels left her position as Steppenwolf’s long-serving casting director to head Second City’s theatrical division in 2015, a position that was short-lived as the company drastically downsized its management.

Chay Yew commented that “Erica Daniels has been a longtime friend of Victory Gardens. A cornerstone of the Chicago theater community and a fierce champion of new plays, she brings her uncanny administrative and management acumen to the organization. I can’t think of a more perfect partner and collaborator in Erica. I’m excited for us to further build on the vision and mission of our theater.”

Daniels succeeds Christopher Mannelli, who left earlier this year for GEVA Theatre in Rochester, NY.