The Southampton Playhouse Appoints Maria A. Ruiz Botsacos as Executive Director and Eric Kohn as Artistic Director

The Southampton Playhouse, a 501c3, announces today the hire of top leadership. Maria A. Ruiz Botsacos will come on board as the inaugural Executive Director and Eric Kohn as the newly appointed Artistic Director.  The Southampton Playhouse, located in Southampton, NY, is slated for a 2025 opening.

Ruiz Botsacos comes to the Southampton Playhouse with over 25 years’ experience, most recently serving as Vice President, Events and Special Projects at the Film at Lincoln Center, an organization she was with for over 13 years.  There she provided strategy for and oversight of year-round special events. She also handled and developed fundraising opportunities for the organization and served as the liaison to the Board of Directors.  In her role Ruiz Botsacos will oversee the strategic vision and development of the organization and collaborate with the leadership team to implement impactful plans for growth.  She will work alongside the Board of directors and manage relationships with stakeholders.  Ruiz Botsacos is a BAFTA member and a Board member of Cinema Tropical.

Kohn spent nearly two decades as a critic, reporter, and editor for IndieWire, where he became one of the most established voices in film journalism. More recently, he was Head of Strategy and Development at Harmony Korine’s multimedia design collective EDGLRD, where he will continue to produce feature films.  At IndieWire, he was the New York–based Executive Editor and VP, Editorial Strategies, specializing in the art and strategy of film and television. Kohn has extensive experience managing a range of editorial and development initiatives, elevating content and brand visibility across multiple platforms, and supporting artistic voices.  He co-hosted IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” podcast for nearly a decade. In his role Kohn will oversee the artistic vision of the theater, develop and implement creative programs, and work aside the leadership team.  Kohn is also an adjunct professor at New York University, where he has taught since 2014, and co-founded the Critics Academy workshops at the Locarno and New York Film Festivals as well as the Sundance Fellowship for Film Criticism. 

“We couldn’t imagine a better way to launch our journey of delivering outstanding film, live events, and educational experiences to our community and beyond,” stated the Board of the Playhouse.   “With Maria and Eric at the helm, the future is in exceptional, thoughtful, and caring hands.  They are poised to make the Southampton Playhouse a premier cultural destination.”

The Southampton Playhouse – originally the Southampton Theater, a single auditorium theater built in 1932 – was purchased by Aby Rosen and Charlie Rosen of RFR Holding in partnership with Alex Black, CEO of Lyrical Media with the intention to continue the cinematic tradition, becoming a charitable entity that serves the community experience in what will be a newly restored historic theater.  The mission is to grow and expand cultural experiences within the community through the immersive storytelling of cinema, live performances and local arts and educational programs.

The Playhouse will include 3 state-of-the art movie theaters, and an IMAX theater as the 4th house, the only IMAX in the surrounding area.  The Playhouse will have the ability to show first-run theatrical features as well as 35mm films.