Metropolis chooses 30-year theater veteran as new artistic director

The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre announced Monday that Rob Gretta, a 30-year theater veteran, will serve as the Arlington Heights venue's next artistic director.

Gretta, most recently the assistant artistic director of the Post Playhouse in Crawford, Nebraska, replaces Joe Keefe, who helmed Metropolis for nearly seven years.

Keefe departed Metropolis in September following an investigation into allegations made by a former colleague. Neither Keefe nor the Metropolis board president would comment on the circumstances of the departure.

Gretta's hiring follows a six-month search that attracted 85 candidates from across the country. In a prepared statement, Metropolis board Vice President Ryan Cutlip described Gretta as a "perfect choice," citing his vision for the theater as a welcoming and inclusive place for people of all backgrounds.

"I am incredibly passionate about the art of storytelling; stories that challenge us, make us laugh or cry, and that make us human - and especially those told with different voices and from different perspectives." Gretta said in a prepared statement. "I am thrilled and humbled to have been entrusted with this important role at Metropolis and look forward to engaging with and entertaining the greater community."

Gretta joins executive director Brookes Ebetsch, who manages the performing arts school and Metropolis' internal operations.