Michael Fontaine

Michael Fontaine, managing director of the 6th Street Playhouse since 2011, left the theater’s staff Friday, Feb. 15, after his position was eliminated to cut costs.

“Last month, in a move to reduce operating expenses, the board of directors made the challenging decision to revise its staffing model — using a single director in charge of all of the 6th Street Playhouse’s activities instead of employing both an artistic director and a managing director,” Scott Lummer, 6th Street Board president, said in the theater’s newsletter.

The change leaves Artistic Director Craig A. Miller as the theater’s only full-time manager on staff.

Fontaine has been involved in the North Bay arts community for the past 30 years. He has served as executive director for the Petaluma Arts Center, director of education for the Santa Rosa Symphony, general manager at Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma, artistic director for The First Stage Company and administrative director for Face to Face/Sonoma County AIDS Network.

Before becoming managing director at 6th Street, he served as the theater’s interim artistic director and education director for five months.

Online voters on Broadwayworld.com in San Francisco recently honored Fontaine for best direction of a local play for his work last season on “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” at the 6th Street Playhouse.

“We believe that Michael has performed brilliantly in the two and a half years he has been working with us. Michael is beloved by our staff, board, and patrons, and he will be missed,” Lummer’s newsletter announcement said.

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