From Staff Reports

FLAT ROCK — Flat Rock Playhouse announced May 19 that producing artistic director Vincent Marini would step down on May 31 “to pursue new opportunitis.”

Named interim artistic director is Lisa K. Bryant, who has served as associate artistic director.

“Over his five years as producing artistic director, Vincent Marini has led Flat Rock Playhouse to new levels of artistic excellence while weathering the major challenges o the recession economy,” Clifford Stalter, presdient of the FRP board of trustees. “The Playhouse board will conduct a national search for a new artistic director.”

Marini joined the Playhouse full-time in September 2009. Since then, he has overseen many of the theater’s most celebrated shows, such as “Les Miserables,” “A Few Good Men,” “The Buddy Holly Story,” “Twelve Angry Men,” “Cats,” “The 39 Steps” and more.

During his tenure, the Playhouse set recrods for annual ticket sales and contributions — and it opened the 250-seat Playhouse Downtown on Hendersonville’s Main Street in 2011. The Hendersonville venue draws more than 35,000 visitors to downtown Hendersonville annually.

“I am so very proud of all that we have accomplished together” at FRP, Marini said.