KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Lawrence Wilker

Lawrence J. Wilker

Lawrence J. Wilker is a Tony Awardwinning, Emmy-winning producer-entertainment executive. As a principal of TheatreDreams he has co-produced Craig Lucas’ Prelude to a Kiss with Mary Louise Parker, Neil Simon’s The Dinner Party, starring Henry Winkler and John Ritter, the smash musical hit, Urinetown, which won three Tony Awards, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, starring Vanessa Williams, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival in 2002, The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations in 2005, and the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2012. Prior to organizing Theatre Dreams in 2001 with William Becker, Wilker served 10 years as President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Wilker brought a new dimension of creative leadership to the Kennedy Center. He revived a PBS series, “Kennedy Center Presents,” and created the “Mark Twain Comedy Awards” on Comedy Central. In association with the American Dance Festival he produced Free To Dance, a mini- series chronicling the African-American contribution to Dance. It won an Emmy Award. He produced the 25th Anniversary celebration of the Kennedy Center that was broadcast on PBS and was nominated for an Emmy. Wilker dramatically expanded the Kennedy Center offerings by presenting/producing jazz, country music, international productions, comedy, and productions aimed at a family audience.

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Prior to the Kennedy Center, Wilker served as President of Playhouse Square Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio where he was responsible for what is still known as the largest theatre restoration project in the world and provided the stimulus for the city’s revival.

From 2013-2017, Wilker served as a consultant to the recently opened Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida. He has been involved in all aspects of the operation, but has been instrumental in crafting the artistic programs to ensure they serve the whole community and contributed profitably to the bottom line.

Over the course of his extensive career, Wilker has either built or renovated 12 theatres, served as Vice President of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Foundation, a founder of The League of Historic American Theatres and Founder and President of the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware. Wilker Holds a BA in Economics and an MFA in Theatre from the University of Massachusetts, and a PhD in Theatre from the University of Illinois. He is married to Jill Wilker and has two children, Eric (Senior VP Corporate Synergy, Warner Brothers/AT&T) and Michelle. (Producer of television specials, including Comedy Central Roasts, Stand Up To Cancer and Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary and CNN’s Heroes.) She also an author of Chain Linked (Post Hill Press/Simon & Shuster) and writer of numerous award- winning short stories and articles.