Meet PTC’s New Managing Director: Adrian Budhu

SALT LAKE CITY —  Many an artist has beloved childhood memories of their playing their craft long before it became their profession. Proud parents show the childhood drawings, writings or recordings of precocious children who would later rise to major achievement. When Pioneer Theatre Company’s new managing director Adrian Budhu was a child, he, too loved putting on shows for his parents – but his joyful recollections were of selling tickets and providing a cozy experience for guests. Budhu’s commitment to building sustainable, innovative models of growth became clear in my conversation with him about taking on his new role within PTC. 

Budhu clarified his role within the company by saying, “Karen Azenberg is the overall vision for the company. My work is maintaining and overseeing business functions including budgets, revenue generation, marketing, risk management and long term strategic planning.” In that way, the vision Azenberg has for the company can become a reality. His skillset and background in this areas not only stem from childhood, but have years of practical experience and growth underpinning them. 

Budhu spoke to the unique nature of PTC being housed within a university. “Many theatre executives report to a board. While I do that, the board is more advisory, and my direct supervisor, Dean Scheib, is the person who I report to. It’s fascinating work to understand the company and university aims aligning.”

Equipped with a business degree from Boston University and training in disruptive business strategy from Harvard Business School Online, Budhu brings a wealth of knowledge to the company. He has experience in leadership with The Theatre Offensive (TTO), an LGBT non-profit arts group based in Boston, East West Players in Los Angeles, and serving as Deputy Director and COO of Theatre Communications Group. His work spans sectors of business and culture, nationwide. 

Though PTC conducted a national search with Tom O’Conner Consulting Group, their prime candidate had already moved to Utah a few years before. He and his partner had moved to Salt Lake a couple of years previously so Adrian has already had time to acclimate to the Beehive State’s capital city. 

“Salt Lake City has a really healthy balance of city life and natural wonders. You can ski, or see a play and there’s a direct flight from Salt Lake to anywhere else you could go,” Budhu observed. When asked about the arts and culture scene, he said was particularly impressed that Salt Lake, “had so much mission driven work that challenges and inspires the community.” Budhu has primarily worked on the coasts where some of the most radical work happens. He discussed how those areas always seek to push the needle faster and further, but he notes that his own biases have changed while working and living in Salt Lake since 2022. 

“[Working at TCG] exposed me to an entire ecology of theatre in the nation. Some challenges are unique to communities we’re in, but in a place like Salt Lake where there is so much intersectionality of personal values (political lines, organizational values, family values) much more is interconnected. Learning, ‘Where do we intersect?’ is so much more important to focus on rather than how we divide.” 

Much of Adrian’s early career work was outside of the realm of arts making. This asset allows him to approach conversations around the value of arts without the ingrained terminology that long-time theatre makers sometimes get lost in. “The value of theatre, that can’t be replaced, is that it is happening live – right now. When we talk about it, I don’t get lost in the jargon of being in a theatre making circle. I avoid the flowery language and can talk about the impact we’re making right away.” Patrons care about that, and that arm of his work is so essential to PTC’s long term growth.

Budhu understands that in a world of so many competing – and valuable – causes, companies need to consider how they diversify their revenue to compensate for patronage that can ebb and flow. “Theatre has never been supported by revenue alone. It so often considers reliance upon individuals with wealth, but what else is there? How do we make the company grow?” Even going back to the days of the Greeks, patronage for theatre has often told the story, and Budhu has extensive work helping organizations tell their story. When working with TTO, their cash reserves were exceptionally low due to a myriad of factors. Budhu approached the organization and said, “If you help me understand what we do that is so important, I can get you those dollars.” 

In two weeks, Jersey Boys will open the season for PTC in the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre. Much of what Budhu brings to the state’s largest professional theatre, however, will not be visible to the audience. His impact will live in the way that the organization continues to have a footprint in the community, and creates work that brings a community together through intersecting lines rather than dividing ones. That is work that everyone can celebrate.

Talking with Adrian and hearing his unique vocal cadence was exciting and informative. The unique skills he brings to a Utah Theatre powerhouse will be electric. While we can’t welcome Adrian to Utah (he’s already a resident), we are delighted to watch what happens in the next chapters of Pioneer Theatre Company’s book. 

Editor’s Note: In some instances, quotes have been edited for simplicity and clarity.