Changes afoot at the Auditorium Theatre

Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, photo credit Dan Rest
Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, photo credit Dan Rest

CHICAGO – Tania Castroverde Moskalenko officially took the helm as the new CEO of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University at a press luncheon onstage Oct. 27. Key stakeholders from the University, organizational leaders from many of the companies who perform regularly at the Auditorium, board members, and representatives from a number of arts advocacy organizations were present for Ms. Castroverde Moskalenko’s coming out party as she described the importance of preserving the historic landmark building and restoring its founders mission to build “the theater of the people.”

In laying out her plans, Castoverde Moskalenko pointed out an abundance of dance, and desires future seasons well balanced with more music, particularly jazz, pop, rock, and world music. “Our stage needs to reflect the diversity of our city,” she said, aiming to expand programming to cater to a wider audience, in addition to broadening the donor base, diversifying the board, and growing community partnerships with the theater. “I am making a long term commitment to you, and so I’m asking all of you to join me on this journey,” she said.

Castroverde Moskalenko comes to Chicago and the Auditorium Theatre from Carmel, Indiana, where she served as President and CEO of the Center for the Performing Arts for 4 years. Prior to the Center, she served as Executive Director of the Germantown Performing Arts Centre in Tennessee, and has built a reputation for diversifying programming, expanding audiences, and balancing budgets.

Author: Lauren Warnecke

Lauren Warnecke is a freelance dance critic, contributing to the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine. She is senior editor of See Chicago Dance. Lauren covers dance across the Midwest and writes regularly for Dance Magazine and Pointe with additional bylines in Milwaukee Magazine, St. Louis Magazine and Dance Teacher. Forthcoming publications include essays on ballet training in Chicago (University of Illinois Press) and Shirley Mordine (University of Akron Press). In 2020, Lauren published an opinion piece on the impact of COVID-19 on the arts in the South African journal Agenda. Lauren holds degrees in dance and kinesiology and has presented research on dance training practices at the National Dance Education Organization and the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. She has co-facilitated critical dance writing intensives in Chicago and Durban, South Africa, and participated in writing residencies at the National Center for Choreography, Bates Dance Festival and JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience. Lauren teaches dance history and kinesiology for dancers, with part-time appointments at Loyola University Chicago and Illinois Wesleyan University.