Chris Maikish
Executive Director
Joined staff 2019
Biography
Chris (he/him) is a theatremaker and nonprofit arts leader whose work sits at the intersection of cultural strategy, creative advocacy, and organizational reform. Since joining Celebration Theatre in 2010—first as a performer, then director, designer, and development manager—he has brought a multidimensional understanding of artistic and administrative practice to Southern California’s oldest LGBTQIA+ theatre.
Appointed Executive Director in 2019, Chris has led a sweeping transformation of the organization’s culture and infrastructure to strengthen long-term sustainability and mission alignment. Under his leadership, Celebration Theatre has enacted reforms across governance, branding, fundraising, and staffing—grounded in equity and accountability. He helped develop the theatre’s first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) policies and implemented a Code of Care that institutionalizes consent-based practices for artists and staff. His impact has been most visible in expanding Celebration’s focus to center trans and BIPOC creatives, helping to launch flagship programs like Trans Lineage, and prioritizing accessibility, artist pay, and culturally responsive storytelling.
Outside Celebration Theatre, Chris served as a key member of the SB1116 Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund Coalition, a statewide initiative advocating for subsidized employment in the nonprofit performing arts sector. Through strategic communications and grassroots organizing, he helped mobilize hundreds of small and midsize arts organizations to secure historic legislative funding. His work contributed to the establishment of a groundbreaking workforce development program designed to stabilize creative jobs and support economic equity in the arts.
Chris was also a co-founder of A Little New Music, a long-running concert series in Los Angeles that showcased emerging musical theatre writers and performers, creating a platform for hundreds of bold new voices in partnership with ASCAP Foundation
He holds a Master of Public Administration from USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity, SAG-AFTRA, and the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society (SDC).
A kid from the NY suburbs, Chris arrived here by way of San Francisco and Chicago, where he met his long-time partner, Paul. His most important role to date is as co-parent to his child, Olivia. He thanks you for supporting theatre in Los Angeles and LGBTQIA+ visibility.
