After 12 years at its helm, Alexander Fraser has announced he will step away from his role as producing director of Bucks County Playhouse in June 2026.
Fraser came to New Hope in 2014 after a producing career in New York on and off-Broadway. Enticing fellow producers Robyn Goodman and Josh Fiedler to join him, together they resurrected the theater’s long-dormant distinguished reputation.
“When I arrived, I found a beautifully restored theater with almost no audience and a skeptical community. Who knew this would turn into the job of a lifetime… working with Robyn and Josh to bring top-tier artists back to the Playhouse, and in turn attracting new audiences and bringing new life to New Hope,” Fraser said.
“The community has been incredibly supportive; during the pandemic we raised $2 million in a few months, allowing us to keep all our staff who have been invaluable to our success. Now that we’re back in full force, it’s a good time to get someone who’s full of new ideas while I take aim at a few of my own.”
Fraser will resume his work as a theater producer with a focus on new project development for musicals and nightclub experiences, as well as consulting partnerships. Goodman and Fiedler will also step away from the Playhouse to focus on their slate of upcoming Broadway productions.
“When my private foundation bought the Bucks County Playhouse in 2011, my intent was to bring Broadway back to New Hope,” said Kevin Daugherty, president of Bridge Street Foundation and chair of the Playhouse board from 2012 to 2023. “Alex arrived in 2014, with his relentless optimism, his Tony Award and his little three-legged dog. They quickly became beloved figures in our community. Over the next 10 years, we watched Alex, Robyn and Josh elevate the production standards to Broadway heights and sold-out shows. It was the consistent quality of these shows that led to New Hope’s resurgence as a travel destination. We’ve been lucky to have them here.”
The transformation of Bucks County Playhouse has been remarkable. Since 2014, the organization’s annual operating budget has grown from $2 million to $12.1 million, and average audience capacity expanded from 34% to 64%. Once a summer theater, the Playhouse now produces year-round, attracting more than 100,000 visitors to its campus annually.
The theater’s success has had an enormous economic impact in and around New Hope, attracting millions of dollars of investment in new luxury hotels and restaurants, as well as a real estate boom driven by a post-pandemic influx of urban transplants seeking serene locales with a rich cultural heritage.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Playhouse is now “the triumphant centerpiece of New Hope’s revival along the Delaware that has attracted developers, homebuyers, shoppers, and tourists” (Maureen Coulter, Philadelphia Magazine, Oct. 4, 2024).
“I’ve seen New Hope change a lot over my last 27 years as mayor… but nothing like what’s happened since Alex came to town: front and center in this community, bringing a vision of what we could be, along with a big sense of humor,” said New Hope Mayor Larry Keller.
At the heart of this transformation has been season after season of increasingly successful productions, education programs and new work development. Fraser, Goodman and Fiedler attracted top-tier creative teams and actors, ranging from established stars to newcomers who have gone on to make their Broadway debuts.
“Bucks County Playhouse gave me my first directing opportunity. Candace Bushnell’s “Is There Still Sex in the City?” transferred to off-Broadway and became a New York Times Critic’s Pick,” said director and choreographer Lorin Latarro (“Waitress” and the upcoming “Chess”). “Alex, Robyn and Josh create a magical artistic environment and foster Broadway-caliber work in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.”
The Playhouse board, with the support of Fraser, Goodman and Fiedler, has engaged Management Consultants for the Arts, with Shruti Adhar as lead consultant, to conduct a national search for the next artistic leader to join Managing Director Teresa Sanpietro and Executive Director Nicole Hackmann.
“We are forever in debt to Alex, Robyn and Josh for their tireless work in building a community around 11 seasons of extraordinary productions,” said Gayle Goodman, chair of the Playhouse board of directors. “They’ll be a tough act to follow… but they leave a strong foundation and a stellar opportunity for our next artistic leader.”
