Patrick Mulcahy, Producing Artistic Director of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) since 2003, will step down from his role at the Festival at the end of the summer 2022 season.

Mulcahy will work with the PSF Board of Directors, staff and its parent company DeSales University to support a transition to its next artistic leader, determined through a national search in the coming year. PSF is the professional Equity theater at DeSales University.

“While my professional roots are in Shakespeare and the theater industry, I shifted in the 1990s to pursue a career in academia,” said Mulcahy, who joined the DeSales faculty as Head of Acting in 1996. “When PSF came knocking in 2001 and then again in 2003, I was reluctant because I was happy living my passion for education as faculty.”

Mulcahy accepted the leadership position at PSF, reducing his faculty role, and has led the Festival longer than any previous leader, including founder Rev. Gerard J. Schubert, OSFS.

“Leading the Festival has been the honor of my life and has provided me with countless opportunities to continue to learn. A few years back, my wife and I began to talk about my returning to the faculty full-time. The timing is right for us, and we will continue to champion PSF to ‘ascend the brightest heaven of invention’ as patrons and fans.”

Under Mulcahy’s leadership, PSF attracted its first Tony Award-winning artists to its summer seasons, expanded its offerings to include musicals, productions in repertory, and as many as three Shakespeare plays per summer season.

The Festival doubled its attendance, served its one-millionth patron, quintupled its endowment, eliminated its debt, created a modest cash reserve, grew and diversified its board of directors and company, and secured its first and subsequent grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and other major arts grant-makers.

Mulcahy also supported added accessibility programming, championed PSF’s education programs, increased the reach of its school tours, and created a “Shakespeare for Kids” production each season. Recently, PSF successfully pivoted in the pandemic to offer indoor, outdoor and virtual programming for the 2021 season.

“Patrick’s leadership of PSF is a fitting testament to his talents as a Renaissance man, a courageous strategist, thoughtful visionary, attentive fundraiser, effective manager, artist, motivator and friend. Rarely have I witnessed so many successes of a leader during his or her tenure of any organization, be it a diversified for-profit business or a nonprofit arts organization,” said PSF Board President Judy Harris.

Mulcahy led the 2009 strategic planning process that resulted in PSF’s “Vision 2030,” a commitment to world-class professional theater. He led “The Campaign for PSF” in 2013-2015, which raised more than $4 million, primarily for endowment growth to support PSF artistic and education programming. Mulcahy also stewards PSF’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Working Group.

DeSales University President Rev. James A. Greenfield, OSFS, said, “On behalf of DeSales University, I thank Patrick for his visionary and transformative leadership of PSF.

“Its founder, Fr. Jerry Schubert, was famous for his exhortation: ‘Give beauty back.’ Patrick’s work at PSF’s helm has ensured that we will be giving beauty back to countless people for generations to come, “ said Greenfield.