Executive Leadership

Ryan Rilette, Artistic Director

Ryan Rilette is in his fourteenth season as Artistic Director of Round House Theatre. During his tenure, he has produced seven of the 10 highest grossing seasons and 17 of the top 20 highest grossing productions in the theatre’s history. His productions have received 99 Helen Hayes Awards nominations and 30 Helen Hayes Awards. Ryan created the theatre’s Equal Play commissioning program, Resident Artist program, Fair Play pay scale for artists, and Free Play ticketing program.

For Round House, he has directed The Seafarer, “We declare you a terrorist...” (world premiere), Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up, Homebound, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Oslo, Small Mouth Sounds, “Master Harold”...and the Boys, The Book of Will, Angels in America: Perestroika, The Night Alive, Fool for Love, This, and How to Write a New Book for the Bible. He will direct the American Premiere of Rules for Living in the 2025-2026 Season.

Prior to joining Round House, Ryan served as Producing Director of Marin Theatre Company, Producing Artistic Director of Southern Rep Theatre, and co-founder and Artistic Director of Rude Mechanicals Theatre Company. He is the former Board President of the National New Play Network, and formerly served on the boards of theatreWashington and Maryland Citizens for the Arts.

Ed Zakreski, Executive Director

Ed Zakreski is in his tenth season leading Round House Theatre, overseeing management, finance, marketing, and fundraising. Under his leadership, Round House doubled earned income and increased contributed income by 150%, growing the annual operating budget from $4 million to $10 million; and the theatre has been named one of the “Best Places to Work” by Bethesda Magazine multiple times. Over more than 30 years as a DC arts executive leader and fundraiser, Ed has raised more than $150 million. At Round House, he led the $14 million Full Circle Capital Campaign and theatre renovation, and produced the twelve highest-grossing productions in the company’s history.

Before joining Round House in 2016, Ed spent 12 years as Chief Development Officer at Shakespeare Theatre Company, where he completed the $75 million capital campaign for Sidney Harman Hall and produced the $3 million opening gala—called “the most buzzed-about gala” by Washington Life. He also doubled the annual fund and built STC’s Annual Gala and Will on the Hill into two of BizBash’s Top 10 Washington events. From 1998–2005, he held increasingly senior roles at the Kennedy Center, culminating as Director of Individual Campaigns, leading a 22-member team that raised $11+ million annually. At the Kennedy Center, he significantly expanded engagement and fundraising of the Center’s auxiliary boards and led unique experiential arts meetings across the United States and in Beijing, Budapest, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Prague, and St. Petersburg.

Ed holds a degree in arts management from American University and is a frequent presenter on nonprofit arts management and fundraising.