Eric Bunge, co-founder of the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro and most recently managing director of the Great River Shakespeare Festival, is leaving the area for a new position in Vermont.
Bunge, a Preston-area native, has been named the new managing director of Northern Stage , a professional theater company in White River Junction, Vt.
"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to help Northern Stage thrive and grow," Bunge said. "This company has developed a tremendous reputation in the world of regional theater."
Bunge helped establish the professional Commonweal Theatre in 1989, just as Lanesboro was beginning to experience a growth in tourism. The Commonweal this year will celebrate its 25th season. Bunge joined the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona in 2011 and guided the festival to its first annual financial surplus.
Northern Stage produces seven plays each season, and because of proximity to New York is often able to attract talent from the New York City acting pool.
