Sarah Williams

Consultant

Sarah is a nonprofit executive leader with 15 years of experience working in nonprofit arts organizations. She was most recently the managing director for California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) where she oversaw the administration and operations of the organization, including leading it through the Covid-19 pandemic. At Cal Shakes, Sarah led all aspects of financial planning and management, fundraising, strategy, and organizational development for the $3-$5M company, working in collaboration with a Board of Directors and small year-round staff.

Prior to joining Cal Shakes, she served as the Associate Managing Director at Berkeley Repertory Theater. In her role at Berkeley Rep, Sarah managed the administrative operations of The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep's Center for the Creation and Development of New Work, producing new play workshops, readings, and The Ground Floor's cornerstone program, the Summer Residency Lab. In addition to supporting Berkeley Rep's mainstage productions, Sarah produced many of Berkeley Rep's special event productions including Mike Birbiglia's The New One, The Second City's Dysfunctional Holiday Revue and Left Leaning and Always Right, and Fran Lebowitz: In Conversation. In summer 2018, Sarah served as tour manager for Berkeley Rep’s production of Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts which played to five weeks of sold-out houses. During her tenure at Berkeley Rep, Sarah managed the entitlement, development, and financing process for Berkeley Rep's artist housing project, a seven-story mixed use building consisting of 45 apartments, classrooms, and production space.

Sarah has also held positions with Yale Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, and Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 2019 she participated in a year-long study of transformative justice practices with a group of Bay Area theater makers focused on finding alternative solutions to addressing harm in theater spaces. She serves on the board of Crowded Fire Theater in San Francisco. Sarah holds an MFA from Yale School of Drama where she was the recipient of the Morris J. Kaplan prize for recognition in theater management and a BA from Boston College.