Robert Hupp

Robert Hupp has successfully carved a career out of combining the things that matter most to him and applying them in his role as producing artistic director of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

“My career af-fords me the opportunity to engage the community as a creative artist, an educator and as an executive in meaningful ways that hopefully make a positive impact on the quality of life for our city and our state,” he said. “I’ve pursued this career because I wholeheartedly believe in the transforming role the arts play in our community.”

Hupp is making great strides toward grooming The Rep into one of the country’s leading regional theaters. In his six years on the job, the organization’s budget has doubled, contributions have greatly increased and subscription membership is up by nearly 35 percent.

Hupp also takes pride in having developed beneficial performance relationships in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Nashville, Tenn.

But more important to Hupp, who has been a National Endowment for the Arts consultant since 2001, is extending The Rep’s reach to a new audience.

“The creation of the Free Shake-speare in the Parks program brings the theater’s work via our state parks system to citizens who otherwise have no access to professional theater,” said Hupp. “Expanding the theater’s educational programming to reach 25,000 school students across the state and developing new curriculum-based, year-long residencies in Pulaski County Schools have been especially rewarding.”

Hupp said his next step is to contribute to the ongoing efforts of downtown revitalization.

“I have worked for the past two years with urban planners, architects and community leaders to create a plan utilizing existing structures and new construction in the creation of a downtown arts district anchored by a dynamic artistic campus for the theater,” he said.

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