Ed Decker
Founder & Artistic Director
Pronouns: He/Him
Ed Decker is the Founding Artistic Director of The New Conservatory Theatre Center, a graduate of San Francisco State University and a former Director of the American Conservatory Theatre Young Conservatory. He is particularly proud of NCTC’s Pride Season, Emerging Artist Residencies, New Play Commissions, Conservatory and the YouthAware touring theatre-in-education program. Since 1981, Ed has produced and/or directed over 500 plays, musicals and special events for NCTC.
Ed has also served as a site evaluator for the California Arts Council , Marin Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He is a recent recipient of the STOP AIDS award for the groundbreaking NCTC YouthAware HIV education programs and is a two time winner of the SF Chamber of Commerce Arts Excellence Award.
Barbara Hodgen
Executive Director
Pronouns: She/Her
Barbara comes to NCTC from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, where she was Interim Managing Director. Her prior Bay Area experience includes Conservatory Administrator at The American Conservatory Theatre, Managing Director of the California Shakespeare Festival, and Assistant Managing Director at Berkeley Rep. She also spent a fun – and hot! - five years in the desert as Company Manager for Blue Man Group in Las Vegas. Barbara holds an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama and a B.A from Vassar College.