[ This Just In! ]

For Immediate Release
Date: January 22, 2002

Salvage Vanguard co-Artistic Director to Become Full-Time Writer

AUSTIN, TX--Dan Dietz, who has worked at Salvage Vanguard Theater for two years, has announced that he will be leaving his position as co-Artistic Director of the company to pursue a career as a playwright.

As co-Artistic Director, Dietz, along with Jason Neulander, helmed the company through eight productions, one tour, and numerous smaller projects, including the company's CD release program, outreach program, and canned food drive program. While co-Artistic Director, Dietz acted in SVT's productions of American Demons, The Intergalactic Nemesis, Wallpaper Psalm, and Terminal Hip (for which he won the 2000 Austin Critics Table Award for Best Actor). During his tenure, Dietz also authored the critically acclaimed play Tilt Angel, which won "Top 10" of 2001 honors from both the Austin American-Statesman and The Austin Chronicle.

"[Stepping down] has been a very tough decision for me," says Dietz. "I have worked as co-Artistic Director of Salvage Vanguard Theater for two years, and have been involved with the company for five years. The past two years have been full of great times—I’m very proud of what Jason and I have been able to do as partners, with what we’ve been able to bring to the Austin theater community together, and with the ways Salvage Vanguard has changed and grown under our mutual leadership.

"But the vision and focus and commitment required to run a theater company is pretty all-consuming, especially when you’re having to take care of literally everything, from bookkeeping to fundraising to production. It has begun to conflict with the energy and focus I need to develop my individual vision as an artist. I was hoping it wouldn’t come down to a choice between my own needs and the needs of the company, but it has. In order to focus my energies where they need to be—on my individual creative vision—I need to resign as co-Artistic Director of Salvage Vanguard.

"I want to stress that while I will be leaving the administration of Salvage Vanguard, I’m not leaving the company altogether. I’ll still be on the Board of Directors, and of course Jason and I will continue to work together as artists. My relationship with Jason has been the single most fruitful artistic relationship of my life, and I wouldn’t give that up for anything. Jason and I discussed this for hours and hours—for weeks, really. And we realized that our collaboration wasn’t ending, just changing. This is a friendly, amicable departure."

Jason Neulander says: "The past two years have been an incredible learning experience and a period of extraordinary growth for Salvage Vanguard Theater. While I will miss Dan in the office, I am really excited that he is pursuing his dream. He is fiercely talented and I have no doubts that his career as a writer will flourish now that he is committing his full energy to it. And thanks to Dan's hard work over the past two years, Salvage Vanguard is a healthy, strong organization. I am glad to say that Salvage Vanguard's relationship with Dan will be able to continue in a new way for years to come."

Salvage Vanguard Theater will be holding a "thanks for two years of great service as co-Artistic Director" party for Dietz in February. For details, call (512) 474-SVT-6.

The company's next production, Fugitive Pieces by Caridad Svich, opens February 22 at Hyde Park Theatre.

###