Arlington Heights theater guru tapped for Paramount

A longtime community theater programmer and consultant has been tapped to take the helm at Aurora's Paramount Theatre.

Tim Rater, 35, of Arlington Heights was named executive director of the Paramount following a national search. He will be responsible for leading the operational and strategic efforts of the Paramount and Copley theaters, as well as programming, booking, fundraising and marketing.

"Obviously the Paramount has been successful on so many levels and I'm looking to build upon those successes," Rater said Wednesday as he outlined his initial goals. "We need to find a way to increase the activity at the Copley, and I'd like to examine starting a school of performing arts associated with the theater."

During a previous position as executive director of the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights, Rater developed the Metropolis School of Performing Arts, which today has an enrollment of more than 2,200 students. In less than five years, he took the theater from 20 productions with 200 performances each year to 53 productions with more than 400 performances each year that draw more than 85,000 people.

Rater will replace Dick Hawks and Kathleen Arko who have both served terms as interim director since July 2009 when former Director Diana Martinez abruptly left the position.

He said he couldn't have asked for a better time for his appointment, with the new season about to start Sept. 17.

"Thankfully, I'm coming in at a time when we already have a calendar full of great shows lined up," Rater said. "It really is a blessing for the programming to be set and allow me to come in and get my feet wet for a bit before focusing on the next programming season."

It also gives Rater and his wife, Bridgette, time to move their family, which includes 6-year-old Alana and 7-week-old Evan, from Arlington Heights to Aurora.

"This is a very exciting time for me and my family, and I can't wait to get in there and get settled in the community," Rater said. "I sat in on a staff meeting yesterday and I couldn't be more excited to be part of this fantastic organization."

Rater has served as executive director for the Wheaton Grand Theatre Project in downtown Wheaton since July 2007. In that role he conducted feasibility research and analysis, created operational models and cash-flow projections.