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Pear Theatre Executive Artistic Director Sinjin Jones. Courtesy The Pear Theatre.

Sinjin Jones will be stepping down as executive artistic director of The Pear Theatre at the conclusion of the company’s next season in summer 2025, according to an announcement on the theater company’s website posted last week.

The announcement came as the Mountain View-based company recently concluded its 22nd season. Jones will helm the company for its 23rd season, which opens next month.

“He’s been an outstanding artistic director. He came in and it was early 2020, right before the pandemic, which was, needless to say, a very difficult time for a new artistic director to be coming in, but he really helped us stay afloat. The Pear was able to offer digitally streamed performances, and we also talked about how we could emerge from the pandemic stronger,”  Bridgette Dutta Portman, president of the Pear Theatre Board of Directors, said of Jones in an interview with this news organization.

In addition to leading the company through a uniquely difficult time for the arts, Jones also brought The Pear’s mission into focus, she said. 

“He led the process for The Pear and the board to define our core values. They include Transformation, Passion, Education, Community, and IDEAL (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Liberation). We’ve defined who we are as a theater and who we want to be and the kinds of shows that we want to do.”

President of the Pear Theatre Board of Directors Bridgette Dutta Portman. Courtesy The Pear Theatre.

She noted that Jones also forged connections through the company’s Core Community projects and education, including co-productions with other companies, bringing in improv and cabaret groups to perform at The Pear’s space, and expanding the company’s educational programs. 

“I will say it’s a very tough time for theater right now in general, not only in the Bay Area, but nationwide. And I think if theater is to thrive and is to survive, we really need to have more of a community mindset. So, sharing resources, sharing space, helping each other grow our audiences. In terms of education, you know, part of education is shaping the next generation of people who will be actors and directors and designers. … I think we need to nurture our communities and the young people around us if we want theater to continue to thrive,” she said.

She confirmed that the board aims to have a new artistic director in place in early 2025, so that their start in the role will overlap with Jones’ final season, to help with the transition. 

“We want someone who has a clear vision about the kinds of shows that they want to offer — somebody who is committed to furthering our goals when it comes to showcasing stories that maybe have not been been heard before, diverse stories, inclusive stories — someone who kind of can think outside the box and be willing to pivot and to adapt if unforeseen things come along, just you know, as Sinjin did during the pandemic,” she said of the qualities the board is seeking in a candidate.

For more information about Jones’ announcement or The Pear Theatre’s new season, visit thepear.org.

Heather Zimmerman has been with Embarcadero Media since 2019. She is the arts and entertainment editor for the group's Peninsula publications. She writes and edits arts stories, compiles the Weekend Express...

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