Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, currently celebrating its 26th season and presenting the rock and roll classic Grease, September 17 - October 19, is proud to announce the appointment of Tiffany Gates as its new executive director, effective immediately. Gates is a respected leader and longtime member of the Metropolis team with 20 years of experience at Metropolis. She has held several leadership roles with the theater, including education director, and has served as the interim executive director since May 2025. As executive director, Gates, will co-lead the organization, along with Artistic Director Johanna McKenzie Miller. In her new role, Gates will serve as the operational leader of Metropolis and will be responsible for ensuring administrative excellence, financial health, community engagement, donor development, marketing and audience experience. This position also oversees all aspects of operations and financial management and advances fundraising efforts. For more information on Metropolis Performing Arts Centre’s 26th anniversary season, please visit MetropolisArts.com.
"After two decades at Metropolis, I am thrilled to accept the position of executive director. We have much to look forward to in addition to our world-class productions and award-winning education programs.” said Gates. “The fundraising campaign honoring former Mayor Arlene J. Mulder, led by Director of Development Randal Klaproth, will help sustain the productions audiences love and support our award-winning School of the Performing Arts. Together with the Board, I look forward to strengthening Metropolis as a regional leader in theatre and arts education as we expand outreach that inspires and connects future artists and audiences.”
“After an extensive search that drew approximately 200 applicants, Tiffany distinguished herself as the candidate best prepared to lead Metropolis into the future,” said Acting Board of Directors President Jeff Hyslop. “She has been an integral part of Metropolis’s growth for the last 20 years and brings the vision, leadership and dedication needed to guide Metropolis into its next era. I welcome Tiffany as our executive director and am excited to see the continued growth of this organization and its numerous, important functions within the community under her leadership.
ABOUT TIFFANY GATES
Tiffany Gates is a seasoned performer, director, choreographer, producer, entrepreneur, and voice instructor with decades of experience in both performance and arts education. She has been with Metropolis for 20 years, serving in many roles, including head of the Voice Department, musical theatre faculty, and education director for the School of the Performing Arts, as well as interim artistic supervisor, associate artistic director and interim executive director for the organization. Gates’s performance highlights include appearances in New York at Lincoln Center and The Triad, regionally with Great Lakes Theater, Cain Park, Carousel Dinner Theatre, Beck Center for the Arts, Music Theater Works, Metropolis and Folks Operetta, among others. She is also a nationally touring musician and choral conductor. In addition, Gates is the founder of Harmonious Horizons, a Music Together® center. She holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Ohio Northern University, studied at The Circle in the Square Theatre School, the only acting conservatory on Broadway and is a member of Actors’ Equity.
ABOUT METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre is a vibrant cultural hub that enriches the community through inspiring live performances, creative arts education, and impactful partnerships. It fosters artistic excellence, cultivates multi-generational connections, and offers inclusive experiences that engage and uplift all community members. Located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, Metropolis is not just a theater, it is the cultural pulse of the area, surrounded by premier shopping, dining and nightlife. Metropolis offers a dynamic year-round season of professional theatre, comedy, concerts, and cabaret performances along with engaging arts education for ages 3 to 85 years old. Serving more than 65,000 patrons annually from across Chicagoland and beyond, Metropolis plays a pivotal role in the community. It provides arts education programs that support thousands of aspiring young artists, as well as community engagement initiatives like the Third Act Players (musical theatre for thespians over 50), Crescendo Chorus (for singers over 55), Flourish in the Footlights (for young artists with disabilities) and Clearbrook on Cue (for artists with disabilities). Metropolis is proud to partner with local organizations such as Endeavor Health, Arlington Heights Senior Center, and Clearbrook. Scholarships are available for students at the School of the Performing Arts to ensure access to the arts for all.