Victory Gardens names Chay Yew to replace Dennis Zacek as artistic director

Victory Gardens Theater has announced the Singapore-born, New York–based playwright and director Chay Yew as its new artistic director, to take the reins in July. Yew will take over from Dennis Zacek, who last year announced his impending retirement after 34 years at Victory Gardens.

Yew, 46, is an Obie-winning director and spent many years at the helm of the Asian-American Workshop at Los Angeles's Mark Taper Forum. His own plays have been produced at major theaters across the country. He'll relocate to Chicago for the post. Yew said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune conducted in advance of the announcement that he plans to maintain Victory Gardens' playwrights' ensemble and hopes to keep on the current artistic staff, including associate artistic director Sandy Shinner, who had been Zacek's handpicked choice to succeed him.