David Ivers has a proven track record of theatrical excellence, dynamic leadership and creating meaningful connections with audiences. Prior to his appointment as artistic director at South Coast Repertory, he served as artistic director for Arizona Theater Company. Before that, he served more than 20 years as an actor and director at Utah Shakespeare Festival, with the last six as artistic director. At USF, he helped usher in a $40 million expansion of the festival’s facilities and his tenure was marked by a significant re-brand of the organization and several key initiatives including the launch of WORDS (cubed) new play program, He was a resident artist at Denver Center Theatre Company for a decade, acting in and/or directing more than 40 plays and has helmed productions at many of the nation’s leading regional theatres including the Guthrie Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and South Coast Repertory (One Man, Two Guv’nors, 2015). His early career included serving as associate artistic director of Portland Repertory Theatre and he appeared in productions at some of the nation’s top regional theatres including Portland Center Stage and the Oregon, Alabama, and Idaho Shakespeare festivals. He has served on numerous boards including the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble, the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center and the American Shakespeare Collective. He taught at the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Southern Utah University and Southern Oregon University. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley area and earned his BA from Southern Oregon University and his MFA from the University of Minnesota. He and his wife, Stephanie, have two sons, Jack and Elliot.