I first met Peter Lesser (Previous Executive Director of the EGG) many years ago through an introduction from Ellen Sinopoli. I was on the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company board of directors at the time and had stopped by Ellen’s office in The EGG. I was really blown away by the architecture and the excellent programming that Peter was bringing there…to the tune of over 200 events and upwards of 70K attendees per year! After 22 years, the time came and Peter moved on to spend more time with his family on the West Coast. Since then, after an exhaustive search, a new Executive Director has joined on to take up the mantle. Diane Eber is fun, energized, no nonsense and ready to honor that legacy while moving it forward for a new paradigm, in a new time. I caught up briefly with her to get a sense of who she is and what that will look like.
Please tell us your current title and what that entails on a daily basis. Also, a brief synopsis of your previous career experience and education.
My name is Diane Eber and I am Executive Director of The Egg in Albany, New York. My day is usually spent in LOTS of meetings with various partners / staff members / artists / agents / OGS / funders. Then if I have time I try and squeeze in some emailing and dreaming of future programming. I try to always prioritize creative time and make sure I spend at least SOME of my day thinking about ART which is why I do this work.
I am a music nerd at heart – raised by 2 musicians, I was on the path of being a classical clarinetist and then found my true passion was in the magic of bringing together an artist and an audience. I discovered my love for this path booking shows at Vassar College and then went on to work at a booking agency and followed by Warner Music Group, a major record label. I eventually landed at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn. In college I was a Psychology Major but spent most of my days learning the ins and outs of the music business and booking as many shows as I could pull together.
The EGG is an important institution on so many levels for Albany with some pretty established shoes to fill following up Peter’s (Peter Lesser) legacy. Can you share a bit about how you plan to continue that track record of stability while building a new institutional direction that addresses current needs and changes in the industry and attendee preferences?
Yes – Peter built SUCH an amazing legacy and what an incredible history of artists who have graced these 2 stages. I am humbled to try to fill his foot steps. It will be a gradual path to breathe new life into The Egg and I will be making small incremental changes as I go.
Right now I am mostly listening and learning about the community and the history and starting to have big dreams about how we can ‘Hatch The Egg.’ I have already brought in a marketing person who is amazing and it’s the first time The Egg has had a marketing person since the ’90s! I also made the bold (somewhat controversial) move to allow beverages into both theatres. I believe strongly that art is for everyone and that the experience of going to the theatre should not feel elitist. Part of making the experience comfortable is having a drink in your hand. I hope to attract new audiences and create buzz and excitement about this incredible space.
In our recent conversation, you discussed finding new ways to incorporate a creative community ecosystem into the space and programming. Can you share a bit about that?
Creativity is at the core of everything I do and is so important to cultivate and help grow. I would love for The Egg to really be defined by it’s ‘ellipsoidal structure‘ (literally that is what the Enabling Legislation document calls the building – ‘ellipsoidal structure’ – I LOVE that!). At the core of The Egg we are a space with no straight lines where art and creativity can thrive and push artistic boundaries. I took this job because I love the idea of building a curatorial identity for The Egg where the building itself is the primary creative grounding.
For programmatic initiatives: the big vision is to lean into the building – tell the story of its history and invite audience to engage with not just what is happening onstage but with the building itself – outside and in. Think of The Egg as a blank canvas for art. We are currently developing a couple of approaches on that front. ‘The Egg Incubates‘ – where we will incubate and support new work and premiere it on our stages and, ‘Expansion‘ – a series where we invite audience and artists to expand their minds and curate a series that goes beyond our current state of being.
Part of breathing new life into The Egg is the branding and visual identity. You will see a shift in our graphic presence as well as the development of an authentic, individualized voice on social media. The Egg will be a place for engagement not just show announcements. This is all still a work in process as we develop these ideas more concretely for the next season. Consider this an ACE! insider sneak peak!
To follow along, check us out on social media and specifically, watch these 2 hash tags: #hatchtheegg #spottheegg
The Egg is such a striking part of the Albany skyline, history and ecosystem…it’s amazing where you can #spottheegg!
What’s the best way for folks to explore collaboration opportunities with The EGG?
Reach out to me via email! Diane (@) theegg.org
Always happy to connect – but just be patient if I don’t respond right away – my inbox is CRAZY 😉