Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival Hires New Sales and Marketing Manager

Feb 22, 2008

Media Contacts

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, experiencing tremendous growth with the addition of an in-house production team, has hired Kerry Brennan-Novak as its new sales and marketing manager.  In her role, Brennan-Novak will manage the Festival’s sponsorship and marketing efforts including overseeing the new Tessitura ticketing system, design and implementation of the annual marketing plan, overseeing the advertising program and placement, developing promotional campaigns to include targeted online marketing and e-mail campaigns as well as coordinating festival collateral and on-site signage. 

 Brennan-Novak brings more than 12 years of marketing and event management experience in a variety of fields.  Most recently she served as Event Marketing Manager at Jelly Belly Candy Company where she was responsible for the planning and management for national and regional sports and event marketing programs that comprised a $1.2 million total annual budget.  Brennan-Novak also strategically planned and implemented event service operations as a Venue Manager for the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee and served as Event Marketing Manager for the Aspen Skiing Company, where she worked on events that included the Men’s and Women’s Alpine World Cup Ski Races, The Ford Downhill Series and Vogue Takes Aspen. 

“Kerry joins the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival during what is shaping up to be a landmark year and her vast experience will contribute to the Festival’s momentum towards becoming a premier West Coast destination theatre,” said Catherine Atack, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.  “The addition of an in-house artistic director and production team has allowed the Festival to implement marketing programs earlier than past years making Kerry especially valuable to developing the reach and frequency of our communication plan with our customers.”

Brennan-Novak holds a Master of Arts in elementary and secondary education in English literature from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, Mass., as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English from Villanova University in Villanova, Penn. 

The 36th annual production of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, scheduled for July 10 – Aug. 17, 2008, debuts the Festival’s in-house production team and brings together two Shakespeare classics – the gleefully wicked “Richard III” and the impishly interfering immortals in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  The productions are complemented by the new, vibrant, romantic and extremely exciting musical in “CAMBIO,” based on Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”  

Tickets for the 2008 season are now available online at www.LakeTahoeShakespeare.com with reduced handling fees for all purchases, or by calling 888-32-SHOWS (888-327-4697).  Tickets start at $22 for open seating tiers and range in options up to the premier reserved seating section from $67.  Information about the 2008 season, membership, volunteer opportunities and sponsorships is available online.

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe and Reno. Annually drawing more than 30,000 attendees from across the country to the specially built Warren Edward Trepp Stage along the north shore of Lake Tahoe, the Festival is a regional advocate for producing the finest cultural events in the region.  Through its in-house artistic direction, the Festival produces three plays each summer, creating original costuming, set design and choreography, and attracting a team of national and international stage talent.  The Festival’s community outreach includes an annual program, InterACT, designed to educate future generations on the importanace of the arts, theatre and music.

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