Meet Natalie DeLancey | Executive Director | City Springs Theatre Company

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie DeLancey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
City Springs Theatre Company, the resident musical theatre company of the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Many community members assume that we are producing touring shows, similar to the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. We locally produce all productions, utilizing mostly local, professional Atlanta talent, and our business model is made up of 65% ticket sales and 35% donations through individuals, foundations and corporations. Atlanta has a tremendous amount of talent and we love being able to showcase the community!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 2012, I began my career in arts administration at the Woodruff Arts Center. In two short years, I was promoted multiple times and became a representative for the Woodruff Arts Center as an Advisory Committee Member of the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards – The Shuler Awards at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. In 2014, I became the Director of Arts Education and Community Outreach for ArtsBridge Foundation at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. In 2017, I won the program’s first Southeast Emmy Award for my direction of that year’s Shuler Awards, televised on GPB and grew the number of students served overall by 45% during my tenure. That year, I was approached to help start City Springs Theatre Company as the Managing Director and was the first employee hired by the brand-new theatre company in Sandy Springs. Today, I serve as the Executive Director and we are an $8 million nonprofit, professional theatre company that serves over 50,000 patrons and 10,000 students annually.

While my career has moved quickly over the last decade, one component has stayed the same. I am extremely committed to the community in which I serve and I believe that thriving arts programming brings communities together across all boundaries. My approach has always been big and bold, which has caused me to take calculated risks in order to make a strong impact. The path has not always been easy, but knowing that the community has supported my efforts, particularly in Sandy Springs, has been exceptionally rewarding. And, I have a wonderful team at City Springs Theatre Company that is beyond committed to our mission and the quality of work we bring to Sandy Springs.

Every day I find myself truly lucky to be where I am and doing what I love. My career has been full of challenges, but when conquered, have also been some of the most rewarding moments of my life thus far.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, given that I’m in the arts, I would frequent as many arts experiences as possible – first stop would be City Springs Theatre Company, of course, and next would be a show at the Fox Theatre! I love the Braves so we’d definitely go to a Braves game and walk around the Battery. You can’t visit Atlanta without visiting The Varsity so that’d be a lunch spot and we’d have dinner at Baraonda in Sandy Springs – one of my favorite restaurants! I’d definitely want an afternoon at Piedmont Park and a concert at Chastain! We’d do a little shopping at The Avalon in Alpharetta and visit Mary Mac’s Tea Room for another evening out!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been fortunate throughout my career to have many mentors and supporters along the way. My biggest inspiration is my Grandmother, Barbara Williams. Since I can remember, she has shown me that the arts can change a community for the better and that giving back to your community is a requirement. She continues to support me in all I do and I am grateful for the guidance, love and support she provides.

Website: https://www.CitySpringsTheatre.com

Instagram: @cityspringstheatre (my personal is @Nataliedelancey)

Facebook: City Springs Theatre Company on Facebook!

Image Credits
Photo with Shuler Hensley, Marcigliano Photography